Council offers bike scheme for deliveries

BUSINESSES in Dublin’s city centre are being asked to swap their delivery vans for bicycles to minimise disruption and ensure continuity of supplies during the Metro North works.

The initiative from Dublin City Council and the Dublin City Business Association would see a fleet of “urban cargo” bikes carrying loads of up to 180kg on the city’s streets in the next 18 months.

The council is seeking expressions of interest for the scheme which would ensure shops and restaurants in the central business district, from Parnell Square to St Stephen’s Green and Smithfield to Merrion Square, are not cut off due to the large-scale roadworks planned for the Metro North and other infrastructural projects.
The scheme would be retained long term to protect road surfaces in pedestrianised areas such as Grafton Street and Henry Street and to allow for the better operation of bus systems in the city centre.

The operation of the scheme will depend on the expressions of interest the council receives from today. In Geneva and Paris, where there are similar schemes, businesses contract their deliveries out to a firm that operates the bikes instead of using their own vans or hiring couriers.

The council said it could make a central depot available for the delivery bikes in Smithfield or the markets area. Larger lorries could bring cargo to the depot, instead of entering the central business district – and the bikes would then be used to distribute the goods to businesses. The bikes were a cost-effective solution as the city centre becomes increasingly restrictive to traffic, Brendan O’Brien, head of technical services at the council’s traffic department, said.

“Urban cargo deliveries are more customer friendly than traditional delivery trucks; provide a long-term solution of greater access through city streets and pedestrian routes; flexibility in terms of delivery times and loading, and cost-effectiveness for operating businesses.”

After the metro, Dart underground and cross-city Luas works, the council did not want a return to the use of “unsustainable transportation vehicles”, he added.

The council had to spend several million euro repaving Grafton Street and the surrounding side streets due to wear and tear caused by delivery trucks, he said, a cost that was borne by businesses through commercial rates.

The New Mobile Bike Workshop

 

Here it is the Spokesman Mobile Bike Workshop. I have fitted an awning, put on the signwriting myself and also hadthe fan kitted out with a workbench and shelving.

 It is going to make it's full debut tomorrow athe the Peoples Park.

 The big change happens however when I go to Guinness and the IFSC next week.

I will let you know how I get on ..............................

Regular bike servicing will save you money

Annual Bicycle Maintenance is Worth the Money

There are many reasons why you should get annual bike maintenance. A professional inspection of your bike can reveal safety and performance issues. This list reveals the most important reasons why annual bicycle maintenance is one expense you shouldn't skip.

Enjoyment - Riding a bike is fun. Riding a poorly maintained bike is less fun. Unsatisfactory (or unsafe) braking and shifting performance, untrue wheels, and other issues can really kill the fun.
Safety - Fact: bikes regularly inspected and tuned have a lower likelihood of chronic failure which could cause serious injury or death. Worn or corroded cables can break, and worn brake pads won't stop in an emergency. A quality bicycle repair shop will make sure all nuts and bolts are tightened to the proper spec and everything performs as it should.
Longevity - I can't find the original source, but there's a statistic that states something along the lines of bikes available from mass-merchant retailers last an average of 2 years while bikes from specialty retailers last an average of 15 years. The point here: bikes aren't disposable toys. Quality bikes will last longer. Even if you plan to do nothing more than ride around your neighborhood, you should steer clear of bikes from Halfords or Smyths!

 Most of these bikes are lower quality brands or models, and many aren't assembled properly to begin with. While quality is a factor, I think maintenance plays into the longevity statistic. People who pay more for a quality bike are more likely to invest in keeping it running properly.

Save money - Good bike mechanics can find and fix little problems before they become expensive to repair. For example, bearings in the headset (steering), wheels (hubs), or crank (bottom bracket) could damage a bike beyond repair or will need expensive replacement if ridden extensively when loose or contaminated.

Reliability - For those of you who ride your bikes longer distances, reliability is important. This is especially true if you rely on your bike for transportation. Bikes regularly inspected and tuned are less likely to leave the rider stranded on the side of the road.

Resale value - Resale value is often overlooked. Bikes that work well, especially brand-name bikes, have a very high resale value compared to bikes that are inoperable.

Who is the Spokesman??

Who is the Spokesman. ?? Well I have worked in the Motor Industry. I have worked in Service , sales, Leasing and in retail and Distribution. We all know that the Irish car business is going through a traumatic time at the moment. I have to say that that my  first passion is not cycling. It is again car related - it is motorsport. I have gone to many grand prix and witnessed many great rallies, but my dream came true when I competed myself.The highlight was the Killarney Historic Stages in a mostly self built 1967 Mini Cooper 

The Spokesman on the Killarney Historic stages Rally with my 1967 Mini Cooper Replica -check out You tube video - check out this link:                                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8efPEGK7hd8  

Cycling was my second interest. I never raced but have done the Maracycle and I returned recently when I completed the Wicklow 200, the Trip to Tipp, Ring of Kerry, Sean Kelly cycle and a few others.

The Spokesman with Sean Kelly at the top of Slieve Mann on the 2009 Wicklow 200

The Spokesman at the Trip to Tipp 200k 2007.
Note Pink Maracycle top !!



The Spokesman with our tandem, and child trailer.
Yes that is 5 people on a bike !!!!



My family all cycle and we have a tandem that we use on occasion. We took the tandem to Belgium in the days when Ryanair did not charge for bicycles - that was a long time ago!!

So that is basically some of my background. I have a good mechanical background and my intention is to provide a high level of service.

Next Blog should include a video of my electric bike.

My Mobile Bike Workshop on the back of a bike

Hi all , I have had a busy week. This week was the debut of mobile bike workshop. It is photographed at European Mobility week at DLR County Hall . I cycled into Dublin on Wednesday to give the mobile workshop it's debut. The roads were very rutted and damaged and I hadn't tied the pump down in the box, so when I went over a bump it was fairly noisy. nevertheless I got great attention from travelling motorists and cyclists. One cyclist emailed and said :

" I saw you tonight on my bike in Blackrock and wondered what you were all about. Went to the website and was delighted to see you innovative idea. Best of luck with business"

Another customer who I collected bikes from thought that the idea was great. The next thing that I need to do is to get some fans on Facebook.

Has any one got advice about where to start???

My first day at Dunlaoghaire Market August 29th 2010

When I had the concept of a mobile bike sales and workshop business, my first idea was to start at Dunlaoghaire market. Many people were sceptical about starting in a farmers market. However after the first day last Sunday i must say it was successful. We sold accessories, met plenty of prospective customers, learned a lot of information about certain companies andwhere they are at with the bike to work scheme and finally arranged to have a number of bikes serviced. I am already looking forward to next week!

the Wright Brothers who invented the aeroplane, were ‘only’ bicycle mechanics

Here is an excellent article from Con Houlihan in todays Ir ish Independent. He talks about himself being "the spokesman" and in particular i love the bits where he talk about the sprockets and the springs. The full article can be seen at :

 http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/con-houlihan/how-i-became-a-spokesman-for-the-humble-bike-1375416.html

The final sentance is brilliant: the Wright Brothers who invented the aeroplane, were ‘only’ bicycle mechanics

http://www.thespokesman.ie/