Launch of new Cork Public Bikes Scheme

Dbu wrote: »

Im not being smart here, but cyclists need to obey the rules of the road as well. ie traffic lights

From my commute the other day,


and one from a while ago'



a clown is a clown regardless of their chosen method of transport.

Nah, I only posted her on YouTube cause she sprawled all over the bike box at the next junction, it's a real pet hate of mine.

munstermagic11 wrote: »

It's not just some drivers. Cyclists are also responsible.
Can't understand how people are cycling against traffic in the city, wearing dark clothes and no lights.
Some cyclists don't appear to care for their own well being.

In an urban environment, black clothes or not, If you can't see somebody nearby then either your sight is too bad for you to drive or you're not paying attention to the road.

[QUOTE=the beer revolu;93469078
For those upset at cyclists safely breaking lights:get over yourselves or get a bike![/QUOTE]

Why not wait until the light is green? Have witnessed a pedestrian being knocked down by a light breaker on a bike and its not pretty. When the green light comes on for pedestrians to cross does not mean a bike can plough through. Any way didn't mean to start a bike v car thing

Up & running!

I passed Wandesford Quay opposite the dole office and that also looked operational with 8 or 9 bikes there.

Went for a spin today on one of the bikes, they're pretty nice to use. A few points:

• Didn't see anyone else only meself on one, so people haven't rushed out en masse to use them.
• They look great.
• You can get a nice bit of speed out of them if you try.
• The gearing mechanism is the most interesting thing- instead of the gear jumping up from one gear to the next, it feels like something tightens up in the hub so you get a gradient effect - sort of like the turning the gas burner up or down.
• The bell is pretty tinny.
• The locks are a bit crap - unlike the DublinBikes where the lock is integrated into the bike, they just have a combination lock attached to the handlebar and you get a code for it and have to remember it or write it down.
• The basket isn't great, like the Barclay Bikes one only larger. It'll hold an eightpack of Harp Lager pretty handy though.
• Got a few admiring looks from passers-by. Gotta enjoy those admiring looks while they last - there'll be a lot more people on those bikes soon enough.
• Finally: Woo Hoo! A bikeshare scheme in Cork!

thomil wrote: »

Good to see it up and running. One thing has surprised me, though. The station at Camden Quay is finished and looks ready to go, but still hasn't gotten any bikes. I've just emailed the operators to find out what is up with that. I'd be curious to know if there is any other stations in Cork that are in similar limbo.

College of Comm didnt appear to have any when I passed, although I wasn't sure if they were all used or it's just not running.

Spotted a station out beside The Oval (across from Beamish factory) last night. The bike look great and the station is quite neat and doesn't obstruct the path in any way. 3 bikes were missing so there's a few people already using them Think I'll wait till more of the stations are complete. I don't like the idea of using it to cross the city and then struggle to find a station to park it again.

Super fast I only registered yesterday and got the stuff in the post today yeppee

Looking good! Load of wans climbing over them and lads trying to break them out of the stands on South Main St though, not sure how they'll last...

Bacchus wrote: »

The initial novelty will wear off in the New Year. It's actually a tad unfortunate that the timing of their introduction wound up in the middle of Christmas drinking season.

This - thought a Spring/Summer launch would see more use of them initially and help it grab a foothold in Cork culture

KCAccidental wrote: »

they should have held off until after christmas at least. this piecemeal opening isn't really doing much for publicising the benefits the scheme will eventually bring.

I have a feeling that they had to open some part of it at least in 2014.

I disagree. In my eyes, the piecemeal launch could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. It should enable them to work out any teething issues, and bring new stations online when they're ready. I had a bit of email contact with them concerning the Camden Quay station. They expect to have the entire network operational before March/April. They hope to have everything up and running in January, but can't guarantee that.
That should give them enough time to get the system up and running stable before the real cycling season starts. However, a concerted PR campaign can't hurt.