Cycling on N11

Dominoid

Anyone that regularly cycles on the N11?

Signs are bit confusing, some shows M11 (blue signs) but saw cyclist and tractors.

Are there any parts from Bray to Wexford that's motorway? Any parts of the N11 to avoid and go on the coast road?

Blowfish

Between Bray and Shankhill it's a motorway, south/north of that stretch and you should be fine.

[edit] Map.

xz

from the Loughlinstown roundabout to the Fassaroe exit into Bray is all Motorway, so coming from the north you are best going through Shankill, into Bray, and turn right onto the Dargle road a few hundred yards past the Coach pub, N11 is all OK until the Arklow bypass after that, but they are starting works at Coynes Cross, which brings you onto the old Cullenmore bends road,leading into Ashford, from which point on to the Arklow bypass will be Motorway when complete

Stark

Between Bray and Shankill are currently motorway as Blowfish said. Further south, there are sections that are being redesignated motorway. It's legal to cycle/bring a tractor onto them until August 29th but after that it won't be.

All the redesignated sections have the old N11 (R772) running roughly parallel to them. It's one of the requirements of redesignation that there be an alternative route for non-motorway traffic.

penexpers

Apparently Ashford - Arklow has been reclassified as a motorway.

Stark

Yup. www.openstreetmap.org has the redesignated sections marked in blue.

Dominoid

Stark wrote: »

Yup. www.openstreetmap.org has the redesignated sections marked in blue.

Thank's this will help. Coastal road is not the best, narrow, full of bumps and full of idiot week-end drivers. Want to stay on N11 as much as possible.

2x4

penexpers wrote: »

Apparently Ashford - Arklow has been reclassified as a motorway.

Ashford to just before the Beehive and the Arklow bypass are soon to be upgraded. It will be some time before the stretch in between will be upgraded to motorway status. This upgrade may have a negative impact on cyclists as the speed of traffic before and after the motorway will increase.

Stark

Dominoid wrote: »

Thank's this will help. Coastal road is not the best, narrow, full of bumps and full of idiot week-end drivers. Want to stay on N11 as much as possible.

I took the coast road to Gorey before. Aside from the section between Wicklow and Brittas Bay, I found it quite nice. Wicklow-Brittas Bay is a real boneshaker though and I wouldn't like to come off the bike on that road surface. Brittas Bay to Arklow along the coast is pleasant enough to cycle along despite being narrow; it's quiet and undulating.

I prefer the Greystones-Rathnew route through Kilcoole over the N11 past Newtown Mount-Kennedy. The traffic on the N11 along that section is seriously fast moving.

mcgratheoin

Depending on where you're heading from in Dublin, have a look at the N81 as well - I use that way to go to Waterford and it's a nice spin. Obviously if you're leaving from Bray it's a non runner though....

keenan110

Cycled this road two weeks ago, id suggest coming off the N11 near Kilbride(just after the Bee Hive pub) as the road gets very narrow and there is no hard shoulder!

mockler007

i cycled the n11 when i was 11, quite dodge, from tallaght to newtownmountkennedy, i would advise the coast road as some of it it motorway, but its up to you what you want to do

Rusty Cogs 08

Anyone out there who commutes on the N11 past Bray. I'll be coming in from Kilpeddar direction to the city a bit over the summer and I'm wondering whether everyone/anyone gets off at the (little) Bray junction to get back on after Shankhill (or vice versa) or do you stay on the motorway in either direction, maybe using the sliproads to avoid the particular danger of merging traffic ?

DirkVoodoo

Rusty Cogs 08 wrote: »

Anyone out there who commutes on the N11 past Bray. I'll be coming in from Kilpeddar direction to the city a bit over the summer and I'm wondering whether everyone/anyone gets off at the (little) Bray junction to get back on after Shankhill (or vice versa) or do you stay on the motorway in either direction, maybe using the sliproads to avoid the particular danger of merging traffic ?

I would suggest you do what you are legally obliged to do and get off the N11 at Bray and back on after Shankill. Motorways are motorways and it's for your own safety not to be on them. The only route I have ever taken is the one through Bray, the N11 is bad enough dealing with cars merging/exiting at ~80 km/hr, having to do this with cars travelling at ~100-120+ km/hr would be mad and Bray/Shankill has decent enough cycling facilities that resume once you get back to the N11 all the way into town (well, they are good as far as Foxrock church, then it starts to get a little bad).

LastGasp

Rusty Cogs 08 wrote: »

I'm wondering whether everyone/anyone gets off at the (little) Bray junction to get back on after Shankhill (or vice versa) or do you stay on the motorway in either direction, maybe using the sliproads to avoid the particular danger of merging traffic ?

I've never seen anyone cycle on the Motorway and I wouldn't recommend it. The route through Little Bray and Shankhill to Loughlinstown is fine, but watch the traffic in Shankhill village, it's pretty tight, with cars pulling in and out all over the place.

Muller_1

Rusty Cogs 08 wrote: »

Anyone out there who commutes on the N11 past Bray. I'll be coming in from Kilpeddar direction to the city a bit over the summer and I'm wondering whether everyone/anyone gets off at the (little) Bray junction to get back on after Shankhill (or vice versa) or do you stay on the motorway in either direction, maybe using the sliproads to avoid the particular danger of merging traffic ?

I commute from Shankill, but train in Wicklow all the time. I've never been on the M11, it's as quick to come off the N11 where it turns into motorway at Fassaroe, then down the Dargle road and onto the old Dublin road to Shankill. Don't think you'd save any time heading down the M11 apart form the fact it's illegal and dangerous.

Thargor

Bump - I want to cycle to Glenview someday to climb the Sugarloaf and back, Google seems to think its okay to cycle down the N11 but that cant be right these days can it?

https://maps.google.ie/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF-8&q=Glenview+Hotel+%26+Leisure+Club&fb=1&gl=ie&hq=Glenview&cid=0,0,14143204241619217121&ei=chKKUsepEO-v7AaL9YC4Cg&ved=0CKQBEPwSMA0

How else would you get there from Bray does anyone know?

07Lapierre

Yes u can cycle on the N11...but stay away from the M11.

Plastik

Enjoy Red Lane

loyatemu

nicer route (I hate cycling on the N11)

Enjoy Red Lane

its a little steep alright...

Thargor

Yeah I suppose it would for the couple of extra k, dont like the look of the N11 myself, would it be better to go this way from Bray by Enniskerry and then descend the Red Lane and home by your route?

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Vevay+Road%2FR761&daddr=53.1613878,-6.0960861+to:L1031&hl=en&ll=53.161799,-6.11166&spn=0.085733,0.154324&sll=53.165556,-6.110544&sspn=0.042863,0.054588&geocode=Fa2nKwMdb9ai_w%3BFastKwMdKvui_yk71y9BuqhnSDEKwwjsCd9R0w%3BFXDqKgMdPBWi_w&t=h&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&z=13

Looking for the easiest climb seeing as we'll be in hiking boots on flat pedals.

Seeing as its winter now maybe we should just jump on the 145 bus to Kilmaconague and walk it...

Plastik

There's nothing to worry about on the N11. Cycling on it is allowed, it's lit, and there is a wide hard shoulder. Bray Wheelers do all their mid-week night time winter training on that stretch between the Glenview and Kilmacanogue.

Personally speaking if I was heading to the Sugar Loaf carpark from Bray I would come out the Killarney Road and go straight up the R755 from Kilmac.

loyatemu

Thargor wrote: »

Yeah I suppose it would for the couple of extra k, dont like the look of the N11 myself, would it be better to go this way from Bray by Enniskerry and then descend the Red Lane and home by your route?

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Vevay+Road%2FR761&daddr=53.1613878,-6.0960861+to:L1031&hl=en&ll=53.161799,-6.11166&spn=0.085733,0.154324&sll=53.165556,-6.110544&sspn=0.042863,0.054588&geocode=Fa2nKwMdb9ai_w%3BFastKwMdKvui_yk71y9BuqhnSDEKwwjsCd9R0w%3BFXDqKgMdPBWi_w&t=h&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&z=13

Looking for the easiest climb seeing as we'll be in hiking boots on flat pedals.

Seeing as its winter now maybe we should just jump on the 145 bus to Kilmaconague and walk it...

the cycle up from Kilmac round the back of the Sugarloaf (the R755) is definitely easier than Red Lane, though still a bit of a slog if you're not a regular cyclist, its also quite a busy road.

I think you can climb the mountain directly from Kilmac as well (rather than going up to the carpark) - there's probably routes online somewhere.