Trade in car for bicycle?!

Phil.x

Who's up for it.
Set up scrappage scheme to swap cars for ebikes or cargo bikes, campaigners tell Minister Ryan https://t.co/kn1tSyh5xn

User1998

No thanks.

dar83

Haha.

fryup

nah!

Jim_Hodge

Why not? I'll swap my central heating for a campfire in the garden while I'm at it.

biko

The link in OP leads to https://irishcycle.com/2021/02/05/set-up-scrappage-scheme-to-swap-cars-for-ebikes-or-cargo-bikes-campaigners-tell-minister-ryan/
An article which in turn builds on a few tweets from cyclist orgs with a couple hundred likes in total. So not taking Ireland by storm really..
I doubt Ryan will consider it (although it's a pretty good idea for some people).

Casati

Great idea but should be offered against all bikes, not just ebikes

mickdw

So first we had the lawnmower to work scheme.
Now we are getting an improved version where you can pick up a new lawnmower by swapping in your old banger. Great idea and a nice toy to play with while you decide on which new car to buy.

begbysback

I don’t mean to generalise, but cyclists have to up near the top when putting together a list of the deluded.

Hurrache

What's deluded about it? If you can have scheme to scrap cars for new cars, cars for electric vehicles, why not for electric bikes? Your same logic implies 'motorists' are deluded too, but then again people have the sense not to think of them as a borg type group of people.

I’ll just throw the toolbox in one of them little handle bar baskets then. Where will I put all the power tools and half ton of materials?

listermint

Tbh it's not such an outlandish idea if people put on their sensible specs.

There's many out there that don't need cars and just drive them locally. Burning fuel and taking up space on the roads. Congestion etc etc.

If people are encouraged to move over to an ebike they could make the same journey . Less emissions , more road space for drivers less congestion.


I honestly don't understand why a driver would get so pissed off about an idea that makes it better for everyone. Coming from someone who drives a van, car motorcycle and shock horror I've two bikes too..... Raaaage

punisher5112

Honestly there should be an option to get out of the typical sh1t boxes on the road and get into a V8 at least.....

Jaysus I don't want to be cycling near 200km a day. I'd never be home.

Victor

My brother and his family live in England. They got rid of the second car and are looking at a cargo bike. He works in an engine factory.

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

I’ll just throw the toolbox in one of them little handle bar baskets then. Where will I put all the power tools and half ton of materials?

Do you normally carry half a ton of materials in your car? Is that what people typically use cars for?

https://www.google.com/search?q=plumber+by+bike&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIE704IE704&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih7oL3-tnuAhX3WRUIHfjMAqAQ_AUoAXoECAQQAw&biw=1024&bih=657

listermint

punisher5112 wrote: »

Honestly there should be an option to get out of the typical sh1t boxes on the road and get into a V8 at least.....

Jaysus I don't want to be cycling near 200km a day. I'd never be home.

May not be aimed at you... More so the people that congest the roads at your destination.

Wouldn't it be nice with less traffic during normally congested built up areas.
It's a good idea considering the stats indicating the majority of distances travelled are really local.

Isambard

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

Why not? I'll swap my central heating for a campfire in the garden while I'm at it.

can't do that...would be classed as Solid Fuel.

Isambard

Isambard wrote: »

can't do that...would be classed as Solid Fuel.

Who needs heat anyway? Environmental posturing will keep everyone warm at night.

Seth Brundle

begbysback wrote: »

I don’t mean to generalise, but cyclists have to up near the top when putting together a list of the deluded.

I'm not sure how many cyclists you know but it is quite likely that those are not representative.
However, pre-covid my commute by bicycle from Leixlip to Clondalkin was almost always quicker by bike than it was by car taking the exact same route. I could have chosen a shorter route on the bike (8km rather than 12km) but figured that I needed the exercise so took it.
Had I been commuting around the city centre, there's absolutely no doubt that I'd be quicker there too.
Furthermore, I was on a road bike whereas if I had an electric bike, ascending the few hills on my commute would have been easier/quicker.
So, with respect, given that I was able to commute quicker, get in some exercise and save money, who was the one deluded?

Wishbone Ash

begbysback wrote: »

I don’t mean to generalise, but cyclists have to up near the top when putting together a list of the deluded.

Not half as deluded as many motorists who continually complain about traffic congestion without realising that they are the main cause of the problem.

LollipopJimmy

I actually ditched the car about 4 years ago. Living and working in Dublin made the car a pointless expense (admittedly I've since bought a motorbike but that's purely pleasure, not for shops/commuting, my OH has also moved in with me now and she has a car)

My commute was a 30km round trip from D8 up to Sandyford and using bike over the car gave me the guts of an hour and a half a day back. I have a go car account if I ever needed to use it which was rare tbh. The commute changed then to City Centre which meant the car made no sense, yet people in my office still drove in and paid the guys of 200 a week to park in town.

It's not that crazy, tbh it's crazier to be driving to work if ypu live and work in Dublin unless you need to carry equipment or whatever but driving from home to an office is nuts

User1998

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I'm not sure how many cyclists you know but it is quite likely that those are not representative.
However, pre-covid my commute by bicycle from Leixlip to Clondalkin was almost always quicker by bike than it was by car taking the exact same route. I could have chosen a shorter route on the bike (8km rather than 12km) but figured that I needed the exercise so took it.
Had I been commuting around the city centre, there's absolutely no doubt that I'd be quicker there too.
Furthermore, I was on a road bike whereas if I had an electric bike, ascending the few hills on my commute would have been easier/quicker.
So, with respect, given that I was able to commute quicker, get in some exercise and save money, who was the one deluded?

Although I do see your point, most people don’t want to get rained on or freeze to death, or arrive to work sweaty. They would rather take the extra 20 minutes or so in the car. And a lot of journeys take longer on a bike than they do by car, so the time saving argument doesn’t always apply

Lurching

Why is this in the motoring forum? It should be in the cycling forum.
Would get a better reception there.

Seth Brundle

User1998 wrote: »

Although I do see your point, most people don’t want to get rained on or freeze to death, or arrive to work sweaty. They would rather take the extra 20 minutes or so in the car. And a lot of journeys take longer on a bike than they do by car, so the time saving argument doesn’t always apply

I'm not trying to force anyone to change.
However, with an e-bike, it's unlikely that they'll be sweaty. You won't be cold if you're wearing appropriate gear.
Lastly, the thought that they might be quicker than in a car plus they are likely to dave a decent amount of money (from reduced fuel costs and parking charges) will convince a decent amount of minds.

Lurching wrote: »

Why is this in the motoring forum? It should be in the cycling forum.
Would get a better reception there.

Is it not a motoring related concept?

iwillhtfu

The one good thing since covid is the reduction in traffic jams and as a result commuters have quickly forgotten crawling home after a long days work in bumper to bumper traffic. Traffic jams were probably the one main selling point for such a scheme so they've probably lost their strongest argument there.

In saying that it's by no means a mad idea my brother ditched a second car last year and commutes from Greystones to city centre by bike. 12 months in now and loving it, he was never a cyclist beforehand and had a typical motorist mentality of "Bikes = Grrrrr...." kinda like dogs and postmen. He's a complete convert now

loyatemu

people dismissing this idea seem to be under the impression that it would be mandatory, i.e. Eamonn Ryan will personally call to your door to confiscate your SUV and replace it with a Dutch high-nelly bike.

It's about giving people options, and encouraging them to think about their actual requirements. Anything that encourages people to choose alternative transport is surely a good idea - more space on the roads for those of you who do have to transport pneumatic drills every day.

Although I do see your point, most people don’t want to get rained on or freeze to death, or arrive to work sweaty. They would rather take the extra 20 minutes or so in the car. And a lot of journeys take longer on a bike than they do by car, so the time saving argument doesn’t always apply

the counterpoint to this is that pretty much every initiative to promote cycling, whether it be improved cycle lanes or incentives to buy bikes, results in more people cycling. This has been seen in every country. You only have to look at the Netherlands, a place that is just as wet as Ireland, and colder in the winter - everyone cycles everywhere. Why. because it's easy and economical. Your defeatist attitude of "no-one will cycle in Ireland because weather" is provably untrue.

Lurching

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Is it not a motoring related concept?

It's for people more interested in 2 wheels than 4, so that would be cycling forum for me.

iwillhtfu

Lurching wrote: »

It's for people more interested in 2 wheels than 4, so that would be cycling forum for me.

Motorbike forum or maybe electrical.

It's a forum which usually involves random chat, no harm in here as it involves cars and electric motors as per the OP

Seth Brundle

Lurching wrote: »

It's for people more interested in 2 wheels than 4, so that would be cycling forum for me.

I'm interested in both.
I still see it as motoring related but I get what you're saying.
You could also suggest that it go in Commuting/Transport but it's here now so let's get back on topic.

Wishbone Ash

Lurching wrote: »

Why is this in the motoring forum? It should be in the cycling forum....

That's a very odd question/statement. A bit like restricting the promotion of bus usage to passengers on a bus.

Spook_ie

Let's be honest title of OP should read "trade in boards.ie cycle forum for boards.ie motors forum" away with you all back to the cycling forum and leave us in peace.

Hurrache

listermint wrote: »

May not be aimed at you... More so the people that congest the roads at your destination.

Wouldn't it be nice with less traffic during normally congested built up areas.
It's a good idea considering the stats indicating the majority of distances travelled are really local.

That's the thing. Some people are so insular in their thinking of transport that they don't realise that the more people that trade their cars that they don't really need all the time for electric bikes, how much better congestion would be across cities.

monkeybutter

Phil.x wrote: »

Who's up for it.
Set up scrappage scheme to swap cars for ebikes or cargo bikes, campaigners tell Minister Ryan https://t.co/kn1tSyh5xn

why not just add a trailer to the bike you already own and keep the second car for all those occasions where you need a car, which was why you got a car in the first place

listermint

Lurching wrote: »

It's for people more interested in 2 wheels than 4, so that would be cycling forum for me.

I'm a motorist, if we are willy waving I've 3 vehicles I pay road tax for. I also have two bicycles. I've paid 1811 tax per year in one vehicle alone.

I'm interested, you don't get to dictate the content of this forum for me cheers though.

listermint

Spook_ie wrote: »

Let's be honest title of OP should read "trade in boards.ie cycle forum for boards.ie motors forum" away with you all back to the cycling forum and leave us in peace.

Great insight. I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter. What's the address I can write to

Spook_ie

listermint wrote: »

Great insight. I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter. What's the address I can write to

Try

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=410

and away with you all!

listermint

Spook_ie wrote: »

Try

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=410

and away with you all!

That's not your website address forward it over. You are a very interesting individual.

AndrewJRenko

User1998 wrote: »

Although I do see your point, most people don’t want to get rained on or freeze to death, or arrive to work sweaty. They would rather take the extra 20 minutes or so in the car. And a lot of journeys take longer on a bike than they do by car, so the time saving argument doesn’t always apply

The time-saving really kicks in when you think about the exercise you get on the bike. No more tedious sessions on a treadmill or on bike rollers. You've done something productive with your commute time, reduced your cancer risk by half.

What's not to like?

i57dwun4yb1pt8

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

The time-saving really kicks in when you think about the exercise you get on the bike. No more tedious sessions on a treadmill or on bike rollers. You've done something productive with your commute time, reduced your cancer risk by half.

What's not to like?

dunno about the cancer risk ,
alot of cyclists are big lycra sacks of angry hate filled bile
that's not good for your cancer risk or your cardio risk :pac::pac::pac:

Seth Brundle

Joshua Gentle Hearse wrote: »

dunno about the cancer risk ,
alot of cyclists are big lycra sacks of angry hate filled bile
that's not good for your cancer risk or your cardio risk :pac::pac::pac:

I suspect the common denominator in their anger may actually be you!

AndrewJRenko

Joshua Gentle Hearse wrote: »

dunno about the cancer risk ,
alot of cyclists are big lycra sacks of angry hate filled bile
that's not good for your cancer risk or your cardio risk :pac::pac::pac:

Here's the details of the peer reviewed study on the cancer risk;

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-39641122

If you're suggesting that lots of cyclists are angry, maybe you'd like to share details of your peer reviewed study?

If you're finding that lots of cyclists are angry around you, maybe you'd like to change your driving style.

i57dwun4yb1pt8

was just a bit of humour , but youve proved my point really ....

never had a problem with them as i used to be one , still am once in a while
i know how to behave around cyclists on the road, and i think every driver should first mandatory cycle around to get a feel for the road

but i also see lycra covered fat d!ckheads acting the c*nt on the roads all the time - there is no need for it .

as for cancer , you can cycle all you like , but emotions and stress are major factors .

crosstownk

Not quite scrappage, but at the start of 2020 (before Covid) I handed back my company car in favour of using the bike to get to work. I found that during 2019 the company car was just sitting on the driveway as I was taking the bike to work more and more. Yep, sh1t weather in winter but I found it preferable to sitting in traffic for the 13km each way trip.

Mrs. crosstownk has a car that also sits on the driveway as she walks or gets the bus to work so one car is more than enough for things like grocery shopping, kids training, etc, etc.

So now I'm saving on BIK, getting regular exercise, takes about the same time to commute and I'm freeing up road space for those who have no option but to drive.

While it's not for everyone for lots of different reasons, cycling is a realistic alternative and worth considering - not all at once as I work in the motor business so I need you all to keep those cars on the road

AndrewJRenko

Joshua Gentle Hearse wrote: »

was just a bit of humour , but youve proved my point really ....

never had a problem with them as i used to be one , still am once in a while
i know how to behave around cyclists on the road, and i think every driver should first mandatory cycle around to get a feel for the road

but i also see lycra covered fat d!ckheads acting the c*nt on the roads all the time - there is no need for it .

as for cancer , you can cycle all you like , but emotions and stress are major factors .

Just a bit of humour, but you're doubling down on your claim because someone suggested that you should show some evidence?

Where did the term "road rage" come from?

Sitting in a car is far from a bad thing. Warm, comfortable, dry, can listen to what you want. I think it’s something people always instantly say without really thinking about it.

Traumadoc

I think the option should be there, makes sense for some people living in cities. Would possibly reduce traffic volumes and commute times for those who dont want or cannot change from car commutes- I am one of them.

Jofspring

People get worked up very easily.

I think it would be a great idea, particularly somewhere like Dublin. Even somewhere like Limerick or Galway it makes huge sense. It wouldn't suit me as I live out the country and have kids to drop off in multiple locations before heading into work but would suit a lot of people.

I live in Limerick and most people I know that commute into the city for work live within 3 or 4km of town but still drive in as that's what they are used to. I know people living in Caherdavin in Limerick that drive 2km to the Ennis road, park on the street and walk across the bridge to work to avoid paying for parking. When you really think about it, that's madness. They aren't the only people doing it either.

No harm in offering people good alternatives. Up to them if they take them.

Jofspring

Jofspring wrote: »

People get worked up very easily.

I think it would be a great idea, particularly somewhere like Dublin. Even somewhere like Limerick or Galway it makes huge sense. It wouldn't suit me as I live out the country and have kids to drop off in multiple locations before heading into work but would suit a lot of people.

I live in Limerick and most people I know that commute into the city for work live within 3 or 4km of town but still drive in as that's what they are used to. I know people living in Caherdavin in Limerick that drive 2km to the Ennis road, park on the street and walk across the bridge to work to avoid paying for parking. When you really think about it, that's madness. They aren't the only people doing it either.

No harm in offering people good alternatives. Up to them if they take them.

That won’t happen though, it won’t be up to people what they do.

AndrewJRenko

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Sitting in a car is far from a bad thing. Warm, comfortable, dry, can listen to what you want. I think it’s something people always instantly say without really thinking about it.

Our children might disagree about whether it is a bad thing, if they are able to comprehend research like this
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/03/04/air-pollution-traffic-slow-learning-schoolchildren/

Btw, you can listen to what you like anywhere, any time using earphones.

Irishphotodesk

In theory the offer is good, but in reality, many of those who have an old vehicle need it to commute big distances (personally I have a 15+ year old corolla), would I trade it in for a new bike if I was given the bike for free ?

Probably.

Would I then sell that bike to purchase a vehicle to get me to my work, again, probably.

I assume the people behind the campaign thought of this scenario.
I commute over 100km per day and do not have access to showers in work, sometimes I may need to change location multiple times a day.

AndrewJRenko

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Btw, you can listen to what you like anywhere, any time using earphones.

That's one minor point but you can't refute the comfort aspect. If you try you're lying.

You shouldn't be cycling or driving with earphones in anyway.

AndrewJRenko

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

That's one minor point but you can't refute the comfort aspect. If you try you're lying.

You shouldn't be cycling or driving with earphones in anyway.

Our children's cognitive ability is a"minor point"?

How about one in five deaths worldwide - is that a minor triviality too?

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/feb/fossil-fuel-air-pollution-responsible-1-5-deaths-worldwide

Why is okay for drivers to have wraparound audio playing, but not okay for drivers or cyclists to wear earphones?