The Third-Wheeler (2)

Testing 1, 2, 3

Not far from where I encountered the last third-wheeler I spotted another cyclist that two wheels were not enough for him, so he held a third wheel in his hand. Although it makes cycling awkward, that seems to be a trend in Dublin.

The picture above was taken on 15 September 2012 in Heytesbury Street, just off South Circular Road. And there's another photo from a wider angle:

Three wheels are faster

The Unicyclist (3)

One man one wheel

We've already met a unicyclist before, in fact more than one unicyclist. But it's always nice to see that this magnificent skill is being maintained by so many cyclists in Dublin. This particular unicyclist was on fire, well, at least his juggling clubs or torches were.

The photo was taken on 14 July 2012 near the entrance to Stephen's Green shopping centre.

The Balloonists

Go mammy!

Seeing families on bike is just splendid (we've already mentioned the family riders and the kid takers). What can be better than that? To add some balloons to make the child's experience even more cheerful...

I came across this happy cycling family on 6 October 2012 at Stephen's Green.

The Postman (2)

Waiting for mail?

In contrast to the previous cycling postman who was as green as Shrek, this one wasn't totally green. He looked tranquil and environment-friendly though, stretching his arms behind his back.

The photo was taken in Terenure on 12 November 2012.

The Heavy Basket User

The full monty

It is lovely indeed to see people use what they buy. Baskets are no exception, so when I spotted this cyclist with a full basket I thought it's great she's using her beautiful wicker basket. I doubt she could use all the items that were in it though. Well, perhaps she could, but I couldn't for sure.

The photo was taken on 12 September 2012 in the junction of Dartmouth Walk, Mespil Road and Leeson Street (N11), by the Grand Canal.

The BMXer (2)

It's showtime

The last BMX rider we had was a bit scary.  The current one wasn't scary at all, just a young lad on a relatively small bike. The cobbled street is just beautiful, although experience shows that cycling on it can feel a bit shaky.

I took the picture above on 21 October 2012 in Temple Bar.

The Rush Hourers

Cycling congestion

By and large cycling is a relaxing activity. Pedalling outdoors is the cardiovascular exercise that the body so desperately needs and modern life has taken away. It also lets the cyclist enjoy fresh air and cool breeze. However, there is one type of cyclists who can barely enjoy cycling, namely commuters.

Whoever cycled in Dublin during the rush hours came across this type of cyclists. In fact, he or she is probably one of them. The stress caused by the need to get to work fast drives many cyclists nuts. Many of them carry on the stressful behaviour on the way back as well, since they want to get home quickly. It's sad to watch them missing the old wisdom: "getting there is half the fun".

And as everyone commutes at the same time, there are even traffic congestions caused by cyclists! Nevertheless, a cycling congestion is far better than the one caused by cars and lorries. It usually fades away as soon as the lights change and in any case, unlike motor vehicles, it causes no air pollution.

The photo above was taken on a busy morning on 18 July 2012 at 8:39 am. This location, where the Grand Canal cycle path meets the N11 at Leeson Street Bridge is a tricky bottleneck. Whoever designed it didn't do a good job and thus pedestrians and cyclists are in a constant conflict, struggling to find space in this narrow pathway.