Dublinbikes.ie - anyone signed up?

Metrobest

AMontague wrote: »

All three bikes have already turned up. The stolen one is seriously damaged. The other two were unharmed - the users had them out on the three-day membership and thought they were allowed keep the bikes for three days.

Interesting to see if this correction will be reported in the media!

loyatemu

AMontague wrote: »

All three bikes have already turned up. The stolen one is seriously damaged. The other two were unharmed - the users had them out on the three-day membership and thought they were allowed keep the bikes for three days.

Andrew - any comment on the numbers actually available in the scheme - a number of posters here have pointed out the combined number available at all the stations is consistently less than 400 (this is post 0030 when all bikes should be returned).

shaneosullivan

I'll definitely continue to use it. My 10 minute walk to tesco is now a 2 minute cycle. There's nowhere to park near it, so my other option is to walk, which gets me just as wet. I can imagine many other people will continue to use the bikes for the same reason - they're not just a replacement for cars or the bus, they're a replacement for walking too.

paddy2k

You guys might be interested go this post about bike availability from the Cycling forum.

paddy2k wrote: »

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.

loyatemu

paddy2k wrote: »

You guys might be interested go this post about bike availability from the Cycling forum.

thats what I was referring to in my question for AMontague

dereko1969

Obviously you've taken account of any bikes that have got punctures or things wrong with them and are being fixed and you've allowed for that in your projections? Oh thought not, next!

Stark

Well I'm sure someone will be able to answer if that's the case.

The best time to check would probably be just after 5:30am as all the repaired bikes should be back by then. As far as I understand it, the agreement requires that there be 450 bikes available at this time (minus bikes kept overnight by insane people), meaning JC Decaux will need to keep a surplus to allow for bikes needing to be taken out of circulation for repairs?

paddy2k

dereko1969 wrote: »

Obviously you've taken account of any bikes that have got punctures or things wrong with them and are being fixed and you've allowed for that in your projections? Oh thought not, next!

I didn't take that into account, it's raw availability, it's JCDecaux that are ment to take that into account, their agreement with Dublin City Council is that there will be 450 bikes available at all times, not 450 bikes out for hire and in the shed and being fixed.

ronano

i've signed up and i know its 14 days allowed to get the card but god! i want it now its been just over a week.

Timarida

I thinks the db's are just great. I cycled around very smugly last Wednesday when my annual card arrived

But most importantly my boyfriend and I can go cycling around town when he comes to visit me at weekends. This weekend we must have taken four trips around town. Weather was a plus too

Continued success to the scheme

monument

bg07 wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0929/breaking26.html?via=mr


3 bikes missing in the first 3 weeks. Hardly the mass disappearance of bikes that was predicted here by some.

The end of a Sunday Business Post report at the weekend ('Bike rental scheme overwhelmed by applications') said:

"It was reported last week that one bike had been stolen and two were not returned by subscribers. However, all three bikes have since been recovered".

gurramok

It was monsoon type rain nearly all day yesterday, I noticed the Mountjoy & Pearse st stations were full of bikes and more traffic per usual on the roads.

Did anyone honestly think there would be the same numbers cycling yesterday as before?

BendiBus

gurramok wrote: »

It was monsoon type rain nearly all day yesterday, I noticed the Mountjoy & Pearse st stations were full of bikes and more traffic per usual on the roads.

Did anyone honestly think there would be the same numbers cycling yesterday as before?

Of course not. What's your point?

gurramok

BendiBus wrote: »

Of course not. What's your point?

The success of the scheme depends on the Irish weather & the commitment of said cyclists to tolerate that bad weather, rain as well as the cold winds.

The view below doesn't seem to understand that in the real world, people would rather the comfort of a bus/car/train than get their clothes wet or freeze their bums off in a cold wind!

dereko1969 wrote:

what's going to be the line after that when people do use the bikes during the rain? i hear those saddles give you testicular cancer???

I just wonder if the organisers have factored this in to make the scheme viable rather than have it based on wishful thinking that the scheme will grow when the bad weather factor was not counted in.(All of Sept was dry & pleasant like an Indian Summer)

Its just like today has good cycling weather, i'd expect the numbers to increase on a day like today. However, the opposite is the case when the rain & cold comes so the scheme is more weather dependent than some of the enthusiasts on here would think.

dereko1969

the car/taxi and bus are not always an option for the places people want to go (or in the case of taxi afford given the effect rain has on traffic speed), so if it will take you 15 minutes to walk in the rain or 5 minutes cycling in the rain i do expect some people to use the bikes in the rain, yes probably less than a lovely day like today when i used the bike to get to and from a meeting across town but so what?

you really can't let it go can you?

dearg lady

days like yesterday don't happen that often. Showers are generally more likely, which will allow people to use them in between if they want to avoid getting wet.

The weather will of course have an impact, I expect they'll be utilised much more often during the summer, but is it really such a bad thing if they are used less during winter? At least the option is there!

Stark

gurramok wrote: »

The success of the scheme depends on the Irish weather & the commitment of said cyclists to tolerate that bad weather, rain as well as the cold winds.

The view below doesn't seem to understand that in the real world, people would rather the comfort of a bus/car/train than get their clothes wet or freeze their bums off in a cold wind!

Your view doesn't seem to understand that it doesn't rain that often.

seamus

gurramok wrote: »

The success of the scheme depends on the Irish weather & the commitment of said cyclists to tolerate that bad weather, rain as well as the cold winds.

The view below doesn't seem to understand that in the real world, people would rather the comfort of a bus/car/train than get their clothes wet or freeze their bums off in a cold wind!

With all due respect gurramok, you could claim that footpaths are a waste of time because less people use them when it's pissing rain.
Some people used the bikes yesterday, despite the rain. In any case, days of extreme weather like yesterday are very rare in Dublin. Once every couple of months, at most. Yes, it's often wet, but in any given 30 minute period it's not all that likely to be actually raining.

Most people, if given the choice would rather not spend 30 minutes queuing to get into a car park when they could just stick on a coat and gently freewheel down the road to their destination, even if it was freezing outside. Dublin doesn't get very cold, very rarely below 1 or 2 degrees.

I don't think anyone ever fooled themselves into thinking casual users would steel the more extreme weather conditions, but then I don't recall anyone ever claiming that the intention was for a subset of commuters to use the bikes for all journeys, rather they would prefer if the bikes were used for at least *some* short journeys.

markpb

gurramok wrote: »

The success of the scheme depends on the Irish weather & the commitment of said cyclists to tolerate that bad weather, rain as well as the cold winds.

I used the bikes yesterday to get from Camden St to O'Connell St. How did I manage that? I had a 15 minute cycle (damn traffic) and it wasn't raining during those fifteen minutes. I'm sure there were plenty of 15 minute windows all day long when I could have cycled.

gurramok

dereko1969 wrote: »

the car/taxi and bus are not always an option for the places people want to go (or in the case of taxi afford given the effect rain has on traffic speed), so if it will take you 15 minutes to walk in the rain or 5 minutes cycling in the rain i do expect some people to use the bikes in the rain, yes probably less than a lovely day like today when i used the bike to get to and from a meeting across town but so what?

Would you still use the bike to get to a meeting? (meetings normally mean you have to be dry and well presented and on time with no breaks to cover from the rain! )

Stark wrote: »

Your view doesn't seem to understand that it doesn't rain that often.

Its not just the rain, its the cold as well which in fairness has not arrived yet. Going on the winter last year, temps were regularly below 7C daytime. That when especially in a biting wind chill is for the committed, not the casual user.

seamus wrote: »

With all due respect gurramok, you could claim that footpaths are a waste of time because less people use them when it's pissing rain.

Umbrella's tend not to let you get wet as you are at walking pace. High degrees of sweat are an issue in raingear while on a bike.

seamus wrote:

Some people used the bikes yesterday, despite the rain. In any case, days of extreme weather like yesterday are very rare in Dublin. Once every couple of months, at most. Yes, it's often wet, but in any given 30 minute period it's not all that likely to be actually raining.

I don't think anyone ever fooled themselves into thinking casual users would steel the more extreme weather conditions, but then I don't recall anyone ever claiming that the intention was for a subset of commuters to use the bikes for all journeys, rather they would prefer if the bikes were used for at least *some* short journeys.

These casual users can stop in the rain for cover. Those who have times to abide to like getting to work on time cannot stop. Casual users tend to be non-committed as they don't have time constraints.
A commuter for example would be a committed cyclist as its their only means of transport and they have to get to work or to that meeting on time.(I was one of these for years)

markpb wrote: »

I used the bikes yesterday to get from Camden St to O'Connell St. How did I manage that? I had a 15 minute cycle (damn traffic) and it wasn't raining during those fifteen minutes. I'm sure there were plenty of 15 minute windows all day long when I could have cycled.

Lucky to have that break from it when you did venture out. It was pelting out of the heavens when I was out yesterday, that is dangerous for a cyclist in traffic as visibility was atrocious.(talking non-cycle lane stuff here)

positron

I signed up on Sep 23rd and I am still waiting for my bike card. I hope to do this daily.

9:15 am Bike from Station 38 (Talbot st) to Station 40 (Jervis st)
6:40 pm Bike from Station 40 (Jervis st) to Station 38 (Talbot st)

Hoping to replace my 15 with walk with 5 mins on bike - fingers crossed!

zagmund

Again, what's the point being made ? On some days there will be more use of the system than others ? I don't think this was ever in doubt.

z

lightening

I signed up for mine, I like the look of it, but won't be passing judgement until I actually use the service.

Seamus is correct regarding Dublin's weather. I reckon the dry East coast clement weather will make the scheme work.

Stark

gurramok wrote: »

Its not just the rain, its the cold as well which in fairness has not arrived yet. Going on the winter last year, temps were regularly below 7C daytime. That when especially in a biting wind chill is for the committed, not the casual user.

Below +7 degrees you say? It's hardly Moscow; it's not like people's hands are going to get frostbite riding the handlebars. You don't even have to take off your jacket to ride one of the bikes.

Aard

I wonder how many Dublin Bikes users are acually "business people" with meetings to attend accross the city. I'd imagine that the majority are actually casual users.

BrianD

Aard wrote: »

I wonder how many Dublin Bikes users are acually "business people" with meetings to attend accross the city. I'd imagine that the majority are actually casual users.

Well i know of someone who now uses a DB to go to meetings. keeps the 2L jeep in the basement of his office and takes the bike! I think this is one of the objectives of the bike.

BendiBus

gurramok wrote: »

These casual users can stop in the rain for cover.

I believe the whole scheme is designed with casual users in mind. Serious cyclists will get their own bikes & wetgear.

I still don't get your problem. Do you claim the scheme is a failure because fewer people will cycle when the weather is horrible?

AMontague

In Europe, where similar schemes have been very successful, the summers are hotter and winter's are colder - but somehow people keep cycling. Yes, there will be days where the rain is heavy and fewer people will cycle, but there won't be that many.

depaor01

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Anyone have a problem with the saddles -
I've found on my last 3 bikes that even when I've locked the saddle into the setting I want that it still moves a couple of inches to the left and the right which can be quite scary in the middle of traffic as it throws you off balance.

Hi Armanijeanss:

There is an adjustment screw on the side opposite the locking lever under the saddle. If you lock with the lever and the saddle still turns, just open the lever and give the adjustment screw a slight turn and close the locking lever again until the saddle doesn't move......

gar32

I have over 7 hours use on these bikes so far. I live near Smithfield station but find that its empty in the morning after 9. Also it fills up fast in the evening and twice already I had to go back to greek street. Soon the better more stations are set up. I have emailed dublinbikes on asking for plan of more stations. No reply 3 weeks later. Maybe the green party could help with this?

More stations please