Greater Dublin Area cycle network - this is set to change things!

Lycra is optional but should be banned on some people -
but in general i use a helmet, and i think it is good practice even if it is a short trip but dont think it should be mandatory
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rentable self cleansing helmets should be available at dublin bikes ports in kiosks

petronius wrote: »

Lycra is optional but should be banned on some people -
but in general i use a helmet, and i think it is good practice even if it is a short trip but dont think it should be mandatory
-
rentable self cleansing helmets should be available at dublin bikes ports in kiosks

If people really want to wear a helmet they'll bring one. Personally I don't think it is a good idea to ever use rental helmets as you don't know the history of the helmet, it might have already been smacked against concrete and the next tip it gets will crack it open, along with your head.
In the same way I wouldn't buy a used motorcycle helmet I also wouldn't be keen to use a rental one. If I was on holidays and had to I would but if I was commuting day to day your own helmet is the only way to go, you know where it's been and you know it's going to work. I think that is far more important than any convenience, you've only one head after all.

Anyway back OT. Where is the GTA Cycle Netowrk now ? The consultation closed last October, has there been a report/progress since ?

petronius wrote: »

I dont think helmets should be compulsory
but I think there should be the facility to rent them along the lines of the dublin bikes - so as if you were a tourist and unfamiliar with the roads and wanted to maybe cycle a long distance to say botanic gardens, UCD, Bull Island, Croke Park, Islandbridge, blackrock where they would be using a busy road helmets would be beneficial.

It's not a bad idea and no doubt there are people who would rent them if available.
It could open up a legal can of worms though if someone was wearing a rented helmet and a serious head injury still occurred. I'd imagine the insurance on any company renting helmets could be prohibitive.

Muahahaha wrote: »

If people really want to wear a helmet they'll bring one.

I agree that the system is near-unworkable but I disagree with that statement. For me one of the great joys of the scheme is flexibility. You can use a bike when you want to, when it's nice, when you're not tired, when you don't have shopping, when you're going on a short intracity journey etc. I've never used it as a regular commute, and most times I haven't planned to use it leaving the house. Bringing a helmet is not very easy for a lot of non-commuting users.

AndrewJD wrote: »

I agree that the system is near-unworkable but I disagree with that statement. For me one of the great joys of the scheme is flexibility. You can use a bike when you want to, when it's nice, when you're not tired, when you don't have shopping, when you're going on a short intracity journey etc. I've never used it as a regular commute, and most times I haven't planned to use it leaving the house. Bringing a helmet is not very easy for a lot of non-commuting users.

This might be your solution, maybe not now with a €400 price tag, but maybe some day when they drop in price and more competitors enter the market. They claim they offer more protection than a standard bike helmet, without any of the bulk.
http://www.hovding.com

How much are helmets? Lidl were selling them for 12 a while ago, so a bulk discount should get you a tenner.
The infrastructure to mind them, inspect them, rent them would mean any rental is going to cost half the price of purchase or so.

petronius wrote: »

I found this example in Boston on line http://nation.time.com/2013/11/14/one-city-finally-solved-bike-sharings-big-safety-problem/
so it is possible

"One City Finally Solved Bike Sharing’s Big Safety Problem" :rolleyes:

I know the yanks like to exaggerate how dangerous everything is, but I think that journalist is stretching the facts a bit!

petronius wrote: »

Maybe hyperbole by the yanks but we should consider options.

At $10k I'd like to see the cost benefit analysis tbh

I'm a bit confused by this thread over the last few days, as I subscribed to it to see any developments on the Dublin Area cycle network (ie quality and extent of cycle lanes around Dublin) and instead the last few days have been chatter about whether helmets would be useful for Dublin bikes...


Back in the on Topic World:

The greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan has actually been published since April:

Link to the published plan

Link to Cyclist.ie Article about it

Any word on that Dublin to Galway cross country cycle route that Varadkar said was going to happen back in 2012?

I thought I'd heard they put money aside for it but I haven't heard any updates about it at all since it was first announced in September of that year;

Link: http://www.thejournal.ie/cycle-route-galway-dublin-594887-Sep2012/

I had assumed it would link in with the Greater Dublin cycling plan. Would be a great project to see completed, very scenic and could link up with the greenways on the west coast (hopefully).

It seemed to be forgotten about as soon as it was announced, but maybe it makes sense to focus on getting the cycling infrastructure up an running in cities and towns first and interconnect them later. If it does go ahead the Royal might make a good choice alright, but they will have to make sure that its policed. I'd be fairly worried for any tourists cycling the tow paths around some parts of the RC tbh.

Speaking on interconnecting cycling routes- I noticed in that GDA cycling plan they included many towns outside of Dublin city in their analysis, so would it be fair to assume that they intend to link up Dublin city with its satellite towns, e.g. a cycle route between Dublin and Trim/Navan?

The city centre is the linchpin in the cycle route network. Without a safe city centre for cycling in, what's the point in the peripheral routes. Not that the rest isn't important, but it can't all be done at once and certain parts should be prioritised.

Yep, that type of permission is called Part 8. And you're right, it's certainly not going to happen over night.