A bike scheme for older people

Sir, – I was introduced to the convenience of rental bikes by my daughter as we wended our way to Lansdowne Road on Saturday to watch Leinster (eventually) secure an emphatic win over Lions. Having enjoyed a very pleasant cycle along the banks of the Grand Canal we parked up outside the ground, and on checking the app I discovered that the journey had cost me the princely sum of €1.70.

If we had taken the Luas we would also have landed at as convenient a spot. But we would not have benefited from the exercise, and we would have left a significantly larger carbon footprint in our wake. As an OAP however, I would not have been €1.70 out of pocket.

There must be a case to be made for free bike hire to be included in the package of free transport for us old fogeys. Anything that involves physical exercise can only be good for us and should be encouraged.

And for anyone who thinks that putting older cyclists on the roads will only increase the danger level for all users, I propose that an age cap of 100 be applied. – Yours etc,