Bike Cops

blorg

bassman22 wrote: »

not specifically illegal, but he said that under the road traffic act you could be prosecuted for cycling in an unsafe manner... or something like that.
(he cycled up beside me, got my attention and said, in that classic garda way: do you consider that to be a safe way to be cycling)

I would imagine it would be difficult in court though... (for the gardaí)

That's true, but you'd have to be clearly doing something else wrong. The fact that you heard him was arguably enough defence ;-) He was probably just on a one-man safety drive, some of them do this and have the best of intentions. Honestly don't think earphones are the worst thing in the world though (I would have nothing against him nabbing red light jumpers etc!)

cyclopath2001

el tonto wrote: »

I haven't seen any of them with shaved legs.

The Gardai used to have quite a strong road-racing club. For a number of years they had a team in the Ras.

SerialComplaint

Verb wrote: »

I did think that wearing a similar outfit to a garda uniform is an effective way to get space when moving near cars alright.

I've seen several motorbike riders with Garda like outfits.

I'm pretty sure that some of the contrite reactions I've got when confronting motorists have been due to confusion around whether my high-vis green jacket is a Garda jacket.

Caroline_ie

I heard they launched the new cycling gards today on the radio, they mentioned they'd be very useful in areas where there is a lot of drug trafficking, and they also mentioned that they are encouraged to do more arrests etc... exactly, HOW can a cycling garda, sneak in on a group of 'Lads, ya know like', dealing drugs, and arrest them ...and live to tell the story ...

rp

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I heard they launched the new cycling gards today on the radio, they mentioned they'd be very useful in areas where there is a lot of drug trafficking,

Na, I think it's for when they do another Tour de France stage in Ireland: they're gonna chase em across the Wicklow way and nick the whole peloton for being tweeked

brayblue24

Raam wrote: »

I wonder how many of the bike cops are into cycling in their spare time.

Me anyhoo.

Although I will admit it was going on this course 3 years ago that re-ignited my interest in the sport. By comparison to ordinary cycle gear the uniform is heavy I suppose but against that when you also hillwalk it makes for a nice and also free alternative to some retailers for one's walking gear!!

There is also the fact that as jobs go it beats most for losing weight and keeping fit while being paid ( even better when done on overtime ).

bassman22

brayblue24 wrote: »

Me anyhoo.
There is also the fact that as jobs go it beats most for losing weight and keeping fit while being paid ( even better when done on overtime ).

I do love the functional exercise alright! and I also believe in public service so maybe in another life....

Are you or do you know the infamous garda who hung around clonskeagh? your training roughly fits the timeline!

it must be strange for people to have that kind of random notoriety

brayblue24

bassman22 wrote: »

Are you or do you know the infamous garda who hung around clonskeagh? your training roughly fits the timeline!

LOL. No, not guilty

blorg

I had a good gawk at one of those Garda bikes the other day. It was a BH (Spanish bike company, sponsors of ProTour team AG2R-La Mondiale, who Philip Deignan rides for.) Looked very nice over all- practical integrated rear wheel lock (like they have in the Netherlands,) rack and rack bag, Deore LX rear derailleur, I think Deore shifters and front, Suntour XCR fork with lockout, nice looking Mavic wheels, Sigma computer. Not a bad bike at all.

Gavin

blorg wrote: »

I think Deore shifters and front, Suntour XCR fork with lockout, nice looking Mavic wheels, Sigma computer. Not a bad bike at all.

Sigma computer is hardly required equipment! They'd probably get away with rigid forks really, although the lockout should help a bit.

Does seem like a decent bike though. They are good on em, I saw a Garda going through a crowd on new years eve after some drunk eejit. He cut through the crowd quite well.

The lights they have on them are disappointing though, should issue proper lights, at least as an example for other cyclists. Was there a bell on it ?

Karma

Cyclone/madday motor bike couriers have a uniform that is almost the Garda uniform, know of a few of them getting white helmets as well. says cyclone on the back instead of Garda.

maybe the upshot of more gardai on bikes is a review of the road laws to cyclists and pedrestrains. heres hoping.

seen some of them in action and well, fair play nad once, fair cop.

ride safe
dotc

blorg

Some pics:



As you can see, yes, it did have a bell

copacetic

funny looking saddle, or is that some kind of gel padded addition stuck on top of the actual saddle?

blorg

copacetic wrote: »

funny looking saddle, or is that some kind of gel padded addition stuck on top of the actual saddle?

Gel padded addition it is.

Raam

brayblue24 wrote: »

Me anyhoo.

Although I will admit it was going on this course 3 years ago that re-ignited my interest in the sport. By comparison to ordinary cycle gear the uniform is heavy I suppose but against that when you also hillwalk it makes for a nice and also free alternative to some retailers for one's walking gear!!

There is also the fact that as jobs go it beats most for losing weight and keeping fit while being paid ( even better when done on overtime ).

Can we all have a go of your police bike?

brayblue24

Raam wrote: »

Can we all have a go of your police bike?

Does €25 an hour sound fair??

Usually I am the first to complain about uniform and equipment in my job but to be fair they are not a bad bike and the uniform on issue is of a good quality. Apparently the bikes are worth in or around €1600 and while they are heavy it must be remembered that not all work is done on the flat using these lads so they more than hold their own.

Ciaran500

brayblue24 wrote: »

Apparently the bikes are worth in or around €1600 and while they are heavy it must be remembered that not all work is done on the flat using these lads so they more than hold their own.

I'd guess closer to €500.

blorg

Ciaran500 wrote: »

I'd guess closer to €500.

Not with Irish prices! In all seriousness though, you wouldn't get that spec for anywhere close to €500.

Gavin

blorg wrote: »

Not with Irish prices! In all seriousness though, you wouldn't get that spec for anywhere close to €500.

Well, the components are much the equivalent of a bottom of the range Specialized Rockhopper (the one brand I'm familiar with), which are in or around 700 euro in Ireland. Having said that, I'm sure the custom paint job costs money, the rear lock, the custom decal carrier bag and possibly it includes a maintenance contract?

And of course, it's the nature of state purchases to be more expensive than for the ordinary consumer.

Now what would be interesting to see would be a Garda mtb team/club competing in Irish mtb competitions !

Enduro

A Garda team has done the Interservices challenge once or twice. That had a bit of MTBing in it. They didn't put a team into the last one though. (And the race has been opened up to anyone to enter a team, and re-branded to reflect that.. Its now the Beast of BallyHoura and uses the new MTB trails in the race, amongst other things).

oobydooby

brayblue24 wrote: »

Apparently the bikes are worth in or around €1600

Honest answer, have any of them been nicked?:D

I think it's great that the numbers of rothar-gardaí are increasing and very much in the spirit of community policing.

Wez

Verb wrote: »

Hah yeah, around two years ago I was working in Clonskeagh and cycled into work. Just outside the UCD Clonskeagh entrance there is a red light that cyclists barrel though.

Haha, blasted through that junction (on the outside, so I could see traffic, not dumb, just risky!) And tore up towards spar, heard someone shouting, look back and there's a bike guard chasing after me! Thought it was gas, so kept up the pace and then cut through the triangle and lost him on Bird Avenue.

Couldn't stop laughing when I'd pulled into my house (out of breath) certainly brightened up my evening! Go on the fixie!!

Ciaran500

blorg wrote: »

Not with Irish prices! In all seriousness though, you wouldn't get that spec for anywhere close to €500.

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=232&idproduct=20965

Take away the discs, replace with V's and add about €50 for derailer + shifters and you wouldn't be that far off €500. There's no way all the other extras add €1000.

blorg

I'd say Verb is closer with his €700 (750 RRP) + extras for the paint job, rack, rack bag etc. €1,600 is obviously over but €700-800 could be about right.

RtD

In terms of impersonating a cyclo-cop it was my very last minute Halloween outfit last year, basically just printed out a large white on navy "GARDA" and stuck it to the back of my fluoro-yellow jacket. Figured it was about the only day of the year where impersonating a garda would be somewhat ignored.
Anyways, the outfit was successful enough that the taxi my mates were in was racing me, spurred on by my friends, down the hill from Club 92 until he got close enough to me to read the jacket. He promptly slowed down and despite reassurances from my friends that I was actually a civie he continued to crawl along well under the speed limit unsure whether to believe them or not.