Traffic-free city centres for Ireland?

Climate Expert

I enjoy a good sweat. Gets all crap out of your pores.

So do I but after work. You will do your career no favours reeking of sweat every day. I'm a fit person but I find it very hard to not sweat when doing anything physical. I gave up walking to work as I was sick of the sweat.

that it is highly representative of mainstream thinking on commuting by bike.

Yep I'll always be a voice for reason and the mainstream. You all love your bikes so can't see beyond that.

Raam

Climate Expert wrote: »

So do I but after work. You will do your career no favours reeking of sweat every day. I'm a fit person but I find it very hard to not sweat when doing anything physical. I gave up walking to work as I was sick of the sweat.

I usually cycle home from work, after work
If you don't have a shower in work, you can shower before you leave the house, or just towel yourself down. There is no obstacle, apart from massive distance and a lack of legs, that can stop you cycling to work.

niceonetom

Climate Expert wrote: »

Yep I'll always be a voice for reason and the mainstream. You all love your bikes so can't see beyond that.

the mainstream is usually stupid and wrong though. "candle in the wind" is the biggest selling single of all time...

Climate Expert

niceonetom wrote: »

the mainstream is usually stupid and wrong though. "candle in the wind" is the biggest selling single of all time...

In the absensce of an unbiased all knowing judge we can assume that consensus is correct.

WicklowRacer

Climate Expert wrote: »

Cycling to work: uncomfortable when wet, sweaty, extremely dangerous over the long term. Just a massive pain in the hole.

Its just not a realistic proposition for most people.

As a committed commuting, recreational and racing cyclist... I'd reluctantly agree with you. I do 40km each day but I cant say I enjoy it very much... but its better than the alternative of private or public transport for me. I love my bike(s), I just dont love commuting on them very much !... and from what I can see, most other people cycling dont seem to be overjoyed by it either.

Raam

Climate Expert wrote: »

In the absensce of an unbiased all knowing judge we can assume that consensus is correct.

Ain't no right or wrong, just what works for you.
Right now, cycling works very well for us.

Climate Expert

Raam wrote: »

Ain't no right or wrong, just what works for you.
Right now, cycling works very well for us.

Exactly. I'm happy that people cycle to work. Whatever works best for you be it cycling, driving or public transport.
But I can't tolerate a govt. who are trying to force others to do the same because they have mismanaged the transport and planning of cities all over Ireland.

niceonetom

Climate Expert wrote: »

In the absensce of an unbiased all knowing judge we can assume that consensus is correct.

well, you can assume whatever you like mate, everyone was still wrong when they thought the earth was flat. agreement has f all to do with truth. you can fool most of the people most of the time.

you still haven't actually told us if you've actually ever tried cycling as a method of transport. if you have then your input might actually carry some weight. if you haven't... well, you can't really claim to know what you're talking about.

Climate Expert

niceonetom wrote: »

well, you can assume whatever you like mate, everyone was still wrong when they thought the earth was flat. agreement has f all to do with truth. you can fool most of the people most of the time.

you still haven't actually told us if you've actually ever tried cycling as a method of transport. if you have then your input might actually carry some weight. if you haven't... well, you can't really claim to know what you're talking about.

Come on, what person has never cyled a bike? I've used every method of transport going and the car is far and away the best, followed by walking, cycling if its less than 2 miles and then public transport.

Eoin D

Climate Expert wrote: »

Come on, what person has never cyled a bike? I've used every method of transport going and the car is far and away the best, followed by walking, cycling if its less than 2 miles and then public transport.

I've never cyled a bike

Oh I kid :rolleyes:

Climate Expert

Eoin D wrote: »

I've never cyled a bike

Oh I kid :rolleyes:

Pointing out typos you tedious mok.

Eoin D

Climate Expert wrote: »

Pointing out typos you tedious mok.

Don't take it so seriously. It was a lighthearted joke

seamus

Climate Expert wrote: »

Come on, what person has never cyled a bike? I've used every method of transport going and the car is far and away the best, followed by walking, cycling if its less than 2 miles and then public transport.

A bit of a facetious argument, but I guess it depends on what your goals are.

If you wanted to get to China as fast as you could, you would say that flying is clearly the best option. If you wanted to see the sights, you might say that a train is far superior.

I've taken the bus, I've driven (a car and a motorbike), I've cycled and I've walked (most of the way) into work. With the goal of getting into work in the fastest time possible, the best methods are (in order of speed, fastest first)

Motorbike
Bicycle
Bus
Walk
Car

If by some miracle you can manage to drive into the city centre faster than you can cycle, then more power to you. But that's not true for anyone else. And of course I'm assuming that everyone else's aim is to get to work as quickly as they can. And if that's the case, then you can't say that a car is superior to a bike for that purpose unless you've tried both and shown it to be true.

DBCyc

Climate Expert wrote: »

I've used every method of transport going and the car is far and away the best

I agree that the car is the best form of transport if one enjoys congestion, pollution, and road rage everyday on the way into work

For those who are not fans of the above - walking, cycling and public transport are probably better methods of transport.

Isn't it all subjective?

Lumen

Climate Expert wrote: »

So do I but after work. You will do your career no favours reeking of sweat every day. I'm a fit person but I find it very hard to not sweat when doing anything physical. I gave up walking to work as I was sick of the sweat.

That's a pretty good reason, although if you can't even walk without sweating profusely you might want to seek medical attention or consider your clothing choices. This isn't Cairo.

Diarmuid

Climate Expert wrote: »

Come on, what person has never cyled a bike? I've used every method of transport going and the car is far and away the best, followed by walking, cycling if its less than 2 miles and then public transport.

I think you are forgetting the original point of this discussion. With the addition of further public transport (more luas + buses) there is going to be even less space for cars in the city centre. It's not going to be an option to leave everyone commute in a car as the city centre will just shut down with the traffic. That's where the cycling to work comes from, if you don't like cycling then get on the bus.

Edit: This reminds me of something I heard on Matt Cooper. When the cops said they were going to clamp down on the provisional drivers driving on their own there was an uproar. He had a young (20ish) lad on the radio ranting and raving that he would have to either quit his job or break the law and drive himself to work because of this. How far from work did he live? 3 miles. Lazy fcuk.

Stark

Diarmuid wrote: »

Edit: This reminds me of something I heard on Matt Cooper. When the cops said they were going to clamp down on the provisional drivers driving on their own there was an uproar. He had a young (20ish) lad on the radio ranting and raving that he would have to either quit his job or break the law and drive himself to work because of this. How far from work did he live? 3 miles. Lazy fcuk.

Had the same crap posted on the forums here. Most of the whingebags either had plenty of options that they wouldn't consider and/or were driving around on provisionals long enough to get their licenses several times over but were too lazy to apply for the test.

Stark

Lumen wrote: »

That's a pretty good reason, although if you can't even walk without sweating profusely you might want to seek medical attention or consider your clothing choices. This isn't Cairo.

I'd sweat after walking briskly for 40 mins and I certainly don't have any fitness or medical problems.

Lumen

Stark wrote: »

I'd sweat after walking briskly for 40 mins and I certainly don't have any fitness or medical problems.

There's a simple solution to that: walk more slowly.

Climate Expert

Stark wrote: »

I'd sweat after walking briskly for 40 mins and I certainly don't have any fitness or medical problems.

Its not profuse sweating. Just enough to wet the underarms of whatever top I was wearing. That gets stale in the afternoon and then doesn't smell pleasant enough. People do not respond well to this so the polite thing to do is not sweat before work.

beans

Just to mention it, baby-wipes are an excellent method of getting around the lack-of-shower issue. It's not a case of cycling = smelly

Chips Lovell

Anyone who thinks that cycling to work renders them so smelly they're unfit to present themselves in polite company for the rest of the day is really just looking for excuses.

blobert

I cycle about 7km into work every day. If I belt it I get a bit sweaty (take about 15 mins), if I take it easy (about 20-25 mins, still much quicker than any other form of transport) I don't get sweaty at all, far less sweaty than a brisk walk. I'm not particularly fit by any means.

I'd certainly not be a fan of cycling if it meant I was coming into work roasting or sweaty but it's perfectly possible to go at a more relaxed pace and still get there very quicky.

Cycling is 22 times more energy efficent than walking apparantly I believe....

The only thing I don't like about my commute is cycling through the city centre is the traffic.

Dublin is a small, flat city. It is perfect for cycling and would be a much nicer place if more people cycled. Anyone I know that has tried cycling as opposed to public transport for any length of time loves it and has not gone back.

If it were possible to have a cycle tracks away from the roads, like running alongside the Luas lines or on segregated tracks, I think much more people would cycle, I'd imagine the thought of being in amongst all the traffic puts people off.

DirkVoodoo

el tonto wrote: »

Anyone who thinks that cycling to work renders them so smelly they're unfit to present themselves in polite company for the rest of the day is really just looking for excuses.

Not to mention the amazing number of motorists who sit in their cars picking their noses. Wouldn't want to shake their hands during a meeting.

Also, I've had a few days (only a few?) where i have cursed my bike by the time I have got in. Then I end up driving or busing it in and EVERY time I think, God i wish I had my bike!

Sure you can't get everyone to cycle and it would be some sort of facist regime where we forced people to, but I think for those that CAN do it reasonably (and without the offensive sweat), just give it a try. If you hate it fair enough but I would wager plenty of people will wonder why they didn't start doing it years ago.

faceman

blobert wrote: »

Cycling is 22 times more energy efficent than walking apparantly I believe....

depends on how many times you fart while cycling.

flickerx

Climate Expert wrote: »

Exactly. I'm happy that people cycle to work. Whatever works best for you be it cycling, driving or public transport.
But I can't tolerate a govt. who are trying to force others to do the same because they have mismanaged the transport and planning of cities all over Ireland.

i cant tolerate motorists who dont take on board that eventually their driving lifestyle habits are going to kill us all with global warming. i dont appreciate their values being forced on me and the place i live. i dont like roads being forced through places of historical and cultural significance just because people want to shave five minutes off their commute. i used to have the same opinion as yourself - people should be free to choose whatever method they want - but now i hope that eventually at some point that globally new cars are banned from being manufactured, which will eventually kill them all off. we can either drive and die or cycle and live. more power to any progressive and forward thinking city councils and governments that get lazy, fat, overpaid, nose-picking sweaty scumbag motorists out of their cars by whatever means necessary.

Climate Expert

their driving lifestyle habits are going to kill us all with global warming.

Rubbish. Global warming doesn't exist.

we can either drive and die or cycle and live.

Scary irrational cyclists. Thats why you are so despised by the majoirity.

Lumen

flickerx wrote: »

i cant tolerate motorists who dont take on board that eventually their driving lifestyle habits are going to kill us all with global warming.

That's a ridiculous statement, and unless you live in a home constructed entirely from wood shavings and spit, heated by a wind turbine, eating only home-grown organic food, and spending your evenings playing scrabble (probably in the dark) you're as much a part of the problem as the motorist.

Wealth and carbon emissions are largely interchangeable.

Chips Lovell

Climate Expert wrote: »

Rubbish. Global warming doesn't exist

Climate Expert

el tonto wrote: »

boom, lets not get little things like facts get in the way. From Hadcrut./