RTÉ News has undertaken a very non-scientific methodology to see how three different modes of transport fared during Dublin's rush-hour.
Our three reporters; Maggie Doyle in her car, Colman O’Sullivan on his bike and Barry Gallagher on a bus left Woodstown Shopping Centre in Knocklyon near the M50 and headed into St Stephen's Green - a journey of 10.7km.
All three began their trips at 7.50am.
The car
Maggie's journey from Knocklyon to St Stephen's Green took her one hour and 20 minutes in the car.
Traffic was quite slow and heavy through the suburban areas of Templeogue into Rathfarnham and Rathgar, she says.
My sat nav rerouted me a few times for a shorter journey, which took me through some very quiet residential roads, which were subsequently also backed up with cars.
Cyclists weaved in and out of traffic when there were no cycle lanes - and at points in the city centre around Camden Street there were a lot of bikes.
I arrived at Stephen's Green and was incredibly lucky to get a parking spot right on the Green.
I still arrived last - maybe the most comfortable, having been in my car seat for the duration - but it was the slowest and most expensive commute.
Read more: How long is a commute in Dublin's rush hour traffic?
The bus
It took Barry one hour and two minutes to get there by bus.
Setting off from Knocklyon, I had a short walk of about ten minutes to the stop before boarding one of Dublin's newest BusConnects routes, designed to link Tallaght to Ballymun via the city centre.
Saved at the outset by an extremely friendly driver who waited as I hurried on board, the trip from Knocklyon to Templeogue was comfortable.
Although I was standing for the duration, the bus was far from overcrowded, with a steady stream of passengers getting on and off along the way.
That changed in Terenure, where a large influx of commuters quickly brought the bus to capacity, with passengers refused entry at multiple stops.
A lack of dedicated bus lanes from Knocklyon to Harold's Cross also left us at the mercy of Dublin traffic, adding to delays along the route - a reminder of the wider congestion issues facing Dublin Bus services.
Launched in October last year, the F1 bus route is intended to operate as a high-frequency "spine" route, but like much of the network, it is operating under significant pressure amid record passenger numbers and ongoing complaints about delays, reliability and controversial route changes.
Despite this, the journey itself remained relatively pain free - only falling short at the final hurdle, when I discovered first-place Colman had arrived almost 20 minutes ahead of me.
So, while today's challenge was not a race - it certainly wasn't much of a contest.
The bicycle
Colman's journey on his e-bike took him around 40 minutes.
My commute by bike was mostly good with a few stressful sections along the way.
A segregated cycle lane got me as far as the Dodder Greenway. Winding through trees alongside the river was a lovely way to start the day. Further on it runs beside a busy road but the two-way cycle lane is segregated from cars by a kerb so it feels safe.
It was when I turned off the greenway to go through Terenure and Rathmines that things got more stressful. There were cycle lanes and bus lanes painted on the road, but no segregation so I had to mix with cars and buses. It definitely wouldn't pass the test of 'would you let your ten-year-old cycle here?'
At the Grand Canal the greenway, packed with cyclists, was a pleasant respite before having to squeeze past buses on the way down Leeson Street to Stephen's Green.
The journey showed off how much progress has been made with sections that were a joy to cycle but also a reminder that few people in Dublin have a route that they can cycle to work, school or college where they feel safe and comfortable all the way.
If more people are to be persuaded to get on their bikes, that needs to change.
BusConnects is promising improvements for cyclists and bus passengers on the spine that runs through Templeogue, Terenure and Rathmines.
My total journey time was 45 minutes, but this included a few work-related stops along the way, so it could easily be done in 40.
I was on my e-bike. That didn't make me faster, plenty of cyclists passed me on their regular, acoustic models, but it does take the sweat out of it and would make the journey back up the hill to Knocklyon after work a bit less of a slog.
Fastest, cheapest with lovely sections along the Dodder and Grand Canal that you can't enjoy on a bus or in a car.
Bike is best!
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