Bicycle ownership in Ireland

SourKraut

Hi all

I'm looking for some data on the levels of bike ownership in Ireland. I've gotten a few scraps of info via google etc., but nothing on how many bikes we own or buy in this country

it's a long shot maybe, but if anyone has any tips on where I could find out more, i'd be much obliged

Thanks
Conor

Sunday Spins

|1998|2003|2006
All Households|1,242,800|1,394,300|1,513,800
Households that own a bicycle|561,000|538,700|579,700

Possible that there are more than I bike per household
accounts for about 1 million bikes in the country....I Guess

Chips Lovell

As far as I know, there's no way of finding out. I don't think there's any tally kept of total bike sales in Ireland and if there were, it wouldn't take the increasing number of web sales into account.

There are figures compiled in the census on how many people cycle to work though.

Chips Lovell

Didn't know the CSO had that one. Give them a ring, I usually find them very helpful.

jollylee

You could ask the central statistics office but its a long shot. I'd image the most accurate way to gauge this would be to survey a large demographic of people and solve it that way.

You could also ask every single bicycle importer for their annual sales but there's a lot of people that import bikes so a lot of messing really.

Doctor Bob

Unfortunately the census figures only represent how many people use the bike as their primary mode of transport, so they don't include people who cycle to a train station, or people who cycle two days per week, for example.

They're an improvement on the last census, when no travel to work data was collected, but they could still be improved further.

thebouldwhacker

I'd imagine there is a big difference between bike ownership and bike usage. I would imagine that the majority of car users are relatively regular drivers where as (off the top of my head) I know at least four people who own bikes but have not cycled in the past year... not sure if that should be taken into account when research this, also there are 9 million bicycles in Beijing, thats a fact:)

SourKraut

Sunday Spins wrote: »

|1998|2003|2006
All Households|1,242,800|1,394,300|1,513,800
Households that own a bicycle|561,000|538,700|579,700

Possible that there are more than I bike per household
accounts for about 1 million bikes in the country....I Guess

Handy, cheers. I didn't find that on the cso site - is it from the database or where did you get it?

Beasty

Sunday Spins wrote: »

|1998|2003|2006
All Households|1,242,800|1,394,300|1,513,800
Households that own a bicycle|561,000|538,700|579,700

Possible that there are more than I bike per household
accounts for about 1 million bikes in the country....I Guess

Currently approximately 12 bikes in my household - each of my kids has one relatively new one, and a smaller, older one.

I really don't know how anyone can track them, unless they keep data of how many are sold (it is relatively easy to find data, via the retailers) and how many find their way into the waste disposal system (it is impossible to track these)

ednwireland

does that include all of blorgs bikes ?

dub_skav

Beasty wrote: »

Currently approximately 12 bikes in my household - each of my kids has one relatively new one, and a smaller, older one.

I really don't know how anyone can track them, unless they keep data of how many are sold (it is relatively easy to find data, via the retailers) and how many find their way into the waste disposal system (it is impossible to track these)

Not forgetting how many end up stolen and on a ferry to the UK

penexpers

Maybe if bikes had to be registered....

velo.2010

Leaving aside kids bikes (which i would assume account for the majority of bikes in the country) its worth trying to find out how many relatively serious cyclists are in the country. What then is a relatively serious cyclist?

How about all those who turned up to ride with LA in the park. Anyone who went to that bother to travel a fair distance, come straight from work, skip a prior engagement etc. could be considered relatively serious (no matter their actual ability).

Reports suggest 1200 or so made it out onto the lap that day. You could say double that amount in the city would liked to have turned up. So roughly 2500 in Dublin! Multiply by 4 for the rest of the country and you get 10000. Not very scientific but the true figure of those who actively get out on a bike and not just for work or college, wouldnt be too far off.

Now how many of those have a racing bike??

thebouldwhacker

velo.2010 wrote: »

You could say double that amount in the city would liked to have turned up. So roughly 2500 in Dublin! Multiply by 4 for the rest of the country and you get 10000.

You work for the government dont you, probably a t.d. with a ministerial post..... are you mary harney and is this the formula used to calc the amount of sick people in the country?

100 people in a+e last night x 2 for the amount of people who wanted to go to a+e x # of hospitals x 3 for the rest of the country= we should cut the budget
:D:D

velo.2010

Wondering about the amount of serious cyclists in the country. I'd love to know how many Treks there actually out there. Glad my numbers gave you a laugh.

penexpers

velo.2010 wrote: »

How about all those who turned up to ride with LA in the park. Anyone who went to that bother to travel a fair distance, come straight from work, skip a prior engagement etc. could be considered relatively serious (no matter their actual ability).

Newsflash : the cycling world does not revolve around LA, as much as you might like to think otherwise.

velo.2010

Relax folks, only used the man as an example to give a response to a query.

Edit, ah yes this penexpers guy seems to have a problem with me! Shame. Only on here to get/give tips not to press any buttons.

Caroline_ie

data is wrong, most bikes in Ireland are Blorg's.

velo.2010

This blorg guy must be a former pro or something?

thebouldwhacker

After 75 posts i find it hard to believe that 'this penexpers guy' really knows of your existance, more your topic than your posts, dont sweat it:)