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Irish Cycling Holiday with Cargo Bike

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  • 14-07-2020 12:03pm
    #1
    spacetweek
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,020 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I've a 3-wheeled electric cargo bike and would like to head from Dublin down to Westport with our 2 year old son to do the Great Western Greenway.
    What are my options for transporting a bike this size?

    - Hire trailer for bike (our car has no tow bar)
    - Borrow my brother in law's van (licence doesn't seem to cover driving this)
    - Bring bike on train (too big?)
    - Give up and just rent ordinary bikes in Westport.

    Halp!
    Tagged:


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    #2
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,987 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    spacetweek wrote: »
    ...- Borrow my brother in law's van (licence doesn't seem to cover driving this)
    A category B licence would cover 90% of vans. Is the van particularly large - i.e. is it over 3,500kgs unladen?


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    #3
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,766 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    I can drive a Ford Transit with my bog-standard licence, because I've rented one from GoCar more than once:
    https://www.gocar.ie/rates/

    Is that big enough?


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    #4
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,987 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    tomasrojo wrote: »
    ...Is that big enough?
    Whether a Transit is big enough is irrelevant as the OP is referring to a relative's van and whether he/she is licenced to drive it.


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    #5
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,766 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    I meant they could rent a Transit.


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    #6
    sweet_trip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 275 ✭✭sweet_trip


    A B licence covers all vans as long as they aren't huge double axle vans over 3500kg which most aren't.

    Doubt a cargo bike would fit on the train. Very narrow doors and only room for 2 normal bikes on the storage rack.


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    #7
    Macy0161
    Registered Users Posts: 9,384 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    Might be insurance and/or tax with the van, as well as it being over the cat b limits.


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    #8
    spacetweek
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,020 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek


    Gonna go with GoCar and rent the van.


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    #9
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,766 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    I was only using GoCar to show the type of van. You wouldn't rent from them for a trip to Westport. Well, you could, but it wouldn't be very competitive. They're more for renting by the hour. More for say, a trip to Ikea to pick up furniture or something like that.

    But my brother rented a van for a few days from someone else. If you want me to check out where he rented from, let me know.


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    #10
    Harrybelafonte
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,450 ✭✭✭Harrybelafonte


    spacetweek wrote: »
    Gonna go with GoCar and rent the van.

    As tomasrojo said, that may not be competitive. I usually rent my vans from Enterprise. They've always been super helpful.


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    #11
    KevRossi
    Registered Users Posts: 4,466 ✭✭✭KevRossi


    Loads of companies doing courier and transport services from Dublin around the country. Try to get in touch with them and see what they charge.

    Maybe get in touch with a bike shop in Westport and ask who delivers their stuff and if they have a regular run to Westport. If it's a day or two in advance, they should be able to store it for a few quid.

    If renting a van you need to take into consideration the amount of time it will be left idle whist you're on holiday.

    It definitely won't fit on the train to Westport.


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