Just found this; hope it isn't too late.
I don't think you'll find much in Dublin. Most of the bike shops are small, cobbled-together operations, without much stock and without much in the way of interesting bikes. Only a few modern bike shops of the American model, but those have nothing you can't find in the US. In five months, I only saw a couple of interesting bikes of any kind, anywhere; Ireland just isn't the place for classic bikes. The most common ones are (1) rusty 1970s bike-boom things, (2) cheap hybrids, and (3) abandoned junkers. The elite bikes are $400-class hybrids. Very few road bikes. Bikes are utilitarian there; not much playing with them in the garage, but people ride what they have, everywhere, enthusiastically.
If you see a good bike, it's probably being ridden by a tourist.
My suggestion is to spend the time at a pub, instead. You can do worse than the Brazen Head on a Sunday afternoon.
Steve Maas (ready to go back to Dublin in a heartbeat in) Long Beach, California
Dan Kehew wrote:
> So I've given some classic bike advice on Oakland -- mind if I grab
> some for the above towns?
>
> All my scrimping over the last few months will be paying off over the
> next two weeks with a visit to Dublin, Eire and to London, UK. I've
> already got plans to stop into the Witcomb shop in South London and
> possibly to Condor as well, but other suggestions (and ANY Dublin
> suggestions are most welcome).
>
> And if there are any Beatle fans out there, email me offlist for the
> lowdown on why I'm really going. Although I don't think they'll let me
> ride around in Studio 2....
>
> -- Dan Kehew
> Davis CA USA