Journalism and cycling

Harrybelafonte

In all seriousness. It’s letter time. I stopped reading the times a long time ago, so that threat won’t work. But maybe it’s time to hit the IT with some complaints and remind those who advertise them about your views? Too much?

LennoxR

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

In all seriousness. It’s letter time. I stopped reading the times a long time ago, so that threat won’t work. But maybe it’s time to hit the IT with some complaints and remind those who advertise them about your views? Too much?

Well I've sent them a message on twitter for a start.

work

LennoxR wrote: »

Well I've sent them a message on twitter for a start.

I will also send a letter letting them know it's time to stop their anti,-cycling rhetoric. They should be ashamed

Seth Brundle

The Cork dealership offering novel new trade-ins... your car for an electric bike

BrianHenryIE

RTEs flagship science show revealed pedestrians and cyclists are most at risk from the poor quality air which can led to health problem [sic].

Pollution in Dublin 'alarming', says UCD scientist [irishexaminer.com]

Previous research has suggested the opposite.

Higher air pollution health risk inside car, study finds [airqualitynews.com]

Where do we stand?!

magicbastarder

BrianHenryIE wrote: »

Where do we stand?!

as far away from cars as you can, i guess.

Seth Brundle

Padding the figures: Garda orders 200 lycra shorts with Italian cushioning
Force is planning to spend about €135,000 on high-end cycling gear for its members


* cynical crap from the IT

magicbastarder

The Garda is seeking to spend about €135,000 plus VAT on high-end cycling gear for its members, according to a request for tender document published last week.

The winning supplier will be required to provide 1,200 pieces of equipment which could do the job on the Alpe d’Huez, never mind the back roads of Athlone.

how about they actually get someone who knows what they're talking about to comment on how much cycling gear designed to be worn all day can cost.

Melodeon

It all looks to me like the sort of stuff anyone spending any significant amount of time on a bike would be purchasing for themselves, but there's always room to slip in a quip or two about the 'Alpe d'Huez' and 'yellow jerseys'. :rolleyes:

magicbastarder

i just looked it up for fun. in the first three quarters of 2019, an garda siochana has spent over €5m on vehicle purchases.
there's an eye watering drop in acquisition between 2008 and 2009 - the spend went from over €8m to just over €200k.

https://www.garda.ie/en/Information-Centre/Freedom-of-Information/Publication-Scheme/Budgets-and-spending/Purchase-of-vehicles.html

buffalo

The most worrying part of that article is:

The force is seeking to purchase 200 sets of lycra cycling shorts complete with “ergofit padding from Italy”.

The purchase is part of a move to modernise the uniforms of the some 800 members trained to carry out their duties from the back of a mountain bike.

Are they sharing chamois? :eek:

Melodeon

Johnathan Healy threw this out as a topic for discussion on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk a few minutes ago.

RobertFoster

To catch a Lycra lout, one must become a Lycra lout.

Duckjob

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Padding the figures: Garda orders 200 lycra shorts with Italian cushioning
Force is planning to spend about €135,000 on high-end cycling gear for its members


* cynical crap from the IT

You know that they just *HAD* to get the word "lycra" into the headline.

ednwireland

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Padding the figures: Garda orders 200 lycra shorts with Italian cushioning
Force is planning to spend about €135,000 on high-end cycling gear for its members


* cynical crap from the IT

garda provide correct equipment for their officers shock

Duckjob

ednwireland wrote: »

garda provide correct equipment for their officers shock

But it's not any old equipment - it's LYCRA Joe, LYCRA !!!

RobertFoster

I-talian Lycra too, Joe. That's a long way from Templemore.

AndrewJRenko

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Padding the figures: Garda orders 200 lycra shorts with Italian cushioning
Force is planning to spend about €135,000 on high-end cycling gear for its members


* cynical crap from the IT

It smells a little like a tender that was written to match the specification of one particular supplier - strangely detailed in parts.

Pinch Flat

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

It smells a little like a tender that was written to match the specification of one particular supplier - strangely detailed in parts.

I work with a lot of publicly procured projects - mind you, largely construction projects not procuring Lycra - but you can’t name your products as it breaches EU procurement laws. So you specify your products in all but name, or else you’ll end up with complete ****e

AndrewJRenko

Pinch Flat wrote: »

I work with a lot of publicly procured projects - mind you, largely construction projects not procuring Lycra - but you can’t name your products as it breaches EU procurement laws. So you specify your products in all but name, or else you’ll end up with complete ****e

• cycling shoes are required. These should have a soft mesh lining “with provides instant comfort” and something called a fork-shank “to ensure flexibility and stability.”
• lycra cycling shorts complete with “ergofit padding from Italy
• a winter glove with a “special 3-layer thermo system”.
• helmets are also required. These should have 14 air vents

Are the highlighted bits really functional specifications? If I can supply shorts with ergofit padding from France, am I excluded from the tender? Is there any basis to say that padding from Italy is best.


If I can supply helmets with 15 air vents, am I excluded?



It seems irrationally specific in places.

CramCycle

It is too specific and as someone who also has worked on public tenders, it is simply too specific if these are the words in the tender and enough to get themselves in hot water. You can write them to exclude some parties who are not fit for purpose but honestly, that's stupid, just weight the marking to suit the better product.

Eamonnator

I'm guessing these are the shorts:

https://bbbcycling.com/en_en/bbw-220-corsa-shorts

They seem to fit all the criteria.

Eamonnator

And these seem to be the winter gloves:

https://bbbcycling.com/au_en/bwg-29-watershield

And the glasses and helmet appear to be BBB brand as well.

I wonder who the Irish importer of BBB products is.

AndrewJRenko

Eamonnator wrote: »

I'm guessing these are the shorts:

https://bbbcycling.com/en_en/bbw-220-corsa-shorts

They seem to fit all the criteria.

Very interesting.


Does "ergofit padding" actually mean anything, or is it just a makey-uppey word?

Oh dear, they just copy/pasted the lines from that web site. You can find what Andrew posted in bold in the corresponding links Eamon posted.

Eamonnator

There might be a Northwave shoe, that fits the bill.

Eamonnator

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh dear, they just copy/pasted the lines from that web site. You can find what Andrew posted in bold in the corresponding links Eamon posted.

even down to "correct muscular compression", whatever that is

Harrybelafonte

JHI In Finglas would cover those two brands.

Tenders, hate them. Been involved from both ends. Fair system to a degree. Open to corruption on both ends.

Eamonnator

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

JHI In Finglas would cover those two brands.

Tenders, hate them. Been involved from both ends. Fair system to a degree. Open to corruption on both ends.

are these tenders openly advertised?

Eamonnator

Eamonnator wrote: »

are these tenders openly advertised?

Above 25k I think it has to advertised on etenders.gov.ie must have a look to see if I can see it there.

EDIT: convenient "Site down for maintenance"