Advance Notice,Critical Mass on Friday 25th September, Un Grande Manifestation Critical Mass au Le Velo Journee Dernier Septembre Verte St Stephen

I attended a Meeting Tonight Tuesday in Seomra Spraoi , 10 Belvedere Court D1 for a proposed Critical Mass Ride through Dublin on the 25th of September possibility of it starting at 6 pm GMT and Assembling at the Memorial Arch outside St Stephens Green. It will highlight the position of Cyclists in Dublin and show what a Healthy Lifestyle it is. Possibility of it going along the Grand Canal ,finally Ending in one of the Parks like the Phoenix Park or the Community Gardens on Sth Circular Road and have a Picnic Hopefully there will be Music,Bring Sambos and something Nice to Drink. I dont know all the Details yet.It will be a Work in progress,People will be printing Leaflets and Finalising things.There will be an E Mail Site on Google and other Sites shortly. Further News will follow shortly. We are having another Meeting in a Week or so at another Venue elsewhere .Transduction Francais Pour Le Etrangere Outre Mer Visité Dublin.Bienvenue Toute Le Peuple au Le Velo Jeunesse et Aged, Rendezvous au Le Park Verte Saint Stephen Le Jour Dernier Septembre Pour Le Grande Manifestation Critical Mass au Le Velo,Pour Presenté Le Vie Tré Agreable Du Velo et Advocacy, Possibilite 6pmGMT Ouvert. Le Route Grande Canal et Autre Areas en Dublin , Fini Dans Le Park Phoenix ou Le Jardin Communaute Routiere Sud Circular ou Autre Park , et Ave Le Fete Du Velo Picnicque Et Musique Boom Box,Acquirer Sandwiches et Bisson. Je ne pas Connaissait Aller Le Details, mas Un Info Postez Dans un Nouvelles EMail et Web Sites Google en un Semaine ou Deux.Je suis Desole pour mon Pauvre Francais,I am trying my best here.

Further Info,a New Google Group has been formed dublin-critical - mass@googlegroups.com

Dublin Cycle Campaign,Social Cycle, Royal Canal Way & Farmleigh.

It was a very Windy Changeable Day Although not Cold it looked like it might Rain with the occasional Drop coming down every so often. We Assembled at the Arch in the IFSC,Financial Services Centre beside the CHQ Building in ST Georges Dock at 11 am on Sunday Morning. We Waited to see if some more Stragglers would turn up until 11.20 am and then headed off. There was 13 and one Toddler on His Fathers Bike on His Lap. Our Leader and Pathfinder on the Tour was a Norwegian Chap with a Map and Book of the Towpath System who Lives in Dublin for Years .Before we where out of the IFSC one Member had to have his Tyre blown up a bit, I provided the Pump.The Rear Entrance was Blocked so we had to Exit by Amiens St then headed up the Nth Strand Road and Accessed the Royal Canal at Charleville Mall.

We Encountered these Barriers that the Dublin City Council put across the Path every so often to keep the Yobs from Driving on the Towpath. These are 10 metre Wide with a narrow Gate for Pedestrians to Access but no use for Bikes. There are Four ways to get through, Climb over them, Climb under,Try and Squeeze through the Pedestrian Gate,go to the Canal side and Lift the Bike around on the Water part. Some Parts of the Path Had Large Gravelly Stones or Hardcore and was Slippy in Parts ,while other Parts they had put down a very Smooth Surface for Bikes. I was glad my Raleigh Bike had Puncture Resistant Tyres. Two of the Cyclists had Bromptons the Norwegian and another Man ,the Stones did not seem to bother them to much.

It was lovely Travelling along the Towpath without the Hassle of Cars competing with you,and the Swans and Ducks and Water Hens Swimming by. We Ended up in The Grounds of Farmleigh beside and part of the Phoenix Park, The Former Guinness Family Mansion now Owned by the Government as a Place for Foreign Dignitaries to Stay in. But open to the Public on certain Days. There was the Farmers Market with all kinds of Food Stalls, so we got something to Eat and Drink and then had a Picnic and those with Sandwiches and Bickies shared them around. There was a Band Playing in the Marquee and some of us had a look at the Walled Garden with its Organic Vegetables. A very Pleasant Day out was had by all, very Enjoyable.

Pictures are ,Assembling at the IFSC Beside the Custom House Nth Wall Dublin, The Walled Garden at Farmleigh, Picnicking at Farmleigh,Parking the Bikes under the Tree, The Towpath on the Canal, Looking down at The M50 Motorway at Castleknock Road En Route to the Phoenix Park.

Dublin Cycling Campaign,DCC Social Cycle,Royal Canal way,Farmleigh,Phoenix Park.

New Vélib and Dublins Lack of Bike Parking.

The Pictures below are some of the New Vélib Parking Stations on Exchequer Street. Notice they have narrowed the Road Width and the many Parking Stanchions in Place for the Vélib also the Lack of Bike Parking Stands for Ordinary Bikes,they are all Clumped up together Peoples Bikes.

I hope this is not the Future Policy of Dublin City Council to ignore Ordinary Street Bike Parking in Favour of the Vélib, Robbing Peter to Pay Paul as it were. We have not enough Bike Parking as it is in Dublin we do not need this. Notice how they were able to narrow the Road ,they could have put in a proper Dedicated Bike Lane here before this instead of Pandering to Motorists.

Pic's are ,Vélib Parking Stations on Exchequer Street,Chinese Flying Pigeon Bike on Merrion Row 2 Pics, Pashly Bike on Grafton St Saint Stephen 's Green Corner.

The New Vélib Stations & Dublins Bike Parking or Lack Theroff.

The Community Bike Workshop,Broadstone Ave Dublin

I joined the Dublin Cycling Campaign Group ,D.C.C. to get involved in Trying to Provide a Better Safer Infrastructure for Cyclists in Dublin back in June on our National Bike Week in Ireland. They get involved with Lobbying various Government Departments like Dublin City Council and the Department of Transport,Irish Rail/Irnrod Eireann and have strong Links with other Groups in Ireland like the Cork Cycling Group and the Galway one as well as having Links with the ECF in Brussels and also Sustrans in Britain.

Also they go to various Festivals throughout Ireland to Promote Bicycle Advocacy. Two of these are the Cool Earth Festival in Dunlaoghaire and also the Electric Picnic which is getting Held in Stradbally Shortly,the Music Festival. At our meeting the other Night various Ideas were being considered to Promote the Dublin Cycling Campaign Group at The Electric Picnic Pop Festival and one of the Members Suggested a Furry Bicycle and Helmet.

I had an Old Folding Bike and I suggested she could use that and also an Old Helmet,She said that would be Great if I could drop it off at the Bike Workshop. People give them battered Old Bikes and they do them up and sell them to the Local Community also People get their Bikes fixed at the Workshop.

So I put the Folding Bike an Old Dahon in it's Bag on the Front Carrier of my Dutch Bike with some Bungee Chord Tying it to my Bike and Set off to the Broadstone. I would Love to see what the Bike looks like after She Pimps it up with Furry Stuff.
If you go to the Electric Picnic you will be able to see the Results.

The Pics, my Dutch Bike and the Folding Bike,A Chopper Style Bike,The Garage Workshop and the Girl who Runs it.

Rothar, Community Bike Workshop Broadstone Ave ,off Phibsborough Rd Dublin

August Bank Holiday Monday,Trip to Howth.Two Sunken Trawlers in the Harbour.

I was Bored Stiff last Monday Week so I took a Spin out to Howth as it was a Lovely Warm Sunny Day. We have had a lot of Rain on and off for Three Weeks so it would be a Pity to Waste a Fine Summers Day.

I got out to Howth and I noticed the Two Trawlers that had Sunk a few Days before nothing had been done with them. There was an Awful Pong of Diesel Fuel coming up from the Waterside,and there was a Boom in Place to stop the Pollution from Spreading. The Police are Treating this with Suspicion as a possible case of Vandalism or Deliberate Sabotage.

The Fishing Industry is in a Bad way now Due to Cuts in the Fishing Quota and more Boat's have been Ordered to be Sold or Broken up by the EU. Fishing Boats are Hard to Sell now as few People want them and the Fishermen are Angry at the Government and the EU. When Ireland Joined the EU they were just getting a 200 Mile Fishing Limit and that was Thrown out when we Joined the EEC. We have one of the Smallest Quota's but we had the Fish back then but thing's are different now with Reduced Catches. Before I went Home I Bought some Fish from Doran's the Fish Merchants on the Pier . It is a whole lot Cheaper getting it of these Fish Mongers than Buying it in the Supermarkets and you get Beautiful Fresh Fish

A Pic of King George iv Footprints Etched in the Granite on the West Pier when he Paid a Visit back in 1821.
Seals about 200 Metres from the Sunken Trawlers,People Feed them with Fish they buy from the Fishmongers and the Seagull's Swoop down to Rob it out of their Mouths

my Raleigh Bike on the West Pier.

On the Way Home at Saint Annes Housing Estate on the Howth Road Raheny ,beside Saint Annes Parklands Formerly the Housing area was part of the Parklands where the Old Big Landed Gentries House was
The Sunken Trawlers.

The Lighthouse on the East Pier.

August Bank Holiday Monday,Trip to Howth.Two Sunken Trawlers in the Harbour.