The Flip-Flopper

Flip & Flop

In the rare occasions when the weather in Dublin is warm and dry enough, some cyclists love to wear flip flops. It's probably not the wisest thing to do. Safety-speaking, you might lose you sandal and balance at the same time. But also the annoying band between the big toe and the other toes doesn't do any good to your foot.

Well, I came across this cyclist on 31 July 2012 around 7:45am, somewhere between Terenure and Harold's Cross.

The Long Chainer

Chain reaction

 

We've already mentioned a few recumbent cyclists or "Low Riders" before. However, I thought this type of cyclists tend to show off only in big cycling events. Apparently they also use them on a day-to-day basis.

I hadn't realised before how long can the chain of this bike be. I also loved the shopping bag the guy hung on his shoulder (had he come from nearby Tesco?) and the Star-Spangled Banner design of his bicycle.

 The picture was taken on 19 July 2012 by the river Dodder in Rathfarnham.

The Three Basketeers

The Three Basketeers

Last time we discussed about the beloved fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood. Today we shall also discuss a well known story, this time a newer one by Alexandre Dumas - The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires).

In the original story, the three inseparable brave lads (Athos, Porthos, and Aramis) were the personal guards of the French monarch.

In Dublin, however, the story is about three girls who have all got a marvellous basket fixed to their bikes.
And if you look carefully, at the bottom-left corner you will notice another wheel, which belongs to the Irish D'Artagnan. She also had a basket...

The photo was taken on 18 July 2012 in Harold's Cross by the Grand Canal.

Little Black & Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood wannabe

Everybody knows the story of Little Red Riding Hood, a European fairytale (immortalised by the Grimm brothers) about a little girl walking in the wood to visit her granny. She encounters the big bad wolf and the fiasco begins.
Few, however, know she was riding on her bicycle. Hence, the "riding" in her name...

I took this fairytalish picture on 16 July 2012 on a lashing Dublin summer morning. The location is where N11 (Leeson Street) meets the Grand Canal.

The Low Riders

The low riders

I like to take part in cycling events, mainly because it's easy to spot pairs of bikes that are rarely seen on roads.
For instance, recumbents (or recumbent bicycles). I like to call these cyclists the low cyclists or to refer to the individual cyclist as a "Low Rider" as the song goes (thanks Turgidson for this)...

I took the picture above on 20 June 2012 during the Lunchtime Bike Ride, one of the events throughout Dublin's Bike Week.


There was another photo of these two guys:

I also took a frontal picture of one of them separately:

And another photo of the other amongst "High Riders":

The Traditional Irish Cyclist

Like in the good auld days

From time to time I encounter cyclists from another era, from another time. They remind us all that bicycles have been around for longer than most of the other vehicles and they are here to stay (well, at least until flying bicycles are common).
It's really heartwarming to see how everyone in the community can take part in the great experience of cycling.

I met this gentleman on 11 May 2012 on the N81, somewhere between Harold's Cross and Terenure.

The Mid-Junction Waiters

Cant's wait 'cause I'm late I'm late I'm late

For some reason, it is quite common in Dublin to see cyclists crossing the white line and wait in the middle of the junction (in case they bother to stop on red at all). I see no advantage whatsoever for this bike positioning. On the contrary, they put themselves at the risk of being knocked down by cars.

For example, I took the photo above on 14 October 2009 shortly before 9:00am near Christ Church cathedral. Why is it so hard to wait for the green light three metres behind?

Luacyclist

Some follow in tracks, others are derailed

The Luas, Dublin's tramway (not to confuse with the good auld trams that used to run along Dublin metropolitan area) is a pleasant mean of transportation. It is relatively safe too (when it doesn't collide with Dublin Bus). It's a pity one can't take the bike on board though.
But no worries, some cyclists don't let this fact spoil their Luas experience. They just follow the Luas tracks while pedalling.

Needless to say that this is a dangerous behaviour and a careless way to cycle, it's not recommended and there have been a number of occasions where the Luas overran a cyclist (just two examples from the last year can be found here and here).
There are so many roads and cycling tracks, even next to the Luas tracks, that I'm not quite sure what's the benefit of using the tramway.

I took this photo on 29 May 2012 along the Luas red line. Sadly, it's quite common to see cyclists there.

The Family Riders

Family Ride

A bicycle is not a minivan or an SUV alright, but it doesn't mean one has to leave the family behind and cycle alone.
There are multiple options to take the young relatives for a tour on the bike if you wish to. For instance, one can attach the little one's bike and drag the offspring around town or install an extra seat in front of the saddle.

I took the picture above (and another one below) on 20 June 2012 in Grand Canal Dock, shortly before the Lunchtime Bike Ride, the highlight of Dublin's Bike Week.
It was wonderful to see so many family riders. It shows that there's a future for cycling in Dublin.

A front sitter

The Wild Cyclist

Wild Thing

Cycling is pretty much for everyone, lady or gentleman, young or old, big or small, short or tall, serious businessmen and, well, freer souls.
It reminds me of the good old days when I used to have a long curly hair.

I came across this interesting lad on 17 June 2012 just off Stephen's Green Shopping Centre. You can notice the Fusilier's Arch of St Stephen's Green park at the background.