Dublin Bikes

{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?