‘Everyone who tries the e-cargo bike, there is a brief panic because they can’t see the front wheel … Suddenly, off they go’

Do you need a car to live in Dublin? Without one, how would you manage the “big shop” for starters?
The Bike Hub, a social enterprise supported by Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Council, is offering city dwellers the opportunity to try out a car-free alternative with the use of an e-cargo bike. You can register at thebikehub.ie to borrow one bike for free. Those in the city can pick one up at Éamonn Ceannt Park in Crumlin where the Bike Hub team will give you a quick training session.
The estimated average cost of running a car is about €11,000 a year. E-cargo bikes cost less than that to buy outright, with models between €4,000 and €9,000, says Bike Hub founder Stephen McManus. Or you could just become a club member to borrow one when you need it.
[ ‘Ludicrous, irritating and very wrong’: E-Scooter users on public transport ban from MondayOpens in new window ]
An e-cargo bike looks like a regular bike, except it’s got a big bucket-like basket to the front. There’s an electric motor, too, so you can power up those killer hills at Christchurch or Glenageary without breaking a sweat. It’s a bit different to a regular bike but users soon get the hang of it, says McManus.
“Everyone who tries the e-cargo bike, there is a brief panic at first because they can’t see the front wheel. It takes five seconds and then suddenly they go, ‘oh wait, I can do this’, and off they go.”
There’s a diverse range of people borrowing the free bikes, he adds. “Some of them leave the car at home and do it as a bit of an adventure, and some are testing to see if it suits them as a car replacement. We have people who use it for their weekly grocery shopping, people who borrow it for a trip to the recycling centre, and we have people who have moved apartments with our e-cargo bikes. We even had a lady who borrowed it and put a small trailer on it to transport her couch. A lot of people don’t have cars, so this opens up new possibilities for them.”
[ Amsterdam to remotely control speed of e-bikesOpens in new window ]
You can book the bike for a couple of hours; if you need longer, this can usually be facilitated, says McManus. The Bike Hub has received funding for an e-cargo bike service in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown too, due to launch soon. Residents will be able to trial a free e-cargo bike, or become a member of the e-cargo bike club there.
Apartment blocks, shopping centres and businesses receive permission for fewer and fewer parking spaces. Emissions targets mean an increasing focus on alternatives to cars. In a relatively small city, bikes are part of the solution.
Residents of Dublin city and suburbs really don’t travel too far for anything, data shows. The majority of their trips, some 72 per cent, take less than 30 minutes. About one in five take less than 10 minutes, according to the National Transport Authority’s household travel survey report 2023. More than 80 per cent of trips taken by those living in Dublin city and suburbs are for distances shorter than 10km. The average trip distance recorded in Dublin city and Suburbs is 7.68km.
[ Country’s first shared e-scooter scheme launches in WexfordOpens in new window ]
When it comes to the proximity of amenities, some 96 per cent stated that they lived within a 15-minute walk of a shop. The Government has committed to spending €1 million a day on walking and cycling infrastructure. Let’s hope this includes more shareable e-cargo bikes and better parking for them as well.
Improved air quality, a healthier population, less road noise – it’s time to get on our bikes.