Bicycle care station at petrol stations in Copenhagen.

bk · 03-04-2012 11:29AM #1

Just came across this very interesting article about Statoil in Copenhagen setting up bike repair points where you can inflate your tires, wash your bike, oil your bike and do other minor repairs for free at their petrol stations:

http://www.copenhagenize.com/2011/09/bicycle-care-station-by-statoil.html

A great idea. I would love to see the same done here. The petrol station can benefit from attracting cyclists into the shop who might then buy groceries, etc.

L1011 · 03-04-2012 11:41AM

Seeing as the main bulk of profits from petrol stations here usually is the shop, it could easily work. Cycling commuters are unlikely to come in to the shop otherwise.

I'd imagine that one of the Irish brands could be convinced to try it but I'm not sure how many stations are even in suitable locations since the armeggedon on them happened in the property boom - there's all of three stations in what I'd think of as Dublin City Centre now (Ushers Quay, Mount Brown, Amiens St.)

hardCopy · 03-04-2012 11:44AM

It makes sense when you consider that petrol stations make so little money from petrol sales. A cyclist is probably more likely to buy a snack and a drink than a driver.

Del2005 · 05-04-2012 04:33AM

bk wrote: »

Just came across this very interesting article about Statoil in Copenhagen setting up bike repair points where you can inflate your tires, wash your bike, oil your bike and do other minor repairs for free at their petrol stations:

http://www.copenhagenize.com/2011/09/bicycle-care-station-by-statoil.html

A great idea. I would love to see the same done here. The petrol station can benefit from attracting cyclists into the shop who might then buy groceries, etc.

Since Irish petrol stations can't currently keep the air lines for pumping cars I can't see how they'll be able to keep these air lines. There's a different level of ignorant people in this country.

galwaycyclist · 05-04-2012 01:42PM

hardCopy wrote: »

It makes sense when you consider that petrol stations make so little money from petrol sales. A cyclist is probably more likely to buy a snack and a drink than a driver.

Research on shopping patterns among bicycle users. Cyclists spend less per trip but shop more often.

http://www.nationaler-radverkehrsplan.de/en/transferstelle/downloads/cye_a-06_cycling-to-shopping.pdf

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files/liveable%20neighbourhoods/Shoppers%20info%20sheet%20-%20LN02.pdf

http://www.einkaufen-mit-dem-rad.de/shopping_by_bike.shtml

monument · 05-04-2012 03:18PM

MYOB wrote: »

Cycling commuters are unlikely to come in to the shop otherwise.

That seems true around Dublin. Surprise is expressed when I respond to the "any petrol" question with "I'm on a bicycle" etc. It even happened twice in the one on the Rathgar Road in Rathmines. So I'm guessing they don't get many cyclists stopping even though it's on a route heavily used by cyclists... or maybe the surprise is I don't the give away cyclist items.

Filling station shops and cycling seems natural to me -- maybe it's because I'm from a country town or maybe it's just because a filling station shop was the local shop for a good part of my childhood.

Del2005 · 05-04-2012 07:34PM

monument wrote: »

That seems true around Dublin. Surprise is expressed when I respond to the "any petrol" question with "I'm on a bicycle" etc. It even happened twice in the one on the Rathgar Road in Rathmines. So I'm guessing they don't get many cyclists stopping even though it's on a route heavily used by cyclists... or maybe the surprise is I don't the give away cyclist items.

Maybe it's the fact that you feel the need to inform them your cycling that's the surprise, not the fact that a cyclist is buying something from a petrol station.

I've often gone into petrol station's shops and not bought any fuel. When asked any fuel? I just say no, they don't need or want explanations of how I got to the till.

monument · 05-04-2012 07:58PM

Del2005 wrote: »

Maybe it's the fact that you feel the need to inform them your cycling that's the surprise, not the fact that a cyclist is buying something from a petrol station.

I've often gone into petrol station's shops and not bought any fuel. When asked any fuel? I just say no, they don't need or want explanations of how I got to the till.

Ah, sure some day they'll stop feeling a need to ask me about fuel I never pumped.

I don't need or want such questions about such.

Del2005 · 06-04-2012 03:43AM

monument wrote: »

Ah, sure some day they'll stop feeling a need to ask me about fuel I never pumped.

I don't need or want such questions about such.

I think it's more of a legal thing. Like asking the owner of a car was it ever crashed. If they don't ask you could pretend that you didn't know that you had to pay for the fuel you just pumped from their tanks.

You are in a Petrol station and it would be a fair assumption that you bought fuel. It's like a publican asking you do you want a drink when you walk into a pub, you could be looking for a friend or trying to have a McSh**

Run_to_da_hills · 06-04-2012 07:40AM

Wasn't there a dog washing craze at some Irish pertol stations during the boom years?

http://www.speedwash.ie/dog_wash.html

monument · 06-04-2012 08:47AM

"it would be a fair assumption that you bought fuel."

The assumption can't be that I bought fuel, but rather I was trying to steal fuel or foolish enough to forget.

I've never made any point of saying 'I'm on a bicycle', but I will from now on. Now tgat you have made me think about it, a pointless annoying question deserves a pointless annoying answer.

Del2005 · 07-04-2012 05:24PM

bk wrote: »

Just came across this very interesting article about Statoil in Copenhagen setting up bike repair points where you can inflate your tires, wash your bike, oil your bike and do other minor repairs for free at their petrol stations:

http://www.copenhagenize.com/2011/09/bicycle-care-station-by-statoil.html

A great idea. I would love to see the same done here. The petrol station can benefit from attracting cyclists into the shop who might then buy groceries, etc.

Took a better look at the pictures and it's not really a bike friendly setup. It looks like a marketing gimmick by Statoil to get cyclists into their shops and it appears to have worked from this thread.

You can care for your bicycle here. You can pump and wash your bicycle and, inside the shop, you're welcome to borrow a free bicycle care kit with oil, tire levers, allen keys, et

The rack looks like it will keep the bike too low to comfortably oil the chain and gears or change/fix a tyre. I've never had a problem putting a bike onto it's saddle/handlebars to do this and you have access to both sides of the bike, you'd need to remove your bike to work on both sides.

jameverywhere · 10-04-2012 09:35AM

Del2005 wrote: »

Took a better look at the pictures and it's not really a bike friendly setup. It looks like a marketing gimmick by Statoil to get cyclists into their shops and it appears to have worked from this thread.

The rack looks like it will keep the bike too low to comfortably oil the chain and gears or change/fix a tyre. I've never had a problem putting a bike onto it's saddle/handlebars to do this and you have access to both sides of the bike, you'd need to remove your bike to work on both sides.

Even if you don't like the rack, the article does say that you have access to a free toolkit etc. Tools, pump, oil--that's the useful stuff.

Del2005 · 11-04-2012 07:28PM

jameverywhere wrote: »

Even if you don't like the rack, the article does say that you have access to a free toolkit etc. Tools, pump, oil--that's the useful stuff.

Who doesn't have tools to fix a bike at home? All you need is a few Allen keys and a couple of wrenches. I've enough tools in my saddle bag to get me out of most bother and I don't even cycle. If you're using your bike for anything like commuting or long distances you'd be a fool not to bring enough tools to repair basic faults or punctures.

bk · 11-04-2012 07:42PM

Del2005 wrote: »

Who doesn't have tools to fix a bike at home? All you need is a few Allen keys and a couple of wrenches. I've enough tools in my saddle bag to get me out of most bother and I don't even cycle. If you're using your bike for anything like commuting or long distances you'd be a fool not to bring enough tools to repair basic faults or punctures.

Because general commuters and people new to cycling are often unprepared.

The easier cycling is made for the general public, the more who do it. This has been proven clearly in Amsterdam and Copenhagen where the majority of people cycle daily and not a crap of Lyrica, high viz, helmets or tools in sight. Just jump on your bike and go.

Why would anyone be against this? It wouldn't cost tax payers anything, the petrol stations would benefit from free pr and potentially more cyclists stopping at their store and some general cyclists would benefit from this.

jameverywhere · 12-04-2012 10:57AM

Del2005 wrote: »

Who doesn't have tools to fix a bike at home? All you need is a few Allen keys and a couple of wrenches. I've enough tools in my saddle bag to get me out of most bother and I don't even cycle. If you're using your bike for anything like commuting or long distances you'd be a fool not to bring enough tools to repair basic faults or punctures.

I have all the tools for a puncture and minor adjustments myself, and take it on longer journeys, but often skip the gear when going 5 km to work in the city centre or going to shops because I don't want to mess with taking stuff off my bike lest it get stolen. I also don't own or carry a track pump, and in the case of a puncture you know a track pump is much nicer than a handheld pump anyday. (I don't own one because I live down the street from a bike store that lets you use theirs for free)

If I were out and about and got a puncture or problem without my gear on me, something like this would be nice so I wouldn't have to hike all the way home first.

Dodge · 12-04-2012 11:10AM

Considering some petrol stations around Dublin have started to charge (nominally) for air etc, I don't think this will happen too soon

L1011 · 12-04-2012 11:38AM

Dodge wrote: »

Considering some petrol stations around Dublin have started to charge (nominally) for air etc, I don't think this will happen too soon

I've never seen one that actually charges - a lot of them have "shopping trolley" coin release systems that return the coin, but never seen a charge.

Dodge · 12-04-2012 11:44AM

MYOB wrote: »

I've never seen one that actually charges - a lot of them have "shopping trolley" coin release systems that return the coin, but never seen a charge.

Texaco on Crumlin charges 20c. friends have told me abotu others but I couldn't say for certain where

bk · 12-04-2012 11:53AM

Dodge wrote: »

Texaco on Crumlin charges 20c. friends have told me abotu others but I couldn't say for certain where

Seems very foolish to me, better to attract people into the shop.

jameverywhere · 12-04-2012 01:49PM

they charge up to 75 cents for air in the states. totall bollocks.

Dodge · 12-04-2012 02:11PM

Don't really mind it tbh. As BK said long term it can get people into shops, but they cost money to maintain and if people treat them like sh!te because they're free then a slight 20charge isn't the worst thing in the world.

Difficult one for owners/managers

bk · 12-04-2012 03:45PM

If the garage down the street does it for free, I know which one I would visit.

And then you would not only be losing the 20c, but also any money spent in the shop and petrol (for cars).

I've never seen it before, I suppose only garages without much competition do it.

Dodge · 12-04-2012 04:38PM

bk wrote: »

If the garage down the street does it for free, I know which one I would visit.

But if the one down the road hardly ever works, you mightn't mind spending the 20c on the one thats always in operation. particularly if their petrol and milk (eg) is cheaper

I'm just trying to say its clearly not an easy deision for any garage to make

Bicycle care station at petrol stations in Copenhagen.

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