So I tried my first Dublin Bike today...

mrcheez

Have to say: it's very "upright" (even coming from a hybrid-bike riding style). Ended up sitting near the back of the saddle to get any sort of power down through the legs. Saddle height was fine, but can the saddle position be moved back/forward?

Also the 2nd bike I tried was a rusty piece of crap even though it looked fine in the stand. Having to wait 5 minutes to change the bike is annoying so any tips on things to check before selecting a bike?

Perhaps lifting the bike and spinning the wheels to detect if the wheels turn smoothly?

Checking for punctures is obviously on there :pac:

Wishbone Ash

mrcheez wrote: »

..Perhaps lifting the bike and spinning the wheels to detect if the wheels turn smoothly?..

Do you plan doing an audax on one?

DirkVoodoo

mrcheez wrote: »

Also the 2nd bike I tried was a rusty piece of crap even though it looked fine in the stand. Having to wait 5 minutes to change the bike is annoying so any tips on things to check before selecting a bike?

The normal policy if it's unrideable (puncture/broken) is to turn the saddle, but not everyone does this.

I've ridden ones that have sever buckles (annoying), broken pedals (more annoying) and slipping gears (downright dangerous - this one nearly sent me sideways down leeson street when it popped down a gear)

You can't really compare them to your other bikes. They're just designed for getting from a short A to B. "Getting power down" isn't really the aim.

Kav0777

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Do you plan doing an audax on one?

Well if the wicklow 200 can be done on one....

http://www.dublinbikes.ie/Magazine/News/200km-on-a-dublinbike

mrcheez

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I've ridden ones that have sever buckles (annoying), broken pedals (more annoying) and slipping gears (downright dangerous - this one nearly sent me sideways down leeson street when it popped down a gear)

Would you not check the bike before renting it?

e.g. broken pedals would be easily avoidable I would have thought?

Of course you'd want to make sure that someone doesn't nab the bike while you are inspecting it :rolleyes:

Also can the saddles be moved backward?

Lumen

black_frosch wrote: »

You can return it and take another bike.

Not within 5 minutes.

mrcheez

black_frosch wrote: »

If you're not happy you can always unsubscribe and ride your own perfect bike.

Woah what's with the snappy retort? I was simply asking what checks people do on the bikes before selecting one :rolleyes:

jpboard1

Can't get over the price. This country is a complete rip-off. Was in Bordeaux a couple of weeks ago and a similar scheme had bikes for 1.70 for 24 hours.

Undercover Elephant

jpboard1 wrote: »

Can't get over the price. This country is a complete rip-off. Was in Bordeaux a couple of weeks ago and a similar scheme had bikes for 1.70 for 24 hours.

It's hard to know where to begin with this.

benneca1

Shower of bloody whingers a bike for the year for the price of two packets of fags or 4 pints get real

Seesee

So did you wear a helmet?

endacl

benneca1 wrote: »

Shower of bloody whingers a bike for the year for the price of two packets of fags or 4 pints get real

In fairness, one raindrop doesn't make a shower!

Aongus Von Bismarck

I'm living in Frankfurt, but have been spending a considerable amount of time in our office in Dublin recently. Signed up for the Dublin Bikes as a result. We have a similar scheme in Frankfurt, but it doesn't get the same usage here as it does in Dublin. The station locations, mapping and app aren't of the same quality either.

The Dublin Bikes scheme has been an enormous success. It was only on my last visit back to Dublin that I saw one of the stations being expanded. I'll often take a bike from one of the stations in the IFSC and head out to Poolbeg lighthouse for a spin. This takes me longer than the allotted 30 minute free period, but is a very small price to pay for the enjoyment and convenience of having a bike available that allows me to do such a thing.

I'm often seen as being a poster who unfairly compares Ireland to Germany. This is an example of where Dublin City Council have wholly embraced a scheme that is loved by the citizens of the city. €20 a year is outstanding value.

More bikes and more stations. It's cheap and convenient public transport at its finest.

cython

Lumen wrote: »

Not within 5 minutes.

My experience would beg to differ. I think I had to scan my card twice, but I was definitely able to do it almost immediately at one point, by explicitly returning the bike with the card, and then checking out another one.

magicbastarder

so why don't they organise an annual bike race on dublin bikes?
wide open PR goal.
make it so.

Lumen

cython wrote: »

My experience would beg to differ. I think I had to scan my card twice, but I was definitely able to do it almost immediately at one point, by explicitly returning the bike with the card, and then checking out another one.

What does "explicitly returning the bike with the card" mean?

cython

Lumen wrote: »

What does "explicitly returning the bike with the card" mean?

When I scanned first, it acknowledged that I had returned a bike (which i guess is what I referenced by "explicitly"), as opposed to immediately giving me an option to take one, and then when I scanned again (as far as I recall, I might not actually have scanned a second time) I was allowed to take another, and certainly without waiting 5 mins - for the journey I was doing I'd have started walking and been there as quick. I know under normal circumstances you don't have to scan to return one, but I was seeing what I could do in light of having taken out a banjaxed one - I've never scanned the card after returning the bike outside this one instance, and it's been a while since that.

mrcheez

benneca1 wrote: »

Shower of bloody whingers a bike for the year for the price of two packets of fags or 4 pints get real

Bizarre, perhaps I wasn't being clear. I understand that some bikes will not be "perfect" I'm not expecting them to be.

2/3 of the bikes I tried were perfectly serviceable. One sounded like the 7 demons of hell were emanating from the front wheel as it went along, so it would be nice to avoid bikes like this that (otherwise) look fine.

So far I gather you spend 10 seconds checking the following before renting the bike:

- Check for punctures
- Check pedals are intact
- Perhaps spin the back wheel?

Can't really check brakes while it's in the lock.

I'd be curious how long you get to return the bike before the 5 min delay kicks in, anyone know?