Velib like bicycle rental kiosks are being constructed in Dublin

Chips Lovell

Good to hear that it's proving popular. Have to say, I've gotten a fair bit of attention since starting to use it, from enquries from colleagues down to random drivers (even bus drivers) quizzing you while stopped at the lights.

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Clearly, it is an utter failure.

Sure all the bikes will just get thrown in the Liffey.

Chips Lovell

Doctor Bob wrote: »

I'm aware there is a contract. I (like many Dublin City Councillors ) would love to know what it says.

Details of it were printed in the Sunday Times back in July.

niceonetom

<potentially silly question alert>

From JCD's point of view is the success of the scheme, i.e. it's popularity with the public, a good thing or a bad thing? Can they profit from it? or does revenue generated from the scheme get syphoned off the the DCC once maintenance etc has been paid for?

Could the scheme become the victim of its own popularity? If there's no profit for JCD, what reason have they to expand the scheme? Or even ensure that it doesn't collapse under the weight of numbers?

Chips Lovell

niceonetom wrote: »

<potentially silly question alert>

From JCD's point of view is the success of the scheme, i.e. it's popularity with the public, a good thing or a bad thing? Can they profit from it?

For them, it's good PR, but they've managed to shoot themselves in the foot a little with this stupid iPhone thing. In addition, popularity heightens the chances of the scheme being expanded and them getting more ad spaces.

niceonetom wrote: »

or does revenue generated from the scheme get syphoned off the the DCC once maintenance etc has been paid for?

I don't know who gets any revenues from it to be honest. I doubt if they are that massive. The pricing structure is there more to encourage short term use rather than garner profits. If I had to guess, I'd say revenues would be much less than the costs of running it.

niceonetom

I guess my cynicism is making me see it like this. The ideal scenario from JCD's point of view is that they get to keep their advertising spaces while the bike scheme slowly atrophies to nothing - ideally by chronic under-use and vandalism.

If there was a way that JCD could hold up their hands and say "we tried, but the scheme, as it stands, is unworkable" I have no doubt they would do so - it would make financial sense. So my previous question was wondering if JCD could actually use the popularity of the scheme to its advantage.

Seeing as we, the city, paid for the scheme in-full and up-front (with real-estate rather than cash) I'm just worried that now we might it difficult to get JCD to run the scheme in our interest and not in theirs.

Basically, it's a creeping feeling that we might have left the fox in charge of the hen house, basically.

tomasrojo

I see what you mean. But I presume that DCC can give the contract to someone else if JCDecaux find it impossible to run or decide that it's too much trouble and claim it's impossible to run.

Maybe DCC will have to concede more advertising space, this time outside the canals.

Chips Lovell

niceonetom wrote: »

I guess my cynicism is making me see it like this. The ideal scenario from JCD's point of view is that they get to keep their advertising spaces while the bike scheme slowly atrophies to nothing - ideally by chronic under-use and vandalism.

If there was a way that JCD could hold up their hands and say "we tried, but the scheme, as it stands, is unworkable" I have no doubt they would do so - it would make financial sense. So my previous question was wondering if JCD could actually use the popularity of the scheme to its advantage.

Seeing as we, the city, paid for the scheme in-full and up-front (with real-estate rather than cash) I'm just worried that now we might it difficult to get JCD to run the scheme in our interest and not in theirs.

Basically, it's a creeping feeling that we might have left the fox in charge of the hen house, basically.

I think your concerns are understandable. However, any contract between the two should take this into account, i.e. JCD be incentivised to make it work by risking losing ad spaces.

I'd be far more sceptical if it weren't for the fact that it has worked in other cities. JCD bitched and moaned about how much Paris was costing them in terms of vandalism etc, but they've still gone ahead and extended the scheme.

undo

el tonto wrote: »

JCD bitched and moaned about how much Paris was costing them in terms of vandalism etc, but they've still gone ahead and extended the scheme.

Not only that, they went on to start the scheme here in *Dublin*, certainly knowing about the levels of vandalism prevalent in this city.

tomasrojo

Apologies if this has already been posted.

Some official reporting about the drought of subscriber cards:

The Dublin City Council bike rental scheme has received so many applications in its first two weeks that it has run out of subscriber cards.

http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/bike-rental-scheme-overwhelmed-by-applications-44814.html

seamus

Yeah, Dublin's too wet and dangerous, this'll never take off.

tomasrojo

seamus wrote: »

Yeah, Dublin's too wet and dangerous, this'll never take off.

Yes, it's a disaster. But what did we expect?

Doctor Bob

el tonto wrote: »

Details of it were printed in the Sunday Times back in July.

This one? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6727865.ece

Aside from the factual inaccuracies, that's the most revealing article on the matter thus far, but the gaps are more telling than what's revealed. I'm still interested in the Report from the DCC team (comprising members of the executive and Councillors)- I don't think that one has seen the light of day yet. And I'd still like to see the list of existing billboards that they've removed (excluding the ones that were already subject of enforcement proceedings / orders for their removal).

(You'll have to excuse me- I've followed this shambles closely for over two years now and it always makes me mad. I realise I'm getting off the thread topic, which is the bikes part of the deal, so I'll let it go. I still think city bike schemes are a good idea in principle, but not at any cost- the city must have standards, damnit!! )

***

On topic, I heard on the radio this morning about two Trinity students who took two of the bikes to Belfast. It took them 12 hours to get there, so they reconsidered the return leg and decided instead to rent a van to drive back.

Bikes to Belfast? So far, so studenty. Hiring a van? How times have changed!

And finally...

I spotted this on Saturday afternoon. The Exchequer St station was almost permanently full all afternoon, but I did eventually see a guy loading up the van to redistribute.

Bunnyhopper

Doctor Bob wrote: »

On topic, I heard on the radio this morning about two Trinity students who took two of the bikes to Belfast.

It's in the Indo as well:

Friends take city bikes across border within 24-hour limit

By Caitrina Cody

Monday October 05 2009

THE capital's new bikes are not built for speed.

That's the verdict of the first man to bring one across the border -- and back -- on the same day.

When student Ben Kitchin heard about the launch of the Dublinbikes scheme last month, he and friend David Moran hatched an ambitious plan to see if they could cycle to Co Down, Northern Ireland, on the bikes, but still manage to return them within the mandatory 24-hour time period.

"I sent an email to Dublin City Council and I got a call back the next morning -- the guy said the whole office was in stitches to think someone could be that stupidly ambitious," said Mr Kitchin (22) from Sligo.

"They thought it would be good fun to see if we could do it and offered to waive the fee."

He and Mr Moran (24) an IT worker from Dublin, set off from the city centre at 6am on Saturday morning to attempt their 115km odyssey.

"We were completely unprepared, hadn't done any training and quickly realised that the bikes weren't road bikes," said Mr Kitchin, a business and economics student at Trinity College Dublin. "They're very heavy and between that and the strong headwind we were facing into, we made slow progress."

The pair arrived in Warrenpoint, outside Newry, at around 6pm, after cycling roughly nine or 10 miles an hour to get there.

"We were exhausted and treated ourselves to a well-earned pint," said Mr Kitchin.

The friends hired a van to drive them and the bikes home, and had both slotted into their stands in the nick of time.

"It was great craic and we're proud to say we were the first people to take them out of the country," said Mr Kitchin.

- Caitrina Cody

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/friends-take-city-bikes-across-border-within-24hour-limit-1904192.html

Bunnyhopper

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

It's in the Indo as well:



http://www.independent.ie/national-news/friends-take-city-bikes-across-border-within-24hour-limit-1904192.html

...where were the bikes made?

Jawgap

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

.......and quickly realised that the bikes weren't road bikes,"

No sh1t, Sherlock!!!!!:)

Fair play to them for doing it although the article makes it seem they're not the sharpest tools in the shed! Kind of makes you despair for the future if this is the calibre of intellect Trinity are turning out to work to pay into my pension fund!!!

The City Council seem to have been fairly game, the only pity seems to be they didn't do it for some charity - they'd have raised a fair bit I bet.

petethedrummer

Jawgap wrote: »

Kind of makes you despair for the future if this is the calibre of intellect Trinity are turning out to work to pay into my pension fund!!!

I dunno now, there's probably 1 or 2 people on here quietly fuming that they didn't do it first.

BostonB

There'll be site with photos of the bikes in weird off beat places soon.

RO 06

Seen the two lads cycling to Belfast.They were stopped north of Dundalk having a toilet break on side of carriageway.Was amazed when i seen the bikes they had.

Lumen

Popped my DublinBikes cherry today; bought a three day pass.

How much fun is that?!? They just work. With normal clothes!

tomasrojo

I've had my card for ages, but I haven't tried them out, because I have my bike with me everyday. Definitely will have to leave the bike at home one day soon so I can try them out.

Chips Lovell

Lumen wrote: »

How much fun is that?!? They just work. With normal clothes!

I know. I've actually be finding excuses to ride them.

Carb

Lumen wrote: »

Popped my DublinBikes cherry today; bought a three day pass.

How much fun is that?!? They just work. With normal clothes!

I hope that wasn't you I seen cycling towards Pearse Street at 7 this morning. One hand on his handlebars, the other trying to keep his umbrella over his head

Chips Lovell

Carb wrote: »

I hope that wasn't you I seen cycling towards Pearse Street at 7 this morning. One hand on his handlebars, the other trying to keep his umbrella over his head

Never a good idea:

Carb

Maybe I should have followed him.

Lumen

Carb wrote: »

I hope that wasn't you I seen cycling towards Pearse Street at 7 this morning. One hand on his handlebars, the other trying to keep his umbrella over his head

Nope. Was cycling around at lunchtime. Got absolutely drenched.

Next time I'll bring the umbrella.

monument

I wonder what type of clearance motorists would give umbrella users on bicycles? Hmmm...

Lumen wrote: »

How much fun is that?!? They just work. With normal clothes!

My bicycle does that too!

kenmc

I used it for the first time on saturday; meant not having to worry about leaving a bike locked while I went to the Leinster practice match in the RDS and pints afterwards.
They are incredibly smooth changing gears, although the one I had the brakes were not great. Dead handy though, will defo be using them whenever I can.

Lumen

Lumen wrote: »

Popped my DublinBikes cherry today; bought a three day pass.

How much fun is that?!? They just work. With normal clothes!

Just reminded me of a discussion with someone recently about how I cycled on of the Dikes wearing trousers, a shirt, tie (etc.) and a helmet, and how I felt weird with the helmet on. Their comment was "you don't feel weird wearing all that lycra stuff?"

Ah well.

Lumen

monument wrote: »

I wonder what type of clearance motorists would give umbrella users on bicycles? Hmmm...

I may or may not have discovered today how much clearance motorists give wobbly dike salmon, and the answer may or may not be "loads".

Had such a thing happened, I could only offer in mitigation a lack of blood in the brain caused by the extreme upright riding position.