{all photos by my super-talented and always helpful friend, Sebastian Rasch}
On Saturday, I joined a dear friend for a ramble around Dublin on some snazzy blue Dublin Bikes.
Every time we walk through town, I think We have to try those! They just look so fun and seem so quintessentially European. Dublin bikes were only introduced a year ago, but they’ve been a huge hit and they’re expanding their stations and bikes soon due to the high demand. One day last week, they had over 7,000 people use a bike!
Here’s everything you need to know to get biking. Or cycling, as they really don’t call it biking here!
1. You can register online for a long term hire card, or you can stop at a station to pick up a 3-day pass. The long term hire cards have to be mailed to you, and take up to three weeks, so they’re not really suited for tourists. On the other hand, if you’re going to buy a 3-day pass, you need to make sure you stop at one of 15 stations where you can buy them since you need a credit card. Some stations are just for using the bikes, not making purchases.
2. A long term hire card is only 10 euro, and a 3-day pass is only 2 euro. Such a steal. If you’re using a long term hire card, it’s no extra charge as long as you only use a bike for thirty minutes at a time. If you cycle for more than thirty minutes at a time, there’s a small charge of 50 cents per half hour.
3. It’s BYOH. Helmets aren’t provided, obviously, so if like wearing a helmet, bring your own. Unlike Amsterdam, where no one wears helmets, it’s about 50/50 here in Dublin. You won’t be an outcast if you wear one, and you’ll be in good company if you do.
4. Watch out for one way streets. There are lots around the city centre, so map out your route before you set off. Street signs in Dublin can be a little tricky, too, so an iPhone would be a great companion – that blinky blue dot on the Google Maps app is always such a help!
5. Stop at lights. In Dublin, a yellow light means you’ve got loads of time to get through. And a red light means at least a few more cars can squeeze by. Never trust that when the light turns green, the line of cars going the other way will stop. Take a minute and make sure the last one’s through before you pedal through.
Overall, I’d recommend them to tourists and Dubliners alike. We had so much fun!
What do you think? Would you give them a try?
Welcome! I'm Emily, the face behind From China Village. This is where I get to share my adventures in Dublin, in my {teensy} kitchen and around my home. And I share all my clever, cosy and creative finds from around the web. Thanks for visiting!
Cycling around Dublin is the best way of commuting and it’s so cheap. I only tried Dublin bikes for a moment, but they are very comfortable. If you want to cycle when it’s dark it’s good to have some hi vis clothes, simple vest will be great.
And it’s nice to cycle when there are plenty cyclists around
Very true about the high vis vests! Thanks for the tip!
I’ll have to remember this for my future trip to Dublin. In the meantime, I’m going to start saving for a bicycle to ride around DC when spring hits.
I used to cycle from behind the capitol to Georgetown for work every day – it was great except in summer I needed a shower by the time I got there! So humid!
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If you’re used to driving on the right- a right turn into a 2-way street can be really disorienting. I keep thinking I’m going into oncoming traffic.
If you are looking for Dublin Bikes info on your phone try http://dublinbikes2go.com
It’ll work from ANY mobile phone and has a HTML5 webapp for iPhone and Android
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I use the velib system in Paris. Works well. However when I tried in Dublin, the system would not take my American Express card with the reqd RFID chip. Neither would it take my Mastercard without a chip. It’s a problem if your from the US as not many banks offer cards with chip integrated into them. Trying to buy the long term (E10) card via mail doesnt work either as only a Ireland or Northern Ireland address can be entered into the address field. Any other solution available? I travel for a living and would like to use the system.
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Hi Emily,
Susan
I think this post is clearer and more helpful for visitors wishing to use the bikes than is Dublin Bike’s own info. I’ve actually changed the link on my Culture Vulture Dublin post from DB’s site to your post due to that. Thank you, because I feel much better now about visitors having an easier time figuring out the use of the bikes I was recommending.
Oh thanks, Susan! I’m so glad you think it’s helpful! They are a little tricky but I love seeing tourists on them riding all the way to Howth on a sunny day. Although I don’t like to think about their ride home!
Always happy to help with these kind of tips if you need!