They don't even pay road tax Joe. Off topic thread

rollingscone · 15-10-2013 8:43am

CramCycle wrote: »

Not sure why but this sprung to mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcE9ppYolK8

It was just like that , but without the svelte athleticism of Bill Bailey.

Jawgap · 15-10-2013 9:19am

CJC999 wrote: »

No I was only joking, they're bringing in wheel tax instead, cyclists will pay half that of cars.

I've already paid a wheel tax - it's called VAT

Any truth that the new wheel tax will be on a sliding scale - the deeper the section, the steeper the tax?

zl1whqvjs75cdy · 15-10-2013 9:26am

Just would like to see what you gents think of the following. I have a friend who moved to Geneva a couple of months back. He says that all bikes there have to be insured, costs about 80 euro a year. This covers you if you plough into a car or something I'd imagine. A portion of the payment goes to Geneva City Council. Any bike that is not displaying a disk is sized by the council and sold at auction after 14 days. So what I'm asking is,

1. Would you support a scheme like that in cities (Dublin,Cork) etc. Obviously it wouldn't work in bally go backwards but it could work in a city setting.
2. If not, why not?
3. What cycling facilities would you improve/provide with money generated from such a scheme?

Cee-Jay-Cee · 15-10-2013 9:36am

1. Would you support a scheme like that in cities (Dublin,Cork) etc. Obviously it wouldn't work in bally go backwards but it could work in a city setting.

No because the government would use it to generate revenue and increase it in the budget each year.

2. If not, why not?

See No. 1

3. What cycling facilities would you improve/provide with money generated from such a scheme?

N/A

rollingscone · 15-10-2013 9:38am

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

Just would like to see what you gents think of the following. I have a friend who moved to Geneva a couple of months back. He says that all bikes there have to be insured, costs about 80 euro a year. This covers you if you plough into a car or something I'd imagine. A portion of the payment goes to Geneva City Council. Any bike that is not displaying a disk is sized by the council and sold at auction after 14 days. So what I'm asking is,

1. Would you support a scheme like that in cities (Dublin,Cork) etc. Obviously it wouldn't work in bally go backwards but it could work in a city setting.
2. If not, why not?
3. What cycling facilities would you improve/provide with money generated from such a scheme?

Swiss liability and insurance laws might be very different. Most Irish cyclists have third party liability under their household insurance, a significant portion also have Cycling Ireland insurance which covers them when they're training.

I wouldn't support any scheme that discouraged cycling and it would raise major questions about liability for Bikeshare schemes (for instance the most likely response would be a significant increase in the subscription to cover the liability insurance). The cost of living in Geneva is horrendously high as it is so this sort of thing may not have the same impact it would here.

For instance, in Geneva that annual fee is the cost of ten cups of coffee here it would be more like Thirty two cups of coffee.

Also whether the revenue gathered would pay for much cycling infrastructure is dubious, infrastructure isn't nearly as much of a problem as road user behaviour. Even on the best cycle lanes we have people are constantly cycling the wrong way, walking, parking, driving, letting children play on scooters etc, bicycles belong on the road governed by grown up rules.

Aside from improved parking facilities the best infrastructural improvements would be to discourage motor traffic in cities and neutralising the previous three or four decades of work to bias our cities towards driving.

bcmf · 15-10-2013 9:39am

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

So what I'm asking is,

1. Would you support a scheme like that in cities (Dublin,Cork) etc. Obviously it wouldn't work in bally go backwards but it could work in a city setting.
2. If not, why not?
3. What cycling facilities would you improve/provide with money generated from such a scheme?

A 1) No.
A 2) Any form of Govt/Council devised 'cost' is only a gateway to further hikes in the future. €80 this year. €120 next etc etc and will only serve to disincentivise city cycling. It will always be open to abuse especially in this country.
A 3) A brand new cycle path from my house to my work. Pan flat and fully lit with little espresso huts dotted all along the route.

Captain Havoc · 15-10-2013 9:49am

Kase Clever Beach wrote: »

Just would like to see what you gents think of the following. I have a friend who moved to Geneva a couple of months back. He says that all bikes there have to be insured, costs about 80 euro a year. This covers you if you plough into a car or something I'd imagine. A portion of the payment goes to Geneva City Council. Any bike that is not displaying a disk is sized by the council and sold at auction after 14 days. So what I'm asking is,

I thought the vignette was done away with two or three years ago?

Jawgap · 15-10-2013 9:53am

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

Just would like to see what you gents think of the following. I have a friend who moved to Geneva a couple of months back. He says that all bikes there have to be insured, costs about 80 euro a year. This covers you if you plough into a car or something I'd imagine. A portion of the payment goes to Geneva City Council. Any bike that is not displaying a disk is sized by the council and sold at auction after 14 days. So what I'm asking is,

1. Would you support a scheme like that in cities (Dublin,Cork) etc. Obviously it wouldn't work in bally go backwards but it could work in a city setting.
2. If not, why not?
3. What cycling facilities would you improve/provide with money generated from such a scheme?

Think this should maybe get a thread of its own.

1. No

2. It would represent a barrier to cycling and to casual cycling in particular and you cannot compare Swiss local government to Irish local government - there'd be no guarantee it would be spent on cycling infra-structure; that it would be spent effectively and equitably; and that it wouldn't be used as a revenue stream by the city councils

3. If it was to go through, then I'd like to see it spent on developing NEW cycling related projects, rather than maintaining existing ones.

RobertFoster · 15-10-2013 10:16am

CJC999 wrote: »

No I was only joking, they're bringing in wheel tax instead, cyclists will pay half that of cars.

Will that mean I can now openly mock the unicyclist I see on the Clontarf cycle track because he pays less tax? I suppose rollerbladers will become more aggressive too.

Captain Havoc · 15-10-2013 12:01pm

I just pulled a grey hair from my head, I'm old.

Paul Kiernan · 15-10-2013 12:06pm

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I just pulled a grey hair from my head, I'm old.

When there are no longer any grey hairs left to pull from your head, then you're old!

Jawgap · 15-10-2013 12:07pm

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I just pulled a grey hair from my head, I'm old.

You're not old, you're distinguished.........and wait til you starting finding grey pubes

yop · 15-10-2013 12:09pm

Jawgap wrote: »

You're not old, you're distinguished.........and wait til you starting finding grey pubes

Jeebus, I have just had to cancel lunch! that image is going to haunt me! :P

CramCycle · 15-10-2013 12:32pm

Paul Kiernan wrote: »

When there are no longer any grey hairs left to pull from your head, then you're old!

I must be super efficient, I just went straight from full head of Brown hair to a solar panel with trimmings.

I do have grey in my beard though.

RobFowl · 15-10-2013 1:01pm

They wouldn't be discussing grey hairs on the party bus ........

bcmf · 15-10-2013 3:39pm

MAN DOWN.......The curse of Blakes cross strikes again.
Waiting in Beaumont x-ray to see what damage is done to my shoulder.
Bloody sore now BUT not looking forward to the morning.

Beasty · 15-10-2013 3:44pm

bcmf wrote: »

MAN DOWN.......The curse of Blakes cross strikes again.
Waiting in Beaumont x-ray to see what damage is done to my shoulder.
Bloody sore now BUT not looking forward to the morning.

Hope you are OK bcmf. What happened - did you get hit? Was it cutting back across the filter lane?

Dermot Illogical · 15-10-2013 3:50pm

bcmf wrote: »

MAN DOWN.......The curse of Blakes cross strikes again.
Waiting in Beaumont x-ray to see what damage is done to my shoulder.
Bloody sore now BUT not looking forward to the morning.

Eh....what about the bike? How's the bike? Eh?

Beasty · 15-10-2013 3:55pm

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Eh....what about the bike? How's the bike? Eh?

I'll keep my eye out for it on the way home - dump it out of site in a ditch hide it somewhere discrete if I see it ...

Beasty · 15-10-2013 3:57pm

... but even more importantly, were you wearing the Boards gear, and if so, how did it fare?

Wishbone Ash · 15-10-2013 4:02pm

Hope everything is OK bcmf.

Coming from Lusk, turning right for Lusk or passing on the R132?? I'm interested as I go through that junction dozens of times each week.

bcmf · 15-10-2013 4:10pm

Beasty wrote: »

... but even more importantly, were you wearing the Boards gear, and if so, how did it fare?

yes at the filter lane at opposite the Esso and yes boards jacket. Its scarred but useable. The long sleeve jersey I was wearing underneath was in a worse state strangley enough

Darkglasses · 15-10-2013 4:11pm

Hope you're alright bcmf!

So I guess you're organizing the next jersey order, congratulations!

Dermot Illogical · 15-10-2013 4:25pm

bcmf wrote: »

yes at the filter lane at opposite the Esso and yes boards jacket. Its scarred but useable. The long sleeve jersey I was wearing underneath was in a worse state strangley enough

How did it happen? Is the surface dodgy?

Anyway, hopefully you'll have a quick recovery!

bcmf · 15-10-2013 4:28pm

Darkglasses wrote: »

Hope you're alright bcmf!

So I guess you're organizing the next jersey order, congratulations!

If I do it will be full euro pink.That will keep the numbers below 3

Beasty · 15-10-2013 4:29pm

bcmf wrote: »

If I do it will be full euro pink.That will keep the numbers below 3

From this thread maybe - head over to the other one and they'll be crawling all over you for a bit of pink ....

Lusk_Doyle · 15-10-2013 5:31pm

Beasty wrote: »

From this thread maybe - head over to the other one and they'll be crawling all over you for a bit of pink ....

More so brown, I'd say...

pajor · 15-10-2013 8:48pm

RIP Vacansoleil.

thebouldwhacker · 15-10-2013 8:58pm

Are they gone as a team? I heard that they are due to secure new sponsor.

Speedy recovery bcmf

pajor · 15-10-2013 9:03pm

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Are they gone as a team? I heard that they are due to secure new sponsor.

Speedy recovery bcmf

The DS is starting another ProConti team. But the ProTeam is gone afaik.

bcmf · 15-10-2013 9:15pm

Mrs bcmf has pointed out that our cat eats healthier then my youngest.
leave your dinner unattended for the briefest moment and hacker t.cat will have a go at whatever is on the plate.
Caught the cat eating a mushroom yesteday. This eve he tried to swipe my peach cobbler.

ratracer · 15-10-2013 9:20pm

bcmf wrote: »

Mrs bcmf has pointed out that our cat eats healthier then my youngest.
leave your dinner unattended for the briefest moment and hacker t.cat will have a go at whatever is on the plate.
Caught the cat eating a mushroom yesteday. This eve he tried to swipe my peach cobbler.

You need to get tough with the cat. Make it watch the start of love/hate over and over again until it gets the message....

dited · 15-10-2013 10:19pm

Anyone else notice the repair help section of Park Tools website has lost a load of content? Was a couple of minutes into replacing the whole drivetrain (for the first time) when it gave me a 404 for a page I'd been on minutes before.

Needless to say, the repair hasn't gone well