End of the Cycle? - Replacing TFI Bikes

Whatever else you may say about this particular blog post, you can’t accuse me of rushing things! I started on the notes for this particular piece back in August, just after the big news had broken: TFI Bikes in their current form was due to be wound down, and due to be replaced by a new system. Not just in Cork, but in Galway, Limerick, and Waterford as well. The press release from the government was a masterpiece in using a lot of words to say nothing, something that both the civil service and successive Irish governments have turned into an art form. It talked about replacing the system with a selection of “shared mobility services”, and that separate contracts would be awarded for the different cities.

That was all, no timeframe was given, and neither was any indication of what the government or National Transport Authority was looking for. To add insult to injury, an op-ed in the Irish Examiner that can only be described as a hit piece gleefully gloated about the upcoming loss of TFI Bikes. The author? Conn Donovan, spokesperson of Cork Cycling Campaign, a group purporting to represent cyclists in Cork but that had done nothing whatsoever to push TFI Bikes in its decade of operation, cheerfully punching down and dragging the system through the dirt during the dark days of the late 2010s and early 2020s but completely ignoring any improvements or system expansions. I guess lowly TFI Bikes users aren’t really cyclists in whatever filter bubble that guy and his ilk lurk!

Anyway, rant aside, let’s forward to summer 2026. My life has continued to spiral out of control, but TFI Bikes is still here and still going strong. I guess reports of its demise were somewhat exaggerated! That being said, as of an article in the Echo dating from June 6th, with a decision on the winning bidders to be made before the end of the year. The new system is supposed to be rolled out throughout 2027, with potential network expansions on the cards from 2028 onward. It’s still mostly a lot of hot air, but at least we know that there are plan in motion.

As much as I love TFI Bikes, there's no denying that the hardware is getting on a bit.

And to be fair, the current infrastructure does need replacing. It is biased on a system developed by French company Tracetel in the 2000s and is in use in several cities throughout France. The hardware used is rock solid, both the bikes and the stations. In my original review back in 2014(!), I referred to these bikes as being built from battleship steel, and even twelve years later, I stand by that remark. However, the stations in particular require a lot of site preparation, which has hampered the expansion of the system beyond the city centre. The stations aren’t designed to charge e-bikes while docked, and the system required considerable jury rigging to enable app-based bike checkout, which was launched in 2024. Bike sharing systems have evolved since the early 2000s, and it’s fair to say that the underlying infrastructure of TFI Bikes is no longer competitive.

Whilst the integration of e-Bikes is very much a leap forward, even if the pricing isn't, the legacy hardware makes it impossible to charge the bikes at the station.

I’m not going to lie though; I am worried about what will replace it. The term “micromobility services” evokes images of e-scooters and dinky bikes strewn haphazardly all over sidewalks, roads, or planted areas, making an already challenging urban environment even more treacherous for those with restricted mobility. There has also been talk about the replacement system possibly being stationless, which would be an absolute disaster and a worst-case scenario for Cork. I’ve written an entire blog post on that subject alone! I get that there are restrictions related to the existing system, but that’s no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater!

Having said that, hybrid systems that combine fixed stations with the flexibility of stationless systems, and I personally believe that these types of hybrid systems are the best choice for Cork going forward. I’m thinking of one provider in particular, Nextbike. They’re one of the market leaders in the bike sharing segment, and with good reason. What sets their solution apart from others that I’ve seen is their hybrid approach. On one hand, their system is very much designed around fixed docking stations. However, these stations, whilst being rock solid, don’t require anywhere near as much site preparation as the Tracetel system currently employed in Cork. Most importantly, the station kiosks are solar powered, removing the need for a mains connection when a station is designed to accommodate purely conventional bikes. However, in addition to this, the Nextbike system also supports geofenced “virtual” stations, designated areas where bikes can be dropped off or checked out without a physical station present. I've used Nextbike myself back in Germany, where they operate several large systems, and I've used both fixed and virtual stations, although I only have pictures of the former.

I was able to watch the installation of Nextbike stations in Speyer in Germany back in 2015 whilst visiting family. It was a matter of a day or so, plus a bit more for site preparation.

The solar panel on the kiosk is all that's needed to power this type of Nextbike station.

It is this hybrid system that makes Nextbike such an ideal option to replace the current system. By utilising these virtual stations, the new provider can start operating alongside the existing infrastructure, installing their own stations once the old ones get removed. This would allow for a continuity of service, which is crucial in my eyes. Also, given the fact that a power connection is already in place at all of the existing stations, it should be easy to provide eBike charging from the start at these new stations. When it comes to any future network expansion, this is also much easier with such a hybrid system. Simply define a certain location as a “virtual” station and you’re ready to go. An upgrade to a more elaborate station can happen later, depending on demand.

The lightweight nature of the stations makes it easier to install them in architecturally sensitive areas, such as the city centre of Speyer, where this picture was taken.

No point to make here, I just really like this shot ;)

Am I aware that in mentioning this system and extolling its virtues, I’m singlehandedly undermining my own points about the downsides of a stationless system? Yes. Yes, I am. Having said that, there’s a difference between a wholly stationless system and one that uses virtual stations to augment its existing infrastructure. In such a role, and as a short-term measure, I believe that such a system can provide a real value. It will take some time for the usual suspects to catch on and start torching bikes or dunking them in the river, allowing for a proper station infrastructure to be put in place. 

How bikes like this would look after a year or two of stationless operation in Cork is anyone's guess...

I’m not going to lie; I’m not thrilled at the prospect of TFI Bikes being wound down. Even with its issues, it is a brilliant asset for the city. The track record of the current government when it comes to public transport and infrastructure, hell when it comes to *anything*, is atrocious, the worst I’ve seen in my fourteen years in this country, and the vacuous language in the few press releases surrounding the replacement are hardly reassuring. Having said that, the upcoming replacement provides an opportunity to provide Cork with a truly world class bike sharing system, in a city that already has some of the best cycling infrastructure in the country. Also, the plans for Cork’s new Commuter Rail system, and the vehemence with which they are being pursued, show that this country can move fast and carry out ambitious public transport projects if the will is there. For this latter reason, I choose to remain optimistic. The chance is there, TFI Bikes in Cork is already the busiest bike share system outside of Dublin by several orders of magnitude, and the National Transport Authority are surely aware of it. But make no mistake, I will absolutely excoriate them should they screw this up!