Cycling in Ireland

• Irelands City Bike Scheme
• Irelands Free Cycle Planner
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Irelands City Bike Scheme

• The Dublin scheme was created first and has a different website dublinbikes.ie
• The Cork, Limerick and Galway scheme share the same website bikeshare.ie

Both websites are very easy to navigate and provide all the information you need.

Be sure to access Ireland’s Cycle Planner to help you get around

Cycling is becoming an increasingly popular way to get around in Ireland. The Irish cities Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway provide public bike schemes. The schemes are continually improving and expanding. Even if you do plan to purchase a vehicle, it’s worth considering signing up for the city bikes because they make it so much easier (and cheaper) to get around. Cycling enables you to avoid the stress of finding and paying for a car park and dealing with frustratingly slow traffic. The bikes even come with a bike lock, enabling you to pull up and leave your bike to explore on foot.

Short Term Use

The City bikes are available for short term use, which makes them perfect for using while on holiday or if you want to try them out before subscribing to the scheme. The scheme offers a pay as you go service, with the first 30 minutes free, or you can get a cheap 3-day pass.

Not all of the terminals in the Dublin scheme have a credit card facility for short term use payments, so be sure to check the Dublin bikes website which provides a detailed list of the ones that do.

Annual Pass

Public transport can be rather expensive, but purchasing the annual pass and making use of the city bikes will save you lots of money that you can spend on more exciting things. You also don’t have the cost of buying or maintaining the bike, the annoyance of having to store it, or the risk of it being stolen. You will also be improving your health by getting some exercise (which will help offset all those pints of beer you’ve been drinking).

To subscribe to an annual pass, you need to register online.

Free City Bike Scheme App

Avoid the disappointment of turning up at a bike stand and finding it empty. Download the free app that enables you to find station locations, check bike and stand availability, plan your route and access your account information and activity.

Dublin: To access the free city bike scheme app for Dublin, download the AllBikesNow app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

Cork, Limerick, and Galway: To access the free city bike scheme app for Cork, Limerick, and Galway, download the bikeshare.ie app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

The Transport of Ireland website offers a Cycle Planner. Based on your individual cycling capabilities, the Cycle Planner provides information on the best cycling routes in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford.

Irelands Cycle Planner

• You can use the online Cycle Planner to plan your route.
• Cycling Ireland has a great website that includes a Find a Route section that gives you lots of cycling routes with detailed instructions and directions.

Planning on Cycling Around Ireland?

Use these books to help you plan your trip:

• [amazon text=Cycling Ireland by Ian Connellan, Nicky Crowther, Nicola Wells&asin=1740593162] –  Covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, this travel guide includes maps and a wide range of information such as history, culture, sites and acitivities.
• [amazon text=Around Ireland on a Bike: The complete guide: maps, accommodation, practical advice by Paul Benjaminse&asin=1847173098] –  Avid cyclist Paul Benjaminse explores the a route around Ireland from Belfast to Dublin via the most spectacular and scenic routes in the country and offers his expert advice on the best way to see the beautiful parts of Ireland. Includes detailed routes and maps of Ulster, Sligo, Cork, Connemara, The Burren, Leinster, and the Dublin Mountains.
• [amazon text=Ireland by Bike: 21 Tours Geared for Discovery by Robin Krause&asin=0898866227] – Before you rush off, prepare yourself with the only complete guide to seeing the Emerald Isle on two wheels. ‘Ireland by Bike’ is stuffed with first-hand cycling information, the best prelude to enjoying Ireland and its people at a leisurely pace.
• [amazon text=Cycle Touring in Ireland: 12 Routes Throughout Ireland by Tom Cooper&asin=1740593162] – Cycle Touring in Ireland describes 12 routes all around and across the country, seeking out the quiet, the quirky and the spectacular parts of this beautiful island in tours that can be fitted into a week’s riding or combined into itineraries right up to a complete tour.

Cycle to Work Scheme

The Cycle to Work Scheme is a tax incentive to encourage employees to cycle to work. Under the scheme employers can pay for bicycles and bicycle equipment for their employees and the employee then pays the employer back through a salary sacrifice arrangement of up to 12 months. The employee is not liable for tax, PRSI or the Universal Social Charge on their repayments.

The bicycle and safety equipment must be used for the whole or part (e.g. between home and train station) of a journey between your home and your place of work. Employers do not have to monitor this but you will be asked to sign a statement saying that the bicycle is for your own use and will be mainly used for these journeys.

The scheme applies to new bicycles and pedelecs (electrically assisted bicycles which require some effort from the cyclist) and doesn’t cover motorbikes, scooters or mopeds. Generally you select the equipment you want and have the shop invoice your employer directly for the cost. Be aware that the tax exemption does not apply if you pay for the bicycle and are reimbursed by your employer – they must pay for the bicycle. There is a limit of €1,000 on the amount that can be spent and this includes the bicycle, safety equipment and delivery charges. If you spend more than this limit you will be liable for a benefit-in-kind income tax charge.

Purchase of the following new safety equipment is covered in this scheme:

• Cycle helmets which conform to European standard EN 1078
• Bells and bulb horns
• Lights, including dynamo packs
• Mirrors and mudguards to ensure that the rider’s visibility is not impaired
• Cycle clips and dress guards
• Panniers, luggage carriers and straps to allow luggage to be safely carried
• Locks and chains to ensure cycle can be safely secured
• Pumps, puncture repair kits, cycle tool kits and tyre sealant to allow for minor repairs
• Reflective clothing along with white front reflectors and spoke reflectors

To access the Cycle to Work Scheme, contact your employer.