Velib like bicycle rental kiosks are being constructed in Dublin

Grimpeur

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0923/1224255051852.html

Hungrycol

Grimpeur wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0923/1224255051852.html

That's such a disappointing article. He looked like a prat on the bike because he is a prat. Such a wingy, moaning article I'm sorry I read it. :mad:

DualFrontDiscs

Grimpeur wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0923/1224255051852.html

Poor article to my mind.
Skanger kids, supermodel thin road spaces, dead cyclist, reference to gruesome murder, black athlete being chased by cheetahs. Article simply wasn't sensational enough

Most interesting insight was 'I am well-known for being an idiot'.

DFD.

gdael

Hungrycol wrote: »

That's such a disappointing article. He looked like a prat on the bike because he is a prat. Such a wingy, moaning article I'm sorry I read it. :mad:

Cant believe he gets paid to write that. There are good writers who need jobs.

pburns

Hungrycol wrote: »

That's such a disappointing article. He looked like a prat on the bike because he is a prat. Such a wingy, moaning article I'm sorry I read it. :mad:

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

Poor article to my mind.
Skanger kids, supermodel thin road spaces, dead cyclist, reference to gruesome murder, black athlete being chased by cheetahs. Article simply wasn't sensational enough

Most interesting insight was 'I am well-known for being an idiot'.

DFD.

:rolleyes:

Just because he criticises his experience cycling around the city he's branded an idiot. The guy is pretty indifferent to cars and an experienced cyclist, he's hardly Jeremy Clarkson...

It's supposed to pretty light-hearted perspective but humour doesn't go down well with the zealots on this forum (which is why, despite being a keen cyclist I rarely come in here). I think he makes some good points actually - cycling around the city can be intimidating if you're not in the practice and the reported low gearing of the Velib bikes would be a pain for those of us that are reasonably fit - I guess they have to set up the bikes with a broad spectrum of users in mind.

-Chris-

He called himself an idiot.

buffalo

He's a regular satirical columnist... the article was his usual mildly amusing stuff. Don't see any issues with it, apart from his last paragraph or so.

DualFrontDiscs

pburns wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Just because he criticises his experience cycling around the city he's branded an idiot. The guy is pretty indifferent to cars and an experienced cyclist, he's hardly Jeremy Clarkson...

He brands himself an idiot. As for not being Jeremy Clarkson, fair point, he's not as good a columnist.

pburns wrote: »

It's supposed to pretty light-hearted perspective but humour doesn't go down well with the zealots on this forum (which is why, despite being a keen cyclist I rarely come in here).

It's hardly light hearted. The tone is overwhelmingly negative. No mention of any positive element whatsoever.

pburns wrote: »

I think he makes some good points actually - cycling around the city can be intimidating if you're not in the practice and the reported low gearing of the Velib bikes would be a pain for those of us that are reasonably fit - I guess they have to set up the bikes with a broad spectrum of users in mind.

Driving around the city can be intimidating if you're not in the practice. In fact, walking in parts of the city can be intimidating.

DFD.

Vim Fuego

I'm loving the free bikes so far, though my card is still in the post and my 3 day card is about to expire. I live at the edge of the area serviced and work in the centre of town so it makes getting into work much more enjoyable.

Bikes have been plentiful so far, with the exception of Monday evening where I walked from Christchurch, Dame St and to Exchequer St before getting a bike.

I'm not an experienced cyclist but I have been taking it easy getting around, happy enough to stop at reds, not taking any chances etc. Dublin certainly isn't the best for cycling around but it's been ok so far. My only issue has been the tight squeeze between buses and parked cars on Camden St. My balance just isn't good enough for that yet, terrified of snapping someone's wing mirror off

I hope it continues to do well though, a great addition to the city imo.

Yakuza

Just signed up today, sub. number just under 11000, even though I cycle into work 4 days a week, I'll still use it to pop into city centre at lunchtime if I need to, leaving my hybrid safely in work.

I've definately noticed an upsurge in cycling numbers over the last few months, albeit with a corresponding increase in the numbers of muppets.

-Chris-

11,000?

Wow! :eek::eek:

Limestone1

paddy2k wrote: »

If anyone needs to access info about dublin bikes on the go, i've made handy web app http://dublinbikes2go.com where you can check bike availability, search for stations, mark favourites and uses built in gps to find nearest station.
Let me know what you think some other boards.ie posters have given some really constructive feedback

Tks Paddy - this is straight forward, easy to use and it's the only one of these apps I can get to work on my phone.

loyatemu

had to go out to Sandyford from the IFSC yesterday. Checked the website, wandered over to CHQ and picked up a DB, cycled over to Charlemont (where the bikestation is right beside the Luas stop) and grabbed a Luas. 10 mins on the bike, 15 mins on the Luas and 5 mins faffing around - there's no way I could make that journey in 30 mins using any other method (plus using smart cards, no cash involved).

I'm no thatcherite, but 2-thumbs up for the privately run transport systems there...

loyatemu

btw - has anyone actually seen them redistributing the bikes between the stations? The stations at the edge of the scheme (CHQ, Portobello, Smithfield) seem to be permanently low on bikes, while the Merrion Sq stations seem to be permanently full.

paddy2k

Limestone1 wrote: »

Tks Paddy - this is straight forward, easy to use and it's the only one of these apps I can get to work on my phone.

Great to hear you like it.

loyatemu wrote: »

btw - has anyone actually seen them redistributing the bikes between the stations? The stations at the edge of the scheme (CHQ, Portobello, Smithfield) seem to be permanently low on bikes, while the Merrion Sq stations seem to be permanently full.

I noticed something similar yesterday coming up to 5 all the stations by the grand canal were pretty full but once people started to leave work they emptied pretty quickly. It would be cool if they did redistribute them. It's so frustrating when someone grabs the last one just before you.

tomasrojo

Grimpeur wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0923/1224255051852.html

He should read Charlie Brooker to get some idea of how you write scornful prose that is also funny. It's hard work, and you need a gift for choosing the right words.

Also, do kids in Dublin talk about their "manor"? I thought that was a London thing.

Hastily written, I think, or else he has no talent for this sort of thing.

loyatemu

loyatemu wrote: »

btw - has anyone actually seen them redistributing the bikes between the stations? The stations at the edge of the scheme (CHQ, Portobello, Smithfield) seem to be permanently low on bikes, while the Merrion Sq stations seem to be permanently full.

Nope, but funnily enough when I was passing the Merrion Sq. stations yesterday they were all empty!

Had my first go on this yesterday, wow it was a lot of fun. The brakes on the bike I got weren't great. Flew into town from Portobello. Managed to overtake a fellow dublinbiker too.

I honestly think this is one of the best things to happen to the city.

mmclo

Well on the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words I'd say Bryan Dobson on a DB well outweighed this, can't dig it up on tinterweb but think it was todays Indo...very posiitve article too. Aprently lives in town, was waiting for a bus and had forgotten something so hopped on a DB to go back

fletch

Just registered this evening....looking forward to my card arriving so I can take one for a spin

WithCheesePlease

The Dublin Bikes iPhone app has been withdrawn, at the "request" of JCDecaux

Very bad form if you ask me. They've obviously got some money spinner up their own sleeves. Great app though if you have it already.

TM

loyatemu wrote: »

btw - has anyone actually seen them redistributing the bikes between the stations? The stations at the edge of the scheme (CHQ, Portobello, Smithfield) seem to be permanently low on bikes, while the Merrion Sq stations seem to be permanently full.

Yes - I have seen at least one trailer going around checking and redistributing them. However I have no idea if there is just the one and what the schedule is. I have seen several of the stations bereft of bikes several times over the past week or so.

-Chris-

I'm hoping that they're just learning the usage patterns before putting on more bikes...

Beasty

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

The Dublin Bikes iPhone app has been withdrawn, at the "request" of JCDecaux

Very bad form if you ask me. They've obviously got some money spinner up their own sleeves. Great app though if you have it already.

Irish Times article suggests Deacaux would be unlikley to win any legal case on this:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0925/1224255203440.html

paddy2k

Beasty wrote: »

Irish Times article suggests Deacaux would be unlikley to win any legal case on this:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0925/1224255203440.html

Phew!

buffalo

Even if they're unlikely to win the case, does Fusio have the funds to fight it? Could they be bothered to do so for a free application?

TM

Good publicity for Fusion already even with (or maybe especially with?!) JCDecaux telling them to cease and desist. Lots more people now know about this company who were doing a "good thing" in making such an app available for free. The only loser is the punter although not having an iPhone I personally don't care.

WithCheesePlease

TM wrote: »

Good publicity for Fusion

But clearly not enough - they're called Fusio!

TM wrote: »

Lots more people now know about this company who were doing a "good thing" in making such an app available for free. The only loser is the punter although not having an iPhone I personally don't care.

Was a great little app for punters and also I guess for Fusio getting their name out there. Booooo JCDickheads

TM

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

But clearly not enough - they're called Fusio!

ED E

I presume that its extractable if somebody savvy in the ways of apples little gucci bast@rd is bothered. Replace iStore with .torrent and away you go:)

paddy2k

I know the guys at http://dublinbikes.mobi have stats for the service dating back Sept 15 but I've started to capture them also and they're starting to prove quite interesting. The same pattern seems to emerge each day with the city centre stations emptying and the outer ones filling up.

http://dublinbikes2go.com/stats2.php

The red line is today and the light green line is and average for that time period since wednesday lunchtime. (currenty a small bug where this page won't work for the first 15mins of each hour, but I'll sort it soon.)