Gardaí to spend €1m on clothing and gear for mountain bike unit

The Garda mountain bike unit was first established in two Dublin districts in April 2001, before being widened to the wider metropolitan region the following year. On a phased basis, it was then introduced in Cork, Limerick and Galway before being expanded further.

An Garda Síochána is set to spend up to €1m over the next four years on clothing and gear for its mountain bike unit.

In tender documents published on Thursday, it said it required a range of personal protective equipment and accessories to cater for both existing Garda members assigned to the unit and new trainees as they complete the required training.

The total number of members assigned to mountain bike duties within An Garda Síochána as of last month was 1,023.

“This tender will replace an existing contract for the provision of PPE and accessories,” gardaí said in tender documents. “However, this tender will expand the scope of requirements to include clothing currently purchased under the general Garda uniform contract.

“The contractor shall, for the full duration of the contract, make available to An Garda Síochána any new or emerging products, upgrades, enhancements, or relevant technologies released to the market that fall within the scope of the goods or services.” 

While the initial contract is for two years, it said this could be extended for another two years.

The Garda mountain bike unit was first established in two Dublin districts in April 2001, before being widened to the wider metropolitan region the following year. On a phased basis, it was then introduced in Cork, Limerick and Galway before being expanded further.

In 2024, An Garda Síochána spent just over €307,000 on 200 mountain bikes after a request for tender, according to a parliamentary response, with hundreds deployed in Garda divisions across the country.

In the set of detailed requirements for this new tender, the clothing and accessories it needs include “modern style sport glasses”, cycling helmets, cycling mitts, gloves, shoes, shorts and “breathable, quick drying, well-fitting and comfortable” base layers.

The deadline for responses to the tender is March, with each prospective contractor obliged to send in samples prior to the deadline.