Stop Press - Video of new free bikes for Dublin as unveiled this morning

LikePlace

The new bikes were unveiled this morning at a press event.

A video can be seen at http://www.likeplace.ie/blog/index.htm

They look pretty nice.
Sturdy too, thank God!

happyfriday

Call me cynical but I don’t see this working at all. They are a great idea and work well in other countries but I just can’t see them working here. I hope I’m wrong but I don’t think I will be. They’ll be broken up in pieces in no time. Anyone know how much it will cost to hire one?

lightening

You just got there before me!!! I knew the "won't work" brigade would be out. I really hope this works, all you need it your laser card.

eirebhoy

Why does it get more expensive with every hour of use?

BIKE HIRE FEES
First ½ Hour : free
1 hour : €0.50
2 hours : €1.50 (+1)
3 hours : €3.50 (+2)
4 hours : €6.50 (+3)
Every extra ½ Hour : €2

http://www.dublinbikes.ie/how_does_it_work/frequently_asked_questions/subscriptions/(offset)/0#faq4

lightening

I guess it's to free them up, they don't want people taking one, cycling to their destination and bringing the bike indoors or locking it with their own lock for the cycle back. I reckon they would prefer you leave it back at the 'dock' or station and take another one if you need it eirebhoy.

xabi_a

The idea is that you just use the bike to get from a to b, and then leave it back. If people keep them too long then they won't be available for others.

The bikes work really well in Paris, why not here? It really shows what kind of people we are when we keep on just saying "they'll get vandalised". It's a bit sad really.

admiralofthefleet

maybe to make sure they are brought back

spurious

I hope the bikes are a great success, though I think they'll need to somehow bring Heuston into the equation to make it work really well.

It would have been greater if they could have been introduced without defacing the city's footpaths with JC Decaux 'Metropoles' for the next 15 years.

WindSock

eirebhoy wrote: »

Why does it get more expensive with every hour of use?

BIKE HIRE FEES
First ½ Hour : free
1 hour : €0.50
2 hours : €1.50 (+1)
3 hours : €3.50 (+2)
4 hours : €6.50 (+3)
Every extra ½ Hour : €2

http://www.dublinbikes.ie/how_does_it_work/frequently_asked_questions/subscriptions/(offset)/0#faq4

What is the website to go to? That link doesn't work nor does www.dublinbikes.ie

WindSock

I think it will be great. If only they had some down at the Point.

happyfriday

xabi_a wrote: »

The idea is that you just use the bike to get from a to b, and then leave it back. If people keep them too long then they won't be available for others.

The bikes work really well in Paris, why not here? It really shows what kind of people we are when we keep on just saying "they'll get vandalised". It's a bit sad really.

I really hope I am wrong on this and it works out but just look at what happened with the Cow Parade in 2003, I know a lot of other cities had vandalism but not to the scale where they had to move all the cows and put whatever ones were staying in the city centre indoors and the rest out of the city centre altogether. I mean there was a mass slaughter only a matter of hours (or maybe a day) after they were unveiled. And unfortunately nobody was surprised by that either.

And then look around at all the skeletons of bikes you have seen chained to polls, all that is left is the frame of the bike, people have managed to take the wheels, the saddle and the handlebars. I’d really like to be wrong on this but I see mass carnage within the first month, they might get bored after that!!

I think it's sad that (a small majority of) people behave in such a way that we expect nothing more from them and then it reflects badly on the city as a whole.

lightening

Good point on the cow parade HappyFriday, I forgot about that, didn't mean to lump you in to a brigade like that. I hope people will be protective about our city bikes!

Yixian

WindSock wrote: »

I think it will be great. If only they had some down at the Point.

Surely they will at some point.

Dyr

happyfriday wrote: »

I really hope I am wrong on this and it works out but just look at what happened with the Cow Parade in 2003, I know a lot of other cities had vandalism but not to the scale where they had to move all the cows and put whatever ones were staying in the city centre indoors and the rest out of the city centre altogether. I mean there was a mass slaughter only a matter of hours (or maybe a day) after they were unveiled. And unfortunately nobody was surprised by that either.

I was strangely proud of our bloody minded cow hating behaviour. There some other public works of art that should have suffered a similar fate

Given how dublin corpo allowed JCD to vandalise this city for a few poxy bikes I bear this scheme no good will.

wackerooooohh

Wow bambi! You promote vandalism, you have only ill-will towards the bikes...i think you need to sort out your priorities, seems to me you have the problem, not the council who are at least trying to make something happen.

There is no reason why the bikes shouldn't work in Dublin, just people like you always running the city down who hate to see progress, only happy when you are giving out.

If you don't like what you see in the city, go be a pain in the arse somewhere else.

Nolanger

Dublin is a bad city to cycle in - not just the traffic and pedestrians - every street however slight is a hill.

utick

this is the second time they tried this in dublin the first time they stopped because of vandalism, not sure what they have changed this time

dubtom

eirebhoy wrote: »

Why does it get more expensive with every hour of use?

BIKE HIRE FEES
First ½ Hour : free
1 hour : €0.50
2 hours : €1.50 (+1)
3 hours : €3.50 (+2)
4 hours : €6.50 (+3)
Every extra ½ Hour : €2

http://www.dublinbikes.ie/how_does_it_work/frequently_asked_questions/subscriptions/(offset)/0#faq4

I was wondering how they would be paid for.
I think the €150 deposit if not returned is a good idea,at least that should stop even the drunk friday night reveler from going for a spin and then dumping it in the liffey. But I fear some damage will be done by the hoards of young gangs that hang around town,although a few camera's pointing at the stations could solve that.I think they could be priceless for the office worker or whatever out for lunch,or even the tourist seeing the town.Great stuff.