Jan and Klodi's Party Bus - part II **off topic discussion**

Lusk_Doyle

Interesting looking machine...

seamus

Not the most beautiful bike out there, but I guess as a commuter/city bike they're really well crafted;

https://www.vanmoof.com/

Chuchote

Doctor Bob wrote: »

I've had one bike stolen in 25 years of cycling in Dublin, and that was from my parents' garage while I was on my J1. I've been locking bikes in public the entire time I've been cycling, but a mixture of good locks, good locking technique and common sense has meant I've never suffered the misfortune of theft from a public place. *touches wood*

Thing is, Doc, take a look at the Stolen Bikes Thread here. Thousands and thousands of reports of bikes stolen.

So many bikes are stolen in Ireland that they are not included in Garda theft statistics, or so I've been told.

tomasrojo

Chuchote wrote: »

Thing is, Doc, take a look at the Stolen Bikes Thread here. Thousands and thousands of reports of bikes stolen.

So many bikes are stolen in Ireland that they are not included in Garda theft statistics, or so I've been told.

There are many thousands of cyclists in Ireland though, so you're bound to get a lot of thefts. And it's pretty clear, or used to be (stopped following the thread, as it was really repetitive), that a lot of those bikes were badly locked, or not locked at all (in sheds and garages).

I do expect to have at least one bike stolen in the future. But it's looking as if the rate (which currently is still at zero) will be something like one bike stolen every few decades, max., which means that I'll take the very rare large inconvenience of replacing a bike over the many thousands of small to moderate inconveniences associated with never locking in the street.

CramCycle

Chuchote wrote: »

Thing is, Doc, take a look at the Stolen Bikes Thread here. Thousands and thousands of reports of bikes stolen.

So many bikes are stolen in Ireland that they are not included in Garda theft statistics, or so I've been told.

I have had two stolen, neither locked well, I accept that. The one (I loved) that was locked well, they could not get through the lock. So they cut the brake cables and removed the saddle. I had to run for work so left it there. Came back later and they had driven a sledgehammer across the top tube because they could not get the lock open.

Lyrics NSFW but apt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjveFZaGMpw

tomasrojo

seamus wrote: »

Not the most beautiful bike out there, but I guess as a commuter/city bike they're really well crafted;

https://www.vanmoof.com/

I don't like the lights (angled wrong, probably forced on them by recessing them so far into the frame for security), and the inbuilt lock looks inadequate on its own, but the concept is a good one.

I see a bike locked in Donnybrook all the time that strikes me as a similar, and good commuter bike. Seven-speed hub gears, chain guard, and disc brakes, fairly sporty construction, but still can carry stuff. Looks like a good, low-maintenance design (until you get a puncture, maybe).

Chuchote

tomasrojo wrote: »

There are many thousands of cyclists in Ireland though, so you're bound to get a lot of thefts. And it's pretty clear, or used to be (stopped following the thread, as it was really repetitive), that a lot of those bikes were badly locked, or not locked at all (in sheds and garages).

I do expect to have at least one bike stolen in the future. But it's looking as if the rate (which currently is still at zero) will be something like one bike stolen every few decades, max., which means that I'll take the very rare large inconvenience of replacing a bike over the many thousands of small to moderate inconveniences associated with never locking in the street.

Maybe. A neighbour had his kids' Christmas bikes stolen off the front railings in respectable Terenure - they sawed the iron Victorian railings apart to get them.

tomasrojo

But that's partly the point: wrought-iron railings are really easy to break. That's not locking a bike properly.

I'm not saying it's ideal, but you do need to have some idea of how strong the thing you're locking to is. Locking to wrought-iron railings for a few minutes is ok. Overnight it's definitely not, and making a habit of it will end with your bike being stolen.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not blaming people who get their bikes stolen because they don't know this stuff; but you definitely can lock your bike in public without constantly having to replace bikes.

buffalo

tomasrojo wrote: »

There are many thousands of cyclists in Ireland though, so you're bound to get a lot of thefts. And it's pretty clear, or used to be (stopped following the thread, as it was really repetitive), that a lot of those bikes were badly locked, or not locked at all (in sheds and garages).

I've had two bikes stolen - one locked with a cheap lock that I bought because I was a penniless* student, and one because I was in such a hurry that I didn't lock it properly (I think I managed to lock the plastic bag I used to keep my saddle dry, but not the frame ).

On the flipside, I have on occasion left my bike unlocked outdoors in the centre of town without fear of it being stolen, because of where it is (and no, I'm not saying where!).


*may have chosen to spend money on beer instead of a decent lock

Chuchote

Yeah, the neighbour is not from Ireland and was surprised and grieved.

Doctor Bob

I was trying to phrase my answer in a way that wasn't too finger-wagging, but unfortunately, in a lot of the bike thefts I hear about from mates, they were partly responsible to some degree, whether that was a cheap lock, a good lock badly applied, or poor choice of location. (I'm not callous enough to point this out to them!) I'd love to live in a world where we could expect that a bike left unlocked against a railing would be there when we returned, but that's not the case.

I'm lucky that I have a decent bike cage in work (though I still lock my bike inside it in case someone leaves the door open, as happened recently), and I keep my bikes inside the house at night - again, I'm happy that I have this option, which isn't available to everyone - but when I have to leave it on-street, I do it with reasonable peace of mind, at least regarding theft; vandalism is more of a concern to me. (A friend once had an unsuccessful attempt made on his bike, but when the thieves couldn't get through the lock or the railing, they cut through his frame.)

EDIT: Just to reiterate: My first post above was to refute the claim that 'Unfortunately we live in a society where a bike can't be locked for more than a minute or two in a public place.', which is not true.

Kurtosis

To the idiot that locked their bike lock around my bike on the other side of the rack today: you're an idiot.

CramCycle

Kurtosis wrote: »

To the idiot that locked their bike lock around my bike on the other side of the rack today: you're an idiot.

Common thieving tactic, you go home and leave them time to work it over later. May not be the case but it also could be.

rollingscone

Seen so many bikes, often far more valuable than my best bike locked in places like Parnell st over night with a cheap lock through the toptube.

Bike thieves are endemic but they are mostly opportunists, the organised ones are targeting sheds in the suburbs not angle grinding your well locked city bike.

On a lighter note, a cyclist (in Hivs and Helmet, therefore being safe according to the RSA) struck a ped crossing the road in front of the CHQ on a green ped light this PM.

He was very apologetic, after having paid no attention and failing to modify his behaviour in response to his surroundings. But the ped probably "came out of nowhere"...sometimes I wish the Cycling High Council was real.

LollipopJimmy

rollingscone wrote: »

Seen so many bikes, often far more valuable than my best bike locked in places like Parnell st over night with a cheap lock through the toptube.

Bike thieves are endemic but they are mostly opportunists, the organised ones are targeting sheds in the suburbs not angle grinding your well locked city bike.

On a lighter note, a cyclist (in Hivs and Helmet, therefore being safe according to the RSA) struck a ped crossing the road in front of the CHQ on a green ped light this PM.

He was very apologetic, after having paid no attention and failing to modify his behaviour in response to his surroundings. But the ped probably "came out of nowhere"...sometimes I wish the Cycling High Council was real.

Anybody remember the place in Clontarf where kids were brought to learn the rules of the road?

Kurtosis

CramCycle wrote: »

Common thieving tactic, you go home and leave them time to work it over later. May not be the case but it also could be.

It did look like a genuine mistake, lock looped through my gear cable. If they do want to rob it though, they're welcome to it, an almost 11 year commuter that I'll be replacing in the next couple of months anyway!

davycc

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Anybody remember the place in Clontarf where kids were brought to learn the rules of the road?

Yeah went there myself with my school in the early 90s , it was the highlight of the year got to zoom around on pedal go kart and bikes and lean the rules of the road in a fun way.

CramCycle

Kurtosis wrote: »

It did look like a genuine mistake, lock looped through my gear cable. If they do want to rob it though, they're welcome to it, an almost 11 year commuter that I'll be replacing in the next couple of months anyway!

And I imagine most of the time it is, sometimes though, just sometimes (scare mongering)

magicbastarder

we went for a wander in the phoenix park today, and i was thinking that the bike hire place at the parkgate street end could be missing a trick by not setting up a stand in the papal cross car park; there are probably loads of people who would drive rather than cycle to the park, and wouldn't come across the bike hire place (nor be able to find reasonable parking near it), but who would be more than willing to park at the papal cross and hire a bike from there...

ThisRegard

I'd say the issue is with the OPW, I'd say it was hard enough to get a commericial licence from them for where they are at the moment, never mind around the papal cross.

rollingscone

Anyone see those 20% ramps in the Giro Rosa TT stage yesterday? :-o

magicbastarder

ThisRegard wrote: »

I'd say the issue is with the OPW, I'd say it was hard enough to get a commericial licence from them for where they are at the moment, never mind around the papal cross.

You'd like to think they'd welcome more tourists in the park. And it would be right beside all the cycle paths on the 15 acres too, so fairly well positioned.

LollipopJimmy

Don't really see a whole lot wrong with where they are now. The guys always seem fair busy

ThisRegard

It's a fair oul distance if you're coming from the north west side of the park.

CramCycle

ThisRegard wrote: »

It's a fair oul distance if you're coming from the north west side of the park.

Its not too bad if you are on a bike :pac:

RayCun

ThisRegard wrote: »

It's a fair oul distance if you're coming from the north west side of the park.

Their main market is probably tourists, travelling from the city centre by bus or by LUAS

Alek

Cyclojesus-G. Goodnight everyone.

smacl

First bad accident on Friday since starting cycling. Coming down an l-road at about 35kph and met a car with a trailer just after a corner coming the other way. No room either side or option to ditch so braked hard, went over the bars, bounced off the bonnet and back into the road. Well banged up with both shoulders dislocated. One popped back in waiting for the ambulance, the other during a four man tug of war back in the hospital where I got to play the rope. Currently one arm in a sling and other should be in a sling, so won't be back on the bike any time soon. In better news, the bike is fine but the one casualty is my favourite boards jersey that had to be cut off. Big shout out to the paramedics for putting up with me for the 1hr30 from Caherdaniel to Tralee and the staff of Tralee hospital for fixing me up.

wanderer 22

smacl wrote: »

First bad accident on Friday since starting cycling. Coming down an l-road at about 35kph and met a car with a trailer just after a corner coming the other way. No room either side or option to ditch so braked hard, went over the bars, bounced off the bonnet and back into the road. Well banged up with both shoulders dislocated. One popped back in waiting for the ambulance, the other during a four man tug of war back in the hospital where I got to play the rope. Currently one arm in a sling and other should be in a sling, so won't be back on the bike any time soon. In better news, the bike is fine but the one casualty is my favourite boards jersey that had to be cut off. Big shout out to the paramedics for putting up with me for the 1hr30 from Caherdaniel to Tralee and the staff of Tralee hospital for fixing me up.

Sorry to hear that, wishing you a speedy recovery

OleRodrigo

smacl wrote: »

First bad accident on Friday since starting cycling. Coming down an l-road at about 35kph and met a car with a trailer just after a corner coming the other way. No room either side or option to ditch so braked hard, went over the bars, bounced off the bonnet and back into the road. Well banged up with both shoulders dislocated. One popped back in waiting for the ambulance, the other during a four man tug of war back in the hospital where I got to play the rope. Currently one arm in a sling and other should be in a sling, so won't be back on the bike any time soon. In better news, the bike is fine but the one casualty is my favourite boards jersey that had to be cut off. Big shout out to the paramedics for putting up with me for the 1hr30 from Caherdaniel to Tralee and the staff of Tralee hospital for fixing me up.

Fair winds for a quick recovery Smacl.