Cherrywood to city centre

Diemos

I would appreciate advice, I want to start cycling to work.
And would like advice on route and hazard avoidance.
My trek will be from Cherrywood to the city centre.

I'm not looking for the fastest route, I want to get their in one piece.
I see too many lunatics driving too close to cyclist, being aggressive etc. on my daily commute.

So I would love some advice.

Should I use my gopro?
What route to take (N11 cycle lane looks haphazard)?
What should I carry with me, apart form spare tube and pump?

Thank you

ted1

Diemos wrote: »

I would appreciate advice, I want to start cycling to work.
And would like advice on route and hazard avoidance.
My trek will be from Cherrywood to the city centre.

I'm not looking for the fastest route, I want to get their in one piece.
I see too many lunatics driving too close to cyclist, being aggressive etc. on my daily commute.

So I would love some advice.

Should I use my gopro?
What route to take (N11 cycle lane looks haphazard)?
What should I carry with me, apart form spare tube and pump?

Thank you

Take the N11 all the way, the cycle lane is bad from RTE to UCD and then good the rest of the way with the exception of the cross roads by fixrick church. I do it daily you'll be grand

Carry spare tubes , tyre leavers and a pump. If your on a mountain bike or hybrid with wheels bigger than a standard road bike you probably won't need them

Eponymous

ted1 wrote: »

Take the N11 all the way, the cycle lane is bad from RTE to UCD and then good the rest of the way with the exception of the cross roads by fixrick church. I do it daily you'll be grand

Carry spare tubes , tyre leavers and a pump. If your on a mountain bike or hybrid with wheels bigger than a standard road bike you probably won't need them

This.

N11 is most direct route, but if you're anywhere beyond SSG AVOID the Luas works. Dawson St. is an unholy mess, for example.

Most of the cycle past inbound is fine, but the worst of it is from Foster's Avenue to UCD and outbound from RTE to UCD where you'd be better off in the bus lane. Donnybrook is a bit haphazard too, be careful around the Garda station with the bus stop there and also at the strip of shops where Donnybrook Fair is - delivery trucks there and cars turning left at the next corner make it a tricky 100m or so. Also, at Donnybrook Garage the cyclepath goes behind the bus stop and often you'll see folks walk straight off the bus and onto the cycle lane without any care or attention.

I don't know if the whole GoPro thing has been covered on this forum or not, but it's not going to save your life or stop a collision. All it might do is MAYBE put manners on an uppity driver after the fact, but that's pretty unlikely.

Macy0161

I only go as far as UCD, but the N11 cycle paths are OK for the most part. Dodgiest spot for car interactions in my experience is Brewery Road inbound, and just keep you wits about you where the cycle lane dumps you into bus stops (Dublin Bus ok, but have had a few taxis pull in on top of me!).

When I was going to the Baggot Street area, I generally went the Rock Road. Clonkeen Road - Temple Hill - Rock Road - Merrion Road. Haven't done that for a few years though, I know the around blackrock it's supposed to have been improved, in theory. I used to come home through the park rather than the Blackrock Bypass when I was going that way, although I'd probably be more confident nowadays. If it wasn't for Aircoach, it was pretty much incident free.

Wouldn't be without the marathon plus on either route to be honest.

Bloggsie

what is the set up in your work, do you have secure bike parking facilities, shower, changing rooms etc. I cycle 2 or 3 days and on 1 of the other days I will leave clothes in work so that I dont have to carry anything on the days I cycle.

as for the route, the N11 would be the most direct from Cherrywood to the city, there are many comments on the N11 cycle lane on this forum, Alternatively head down into blackrock via the turn @ foxrock and take the rock road/merrion road or turn @ merrion gates in to the city centre.

I agree on the Go Pro, it wount stop an accident but it may halp in the aftermath of one, (touchwood you wont have the need of it)

Diemos

Eponymous wrote: »

I don't know if the whole GoPro thing has been covered on this forum or not, but it's not going to save your life or stop a collision. All it might do is MAYBE put manners on an uppity driver after the fact, but that's pretty unlikely.

Thank you for the replies.

I would not expect the camera to offer any protection. More a cover my ass / evidence in case of accident. I would cycle defensively.

What about timing? I'm usually on the road into work at 6 am, but at that hour there is not much traffic and people tend to drive pretty fast. Particularly the guys in the bus lane.
Should I leave it til later when congestion will naturally slow traffic down?
(Work are pretty cool, I can come and go as I please as long as I get my work done.)

Bloggsie wrote: »

What is the set up in your work, do you have secure bike parking facilities, shower, changing rooms etc. I cycle 2 or 3 days and on 1 of the other days I will leave clothes in work so that I dont have to carry anything on the days I cycle.

Yes, secure parking, I have a heavy bike lock already on the rack, so I don't have to carry it in while cycling.
We have showers and changing rooms and lockers.

Macy0161

Whatever about the speed, the bus lanes are a free for all until 7 on most of that route, so speaking as both a driver and a cyclist, I personally would stick to the cycle lanes in that time frame, particularly when the 7am cut off is approaching! People definitely not hanging around at that time of the morning, particularly in the winter.

Supercell

Hi OP, I live in Cherrywood and normally cycle up the N11 to the crossroads at the Cornelscourt shopping center then head out via Deansgrange and the Rock road. Its less hilly and for some reason I find it less windy especially in winter, the cycle is more interesting imho too.

Bloggsie

sorry, should have added, if you are going to carry in stuff, maybe look at getting panniers instead of a backpack or go for the other option of not cycling 1 day and bring in clothing for the week.

ted1

It's about 35 minutes from Dawson street.
Supercell I think we pass each other daily.

Diemos

Thanks for all the advice.
If you see someone red in the face, huffing and blowing tomorrow.....it's probably me

Diemos

I made it
I'm alive!
Freshly showered and bloody starving.

I could not help but notice how much I was trekking down hill. The trip home will be ....... interesting.

I took Supercell's route via Blackrock.

Eponymous

Diemos wrote: »

I made it
I'm alive!
Freshly showered and bloody starving.

I could not help but notice how much I was trekking down hill. The trip home will be ....... interesting.

I took Supercell's route via Blackrock.

It's actually not that bad. Worst stretch in terms of uphill (if you take the N11) is between Foster's Avenue and Mount Merrion Avenue. There's a lot going on with a couple of bus stops, a couple of busy junctions, a petrol station. It's not that it's a tough uphill section, just that it's something else to contend with!

Well done on your commute.

I only cycle in on Fridays (and if the weather is good). The schlep from Greystones isn't all that bad. Might even see you!

Seaswimmer

Diemos wrote: »

I made it
I'm alive!
Freshly showered and bloody starving.

I could not help but notice how much I was trekking down hill. The trip home will be ....... interesting.

I took Supercell's route via Blackrock.

Well done. If coming home via Rock Road watch out for very bad road surface between Booterstown Avenue and Blackrock Clinic. Stay well out in the bus lane. I usually stay just to the right of the cycle lane markings. You wont have any problem as the right hand traffic lane is usually free flowing so any vehicle in the bus lane can pull out and pass you.

Bloggsie

Diemos wrote: »

I made it
I'm alive!
Freshly showered and bloody starving.

I could not help but notice how much I was trekking down hill. The trip home will be ....... interesting.

I took Supercell's route via Blackrock.

when you get to work & have the hunger, eat a small colleague, that will keep you going for a bit, well done on the spin.

s8n

ted1 wrote: »

Take the N11 all the way, the cycle lane is bad from RTE to UCD and then good the rest of the way with the exception of the cross roads by fixrick church. I do it daily you'll be grand

Did you mean Foxrock church ?

Macy0161

s8n wrote: »

Did you mean Foxrock church ?

Between foxrock church until past the Westminster Road lights is pretty ropey surface wise, so I took it they meant there.

ted1

s8n wrote: »

Did you mean Foxrock church ?

Yeah stupid autocorrect.

tomasrojo

ted1 wrote: »

Yeah stupid autocorrect.

I thought it was an enjoyable (but extremely exaggerated) parody of the local accent!

capefear

Op how are you getting with the cycle into city centre, thinking of starting the same route in the next week or two.

C3PO

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Well done. If coming home via Rock Road watch out for very bad road surface between Booterstown Avenue and Blackrock Clinic. Stay well out in the bus lane. I usually stay just to the right of the cycle lane markings. You wont have any problem as the right hand traffic lane is usually free flowing so any vehicle in the bus lane can pull out and pass you.

They're actually working on that stretch at the moment! Hopefully they'll repair some of the other bits too!
I commute everyday from Shankill (just around the corner from Cherrywood) and much prefer turning right at Clonkeen Road and going through Blackrock and the Rock Road - hate cycling on the N11!

ted1

C3PO wrote: »

They're actually working on that stretch at the moment! Hopefully they'll repair some of the other bits too!
I commute everyday from Shankill (just around the corner from Cherrywood) and much prefer turning right at Clonkeen Road and going through Blackrock and the Rock Road - hate cycling on the N11!

I'm the opposite, hate inbound on the Rick Ross and prefer the N11. Coming home I'll use either, if I do a run during lunch I'll use the N11 if not it its a great day I'll use the coast road even if it means doing the Vico road

C3PO

ted1 wrote: »

I'm the opposite, hate inbound on the Rick Ross and prefer the N11. Coming home I'll use either, if I do a run during lunch I'll use the N11 if not it its a great day I'll use the coast road even if it means doing the Vico road

It's probably because I really don't like cycling on the cycle lane beside the N11 and I find buses and taxis get "upset" when I cycle in the bus lanes!