The Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain was presented with the official bicycle by the Dublin Cycling Campaign on Wednesday June 4 at the Mansion House.

The bicycle was handed over by Dublin Cycling Campaign volunteers Mairéad Forsythe, Miren Maialen, Colm Ryder, Will Andrews and Colm Walsh. The upcycled bike was funded by Campaign members and purchased from Frontline Bikes , a social enterprise bike shop and training centre. Frontline Bikes provides people with a background of addiction, long-term unemployment, or a criminal record with a pathway to recovery and employment, through their training programme in bike mechanics, using donated bikes.

Our volunteers were glad to meet the Lord Mayor to thank her for keeping the momentum in building new infrastructure, like the Clontarf to City Centre Cycleway, the Dodder Greenway and junction improvements, which make active mobility more accessible to more people.

The official bicycle provides the Mayor with a sustainable mode of transport that is efficient, healthy and emissions-free. As we face up to the climate crisis the bicycle is a visible manifestation of a new era where officials in authority lead by example in efforts to tackle climate change.

The Lord Mayor said, “I’m very happy to accept this official bicycle from Dublin Cycling Campaign. I’m a great supporter of cycling as a quiet and sustainable way of getting around the city - and the most reliable for journey times. The Council have been working hard for several years to make active travel more accessible to more Dubliners. When more people are enabled to walk, wheel or cycle for more of their journeys, this has positive effects on air quality, traffic congestion, and road safety, and makes our city a more attractive place to visit.”

Chairperson of Dublin Cycling Campaign Martin Quinn said, ‘We’re delighted to present the Lord Mayor with this bicycle. As well as being good for physical and mental health, cycling is a cheap, efficient and reliable way of getting around and is an important part of the battle against climate change. We appreciate the leadership of the Lord Mayor and elected representatives, who are happy to make journeys by bicycle, and the work being done by Dublin City Council to make cycling safer and more attractive for people of all ages and abilities.’

The Active Travel Project Office of Dublin City Council is set to complete 13 significant projects in 2025, and the Council is facilitating construction of the major BusConnects corridors that will include protected bike lanes and better pedestrian facilities, with construction set to start in autumn.