Velib like bicycle rental kiosks are being constructed in Dublin

TM · 25-09-2009 10:38PM

Smithfield kiosk seemed to be on the blink tonight around 8:43PM. Bloke in front of me scanned his card and the kiosk ended up permanently "trying to connect". Greek Street down the road a bit was working fine. I guess there will be teething problems and outages like this from time to time...

monument · 25-09-2009 10:48PM

TM wrote: »

Smithfield kiosk seemed to be on the blink tonight around 8:43PM. Bloke in front of me scanned his card and the kiosk ended up permanently "trying to connect". Greek Street down the road a bit was working fine. I guess there will be teething problems and outages like this from time to time...

The same thing was happening there on Wenesday evening.

buffalo · 26-09-2009 08:57AM

paddy2k wrote: »

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.)

The only thing is, if you're collecting stats for every day, the weekend and the weekday stats will skew each other. You'd be better off to collect and graph them separately, though being a programmer myself, I realise that's far more effort!

But they're a fantastic start to a great service!

paddy2k · 26-09-2009 09:43AM

buffalo wrote: »

The only thing is, if you're collecting stats for every day, the weekend and the weekday stats will skew each other. You'd be better off to collect and graph them separately, though being a programmer myself, I realise that's far more effort!

But they're a fantastic start to a great service!

Very true, hence i'm planning, once the sample size has gotten bigger, to base it on the day of the week. Should be handy for planning trips, i know now heading to smithfield at night there's no chance of finding a spot to park a bike

undo · 26-09-2009 11:26PM

I have had my db card for a week now and clocked in a good number of journeys. I have one stand right outside home and another outside work - db is the best thing since sliced bread for me.

However, this weekend, I noticed a few cases of vandalism. It remains to be seen how the system will cope with that. The worst I saw are two bikes in Hardwicke St. They have been pushed on with such force that the locking mechanisms are bent out of shape. These bikes are stuck and cannot be taken out... In Mountjoy Sq, the opposite has been done - metal was jammed into the locking mechanism on one of the stands, making it impossible to return a bike. I hope JCDeaux will find a way to deal with this vandalism. I want the system to survive.

26-09-2009 11:37PM

undo wrote: »

I have had my db card for a week now and clocked in a good number of journeys. I have one stand right outside home and another outside work - db is the best thing since sliced bread for me.

However, this weekend, I noticed a few cases of vandalism. It remains to be seen how the system will cope with that. The worst I saw are two bikes in Hardwicke St. They have been pushed on with such force that the locking mechanisms are bent out of shape. These bikes are stuck and cannot be taken out... In Mountjoy Sq, the opposite has been done - metal was jammed into the locking mechanism on one of the stands, making it impossible to return a bike. I hope JCDeaux will find a way to deal with this vandalism. I want the system to survive.

Might be worth raising it with them? Just that I've a feeling (based on the Fusio thing) that they'll do the bare minimum that they're contracted to do, so might be worth formally raising it with them.

undo · 26-09-2009 11:43PM

I sent them an e-mail via the form on their website and left a voice mail at the call center number. Of course it has to be reported for them to have a chance to fix it. But the ball is in their court now. I will probably go back in about 24 hours and see whether the vandalized bikes are still there. For reference, they are Hardwicke St stands #10 and #12.

Ste.phen · 27-09-2009 08:39AM

Has anyone who's been tracking the stats worked out the overall number of bikes still in service?
(i.e overnight, how many bikes are 'available' in total)

paddy2k · 27-09-2009 10:39AM

Ste.phen wrote: »

Has anyone who's been tracking the stats worked out the overall number of bikes still in service?
(i.e overnight, how many bikes are 'available' in total)

At 5am on Thursday September 24th there were 391 bikes available at all the stands.
At 5am this morning there were 383 bikes available.

As reported in the Irish Times there must be 450 bikes available at all times. no wonder they don't people acceasing their data feed

undo · 27-09-2009 01:27PM

The two vandalized bikes are still there in Hardwicke St as well. JCDeaux are doing a stellar job of keeping this system alive.

monument · 27-09-2009 01:30PM

undo wrote: »

The two vandalized bikes are still there in Hardwicke St as well. JCDeaux are doing a stellar job of keeping this system alive.

Shocker, two vandalized bikes stay put over the weekend. Expect to read about it in the Evening Herald on Monday afternoon!

undo · 27-09-2009 01:35PM

It *is* bad. Vandalism can occur any time and to discourage it, vandalized bikes should be removed and fixed. The "weekend" excuse does not work. As the system is open for business 7 days a week, maintenance has to be performed 7 days a week.

kona · 27-09-2009 01:51PM

undo wrote: »

It *is* bad. Vandalism can occur any time and to discourage it, vandalized bikes should be removed and fixed. The "weekend" excuse does not work. As the system is open for business 7 days a week, maintenance has to be performed 7 days a week.

1/2% of the total bikes are vandalized on a sunday!, they aint gunna sort that till tomorrow, wouldnt expect them to do it today. The scheme isnt *That* good. Youd be hard pushed to get anybikes serviced on a sunday, even if you pay!

Tawfee · 27-09-2009 02:41PM

Got my card on Friday after waiting about two weeks, so finally tried the bikes out this weekend.

Wider handlebars than I'm used to made for twitchy handling at first, but once I got onto Nassau street heading for Merrion Square, the bike handled really well, comfortable & sprightly enough. Gears ratios are good, though I found it difficult on some bikes to get into the middle gear. Brakes are a lot better than i thought they would be from previous comments on this thread, certainly better than my own commuter/tourer.

One thought I had was that a small map on the handlebars or on the basket with locations of the bike stations might help (for those of us who aren't in to the gadgets & apps!).

undo · 27-09-2009 05:11PM

kona wrote: »

they aint gunna sort that till tomorrow, wouldnt expect them to do it today. The scheme isnt *That* good. Youd be hard pushed to get anybikes serviced on a sunday, even if you pay!

Well... it turns out, they are doing their job: The two broken bikes disappeared at 3pm.

27-09-2009 06:01PM

Tawfee wrote: »

One thought I had was that a small map on the handlebars or on the basket with locations of the bike stations might help (for those of us who aren't in to the gadgets & apps!).

I just look at the map at the station before I go! In time it'll become second knowledge where they all are I'm sure.

Turbulent Bill · 27-09-2009 08:24PM

Dónal wrote: »

I just look at the map at the station before I go! In time it'll become second knowledge where they all are I'm sure.

It wouldn't kill them to put a basic map under the clear plastic on the handlebars; as far as I remember there's only a small piece of text with information there anyway. There's a detailed map at each DB station (I think), but finding the station in the first place isn't straightforward if you don't know the area.

It might end up like Dublin Bus (the other DB!) where, unless you're very familiar with the routes, it's difficult to get from A to B.

undo · 28-09-2009 12:23AM

+1 for the map-on-bikes idea. Although I had plenty of gadgets with me (I was actually mapping out the stations for OpenStreetMap on my GPS), I had no list of stations with me and found it incredibly difficult to find them. The handlebars contain some text (that I never read) and some information on operating the locks. If this was made slightly smaller, I am sure there would be enough space for a map there.

rebel.ranter · 28-09-2009 06:19AM

In Paris at the minute, saw a stolen Velib bike in action. You could see where the locking part had been torn away. The bike wheels were far from being perfectly aligned too, it looked like a right struggle to control.
The VB stations over here are plentiful & easy to find, you see the bikes in use everywhere & stations everywhere.

davej · 29-09-2009 08:55AM

I had my first experience of full stations on Sunday.

I started at Pearse St. and went up to Exchequer Street, no free slots. Another guy ahead of me also had to move on. Got the 15 minute extension, Chatham Street was also reported as full

I had to cycle back down to Dame St. (Central Bank) where there were 2 free slots.

A little while later things worked out better. I took a bike at Exchequer St. over to O' Connell St. (Princes st.) - very handy. So I guess things are a little hit and miss.

I would be tempted to extend by 15 minutes and then lock it to a railing / bike post next time (maybe bring an extra lock with me).

davej

davej · 29-09-2009 01:04PM

So far, 3 bikes missing..

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0929/breaking26.htm

One bike has been reported stolen under the new Dublin bicycle rental scheme, and two more have not been returned, Dublin City Council has said.

A spokesman for the council said the bike which was stolen while locked to a lamppost over the weekend, was the first bike to be stolen under the scheme.

Two other bikes hired on a 72 hour ticket were not returned within the 24 hour timeframe as required.

davej

undo · 29-09-2009 01:33PM

I added up the number of bikes at all stations at 2am last night - 371 if I remember correctly. I wonder where the other 76 bikes not accounted for have gone?

Chips Lovell · 29-09-2009 01:52PM

Finally got my card, so went out today around town on them. I found them good fun to ride actually, surprisingly comfortable and great crack ringing the bell at errant pedestrians.

Has anyone else managed pedal strike while cornering? I didn't think I was leaning that far, but obviously I was wrong...

Chips Lovell · 29-09-2009 01:54PM

undo wrote: »

I added up the number of bikes at all stations at 2am last night - 371 if I remember correctly. I wonder where the other 76 bikes not accounted for have gone?

At 2am? They could have been in for repair or in transit being moved between stations.

undo · 29-09-2009 02:03PM

el tonto wrote: »

At 2am? They could have been in for repair or in transit being moved between stations.

I noticed that the numbers do not change between 12:30am and 5:30am (I am always up that time at night) - so a count at 2am is as accurate as one taken when the system opens for the day or closes at night.

BraziliaNZ · 29-09-2009 02:20PM

used 2 of them today. They are pretty cool, comfortable seats and faster than they look. Brakes could be tighter though.
I had a hard time getting the 2nd one into the station, the part of the bike that clicks in looked bent inwards a bit, had to use a bit of force to get it in in the end. Anyone had this problem?

undo · 29-09-2009 02:24PM

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

the part of the bike that clicks in looked bent inwards a bit, had to use a bit of force to get it in in the end. Anyone had this problem?

This is how the two bikes in Hardwicke St were vandalized - locking mechanisms bent in so far inward that you could not take out the bikes anymore. The best thing to do is report it to dublinbikes with station name/stand number or bike number (as indicated on the plastic rear wheel cover).

Chips Lovell · 29-09-2009 02:25PM

undo wrote: »

This is how the two bikes in Hardwicke St were vandalized - locking mechanisms bent in so far inward that you could not take out the bikes anymore. The best thing to do is report it to dublinbikes with station name/stand number or bike number (as indicated on the plastic rear wheel cover).

I had to run a few young fellas who were pulling at the bikes on the Talbot St station the other day.

paddy2k · 29-09-2009 03:58PM

el tonto wrote: »

At 2am? They could have been in for repair or in transit being moved between stations.

It looks like they are disappearing at about 5 bikes a day given my stats from http://dublinbikes2go.com on the last page (24/09 391, 27/09 383) and undo's stats from this morning of 371 on the 29th.

At that rate, theoretically, the scheme will run out of bikes in 74days.

ED E · 29-09-2009 04:06PM

Ahh, just because they arent listed doesnt mean DB doesnt have them. I'd say the "missing" bikes are in the depot for servicing.

Velib like bicycle rental kiosks are being constructed in Dublin

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