The Treble-Lighter (2)

Red light district

Previously we talked about the treble-bagger who uses three bags. How about a treble-lighter who uses three red-lights at once? One on her head/helmet, another one on her body and last one on her bike, just in case. After all, it is important to be visible.

Frankly, it's not such a bad idea, in case the battery ran out or the bulb broke, but it could be nice to see lights distributed more evenly amongst cyclist. Some cyclists don't use any light after dark whereas others, as you can see, use three. Those of you who follow this blog for a while may have recollection of another treble-cyclist. I encountered a bicycle user using three rear lights before. It seems to be a trend amongst Dublin's cyclists.

I took the photo on 15 January 2013 on the Canal cycle path. There is another photo taken in the next junction:

There's a light that never goes out

The Treble-Bagger

Did I take everything?

Don't get me wrong, most of the time I carry a small backpack or a messenger bag while cycling. It is useful. However, what could the lady above possibly carry in such a sizeable backpack and two big panniers? As I didn't ask her, it will always remain a mystery.

Picture taken on the 11th of February 2013 in Rathmines/Portobello.

The Pompomer

Brrrrr

Cheerleaders carry shiny pom poms in their hands all the time. It's hard to imagine cyclists with pom poms (perhaps those who don't use their hands, like this one or that one), unless, of course, it's on their hat. Alright, enough. It starts to feel more of a fashion blog than a cycling photoblog.

I took the picture on 7 February 2013 along the Canal Cycle Path.

The Head Mirror Man

Behind you!

Safety is something cyclists should not compromise (many do though). Danger sometimes lurks behind. That's why some cyclists use mirrors. Personally, I don't see the advantage of using a mirror while cycling. What's wrong with turning one's head from time to time?

I came across the guy above on 2 February 2013 on Donnybrook Road (N11). I should have waited half a second longer for a closer look, but his amusing apparel is visible here anyway.

The Snow Cyclist

Girl cycling in snow

When crocuses, daffodils and cherry trees are blooming all around, one wouldn't expect snow. Nonetheless, Dublin has seen a mini snow blizzard today after a period of relatively warm weather (ended two or three days ago). The thaw almost made me forget that about a month ago, the fair city was also covered with snow.

Luckily I took a few pictures of cyclists in the light snow as a reminder. The girl above was spotted in Rathfarnham and the cyclist below in Terenure. I shot both photos in the morning of 21 January 2013.

If you're still in an icy mood, why won't you take a quick look at the icyclist (ice + cyclist), another Dubliner who fears no snow or at the Slovak snow cyclist from Namestovo?

Cycling on thin ice

The Tower Bridger

Cycling on Tower Bridge

Once again, it's neither about the cyclist nor Dublin, but about the place. This time it's a Londoner who happened to cycle in an interesting spot. Which bridge symbolises London most? Nope, it's not London Bridge (is falling down falling down), an ugly twentieth century construction with a misleading glorious name. It's the Tower Bridge, London's most famous bridge and one of the city's most recognisable landmarks.

The picture was taken on 4 December 2012, a sunny day (very windy though) in London.

The Dublin Bikes Distributor

So where do we need more bikes?

Nowadays, when there are talks about expanding Dublin Bikes scheme, ie allocating money for this end (for the plan has not been finalised, the council is still negotiating the terms with the operator, JCDecaux, as can be read in Cycling In Dublin), it's a great opportunity to pay a tribute to the people who make Dublin Bikes happen.

Bicycle sharing systems are a brilliant idea. They help to put more people on bike and thus make the roads safer and the air cleaner. However, some stations are more popular than others, there are cold spots people want to leave (say, home in morning) and hot spots people want to get to (say, work in morning). This deficiency, a market failure (to borrow from economics), poses a problem. When one needs bicycle most, the docks are more likely to be empty while at the same time, dropping off the bike can be nightmarish when all stations are full. If this happens very often, people are not likely to rely on this scheme.

Here comes our friend, the Dublin Bikes distributor, who, like Robin Hood (or Dennis Moore), takes from the rich (stations) and gives to the poor (stations). I came across this guy many times and I found it fascinating that he is always on the phone while doing his job slowly. It's not a complaint (moving bicycles from one place to another can be awfully dull, as dull as charted accountancy), just an observation.

In this occasion, I met the bike distributor in Exchequer Street on 7 January 2013. I also shot a photo with his vehicle from a different angle:

Release the bikes