Advocacy & Safety - Will bikeracks ever develop?

The traditional bikerack was designed to help the bike stand easily, and to make some order if there’s a bunch of bikes.

But having the bike standing is not what we need bikeracks for today. Bikes are stolen and we need something to lock the bike to. The traditional bikerack only offers to lock the frontwheel to the rack, which doesn’t make sense since a thief can steal the rest of the bike then.

There is another type of bikerack that can be seen every here and there in Stockholm: Some kind of poles or elipses that rises from the earth. Kind of like artificial lampposts only 1 meter high. That makes sense: You can lock your expensive bike to them, and they make order where there would be bike chaos without them.

This is the modern bikerack, for modern, expensive bikes and for a modern society where bikes are stolen. So why is it, that the old-school bikerack is still produced and mounted outside completely new buildings? It doesn’t make sense! It’s a relic from the fifties and I’m sure it’s there only because the planners never bike themselves!

Or please give me the reasons that are somehow hidden to me.

swekarl,

wow, one of those crazy 'think alike' deya vu moments: about 30 minutes ago i was about to post almost the same question but had to do something (i'm at work)...

i agree. why is it that whomever orders bike racks just doesn't understand the #1 important thing: ability to lock a variety of bikes securely...

it infuriates me when a place installs a 'new' bikerack with just slots for the front wheel... i have seen this problem in both the US and Europe...

i guess it's most likely that the people responsible aren't cyclists and so have no idea what's needed???

Towns seem to be getting better at installing the up-turned U shaped poles, but one of the local coleges just went and bought the old style for reasons best know to them...

Richard

And those new inverted U shaped racks don't work so well when they are only 3 inches from the wall. One can't park straight in because of the tire, and can't park sideways because of the handlebars. The one I saw like that was on a side walk that was not as wide as my bike was long. Not only would my bike block pedestrians, it's back tire would hang out into parking where it would get crushed by the next car's front bumper. That would be like making a parking lot with spaces for the cars six feet long and three feet wide. Wouldn't people question the intelligence of an engineer who designed them like this whether or not he drove a car?

Who's buying these old racks?

People who don't bike and are looking for a 'standard' item like they remember from childhood, considering it more practical than funky-looking modern 'fad' items.

Who's MAKING them is the big question. Obviously, as long as people buy them, they will be sold, but maybe if people contacted bike-rack manufacturers and commented on their wares, they might be more inclined to push the newer racks harder.

Personally, my fat hybrid tires are in no danger from the rack and my cable lock is long enough to run through my wheel and frame and the rack, so I have no trouble with the old racks...incidentally, the first time I saw one of those new racks, I didn't recognize it and had to ask where the bike rack was....

The inverted U racks are the best, but they have to be positioned correctly. In my town we have some 3" away from a lamp post, some with the end 6" away from a wall, and a whole bunch between the mall main entrance and some seats, so pedestrians want to walk through them.

The people who plan and install these things just dont know how they are used. Technical advice is freely available, the UK cycle Tourists Club has some excellent specs for cycle parking.

Reminds me of a question. I would like a rack for the garage to park 4 or 5 bikes in. Currently with just the stands, we have a tendency to knock them over now and again and I am concerned that will damage them. They range from 20 to 26 inch tires, BMX, MTB and recumbent. What would any suggest for that?
Thanks

In Downtown Toronto they have metal rings on the parking meters so you can lock 2 bikes to each meter.

People who don't bike and are looking for a 'standard' item like they remember from childhood, considering it more practical than funky-looking modern 'fad' items.

Who's MAKING them is the big question. Obviously, as long as people buy them, they will be sold, but maybe if people contacted bike-rack manufacturers and commented on their wares, they might be more inclined to push the newer racks harder.

As someone involved in bike rack manufacturing I can say that demand is definitely driving the production of the cheaper and unfortunately less secure "grid style" bike racks. Even though we say right out that these racks are not secure and not u-lock compatible, we still get a lot of customers that are motivated by that "bottom line".

We have worked with a couple cities that have some cost sharing programs set up with local businesses where the city approves certain styles of racks and then offers to pay part of the cost when businesses buy them. Might be a good place to put some pressure.

But having the bike standing is not what we need bikeracks for today. Bikes are stolen and we need something to lock the bike to. The traditional bikerack only offers to lock the frontwheel to the rack, which doesn’t make sense since a thief can steal the rest of the bike then.You are locking your bike wrong. Their are two ways to effectively use these racks.
1) instead of sliding the front wheel in the rack, lift it over the rack so the rack is between the front wheel and the frame. Now lock the front wheel to the frame (u-lock works great). On bikes that I leave anywhere for a bit of time I use a bolt on rear wheel so I don't worry about it being swiped.
OR
2) remove front wheel, place rear wheel in bike rack, front beside it and run lock through both wheels, the rack and the frame.

I think most businesses in my neighborhood would be willing to pay for a good rack IF they did not have a lot of hassles getting it done. I wish I could find a Houston company that installs good racks at a reasonable price. I would be willing to pass out their business cards in my area...but, I have not found such a business. In a world that has "dog walkers" and "cat sitters", where are the "bike rack's "R US"?

I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Could you please post a picture of one of these "newer" racks so I can see what the fuss is about.

It's pretty obvious that there are none around here because all I see are the slotted racks. At my school, I'm one of maybe 2 people who ride there, so we just lock them up to the rack sideways :D I have to ride in tomorrow and they still haven't gotten rid of the two feet of snow surrounding the rack :mad:

I have some photos of racks. There are more out there, one that I can remember is a cement block with grooves to fit the front tyre with. I know a place that uses them...

#1 is pretty common, and I don't mind them at all. I think these are the inverted-U rack people here are referring to. I usually lock it to the frame. #2 is one drawback with this type of rack, or any rack for that matter - when the numbers are high, it's hard to find a "parking spot".

#3 is less desirable, because one can only lock the front wheel with a U-lock. You can still use a cable lock to lock your frame to it though.

#4 is like #1, and is probably easier for the owner of the rack because no cement digging and pouring is involved - just put it there. One can lock the frame to it too.

#5 is one of the more bizarre ones, IMO. It's nice and all functionally, two bikes on a pole, takes up a minimum amount of space and usable with parking meters, but those rings are bolted on. Last I checked, the nuts are not "sealed", and some are actually loose. The effectiveness of these racks is at least questionable. I haven't seen free standing poles yet though.

There's a really cool type of rack at the DC metro stations. You wheel your bike into it, and then there's a folding arm thing that swings through the front wheel, the back wheel, and the main triangle. You then lock the frame to the rack, and now the frame and wheels are secure.

I wish I could find a photo of one...

There are problems with these: many are old and rusty; the wheel-locking mechanism could probably be removed with a hacksaw fairly easily. The main problem, though, is that bike theft is RAMPANT here. I've had wheels stolen in broad daylight and two complete bikes stolen. Derailers and seat posts and handlebars get stolen all the time. :(

#5 is one of the more bizarre ones, IMO. It's nice and all functionally, two bikes on a pole, takes up a minimum amount of space and usable with parking meters, but those rings are bolted on. Last I checked, the nuts are not "sealed", and some are actually loose. The effectiveness of these racks is at least questionable. I haven't seen free standing poles yet though.

Bizarre? Could you actually put a number on your picutres? If you're talking about the o-rings. They're everywhere in Toronto. You can even see a canadian mailbox on the right of that picture.

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Several palces on Hilton Head Island, SC, have a 4"x4" sticking about 2' above the ground with a 1" hole drilled in it to run a chain or cable through. You're SOL with a U-lock.

And those new inverted U shaped racks don't work so well when they are only 3 inches from the wall. One can't park straight in because of the tire, and can't park sideways because of the handlebars. The one I saw like that was on a side walk that was not as wide as my bike was long. Not only would my bike block pedestrians, it's back tire would hang out into parking where it would get crushed by the next car's front bumper. That would be like making a parking lot with spaces for the cars six feet long and three feet wide. Wouldn't people question the intelligence of an engineer who designed them like this whether or not he drove a car?

The rack outside my local REI store is like that. I couldn't believe it. The store is brand new, and the rack is so close to the wall the bike must be parked parallel to the rack. You'd think a relatively upscale sports equipment store like REI would know how to install a bike rack.....

Bizarre? Could you actually put a number on your picutres? If you're talking about the o-rings. They're everywhere in Toronto. You can even see a canadian mailbox on the right of that picture.
Pictures don't have numbers but I went from top to bottom, left to right. Yes, that pic was actually shot in Toronto. It's not bizarre in looks, it's bizarre in finding them anywhere at all because of my doubts of them working, especially when labels on them caution users to lock their bikes on the posts, not the ring. One can probably unscrew the ring and slide the lock out of the naked pole, that what I'm wondering.

bah. just tie your bike to the loops and belts and such on really fat people. they won't move. and no one likes to be around really big people. yup. it'll be safe. and you have plenty of fatties to choose from. find one that suits your style.

The U racks can be about as good as they get. If I had a business, customers would bring their bikes into teh store, and bike lockers would be there for employees.

You are locking your bike wrong. Their are two ways to effectively use these racks.
1) instead of sliding the front wheel in the rack, lift it over the rack so the rack is between the front wheel and the frame. Now lock the front wheel to the frame (u-lock works great). On bikes that I leave anywhere for a bit of time I use a bolt on rear wheel so I don't worry about it being swiped.
OR
2) remove front wheel, place rear wheel in bike rack, front beside it and run lock through both wheels, the rack and the frame.

I referred to how it's intended that you lock your bike in that kind of bikerack. I would never lock my bike like that. I prefer lampposts. :D

"I would do this. I would do that. I hate this. I hate that."

The cyclists' creed. Bashing all sorts of solutions into everyone's brain, but waiting for someone else to do it.

If you ain't happy, either shut up...

... or get hold of the person responsible for the facility. Find out who his boss is. Play the political game. Lobby. EVER HEARD OF LOBBY?

You know, you lot would be better off p!ssing off the end of a pier into a roaring headwind, because what you say here is worth diddly squat. The only people who count are (from the top):

The politicians

The politicians' spin doctors (ie, those who want the politician to look good for re-election).

The politicians' sycophants (those who maketh the clothes for the emperor).

The public servants who MIGHT have an influence because ultimately they really do know what's going on (as opposed to all of the above).

The public servants who couldn't care less, but are waiting to retire and don't want to stir up anything, so do as they are told.

The public servant who's a real @rse and makes things impossible for everyone because of their personal ambition, but will collapse when told what to do from above.

You... who gets nowhere because you haven't identified the decision-maker.

Stop ya whingeing, and get into finding out who can make that decision!!!!

We have lots of those #5s. I call them the "hitching post" style. They either have a post or in Santa Barbara, they'll even use a sandstone post with two rings. Looks very Santa Barbara "authentic".

Those, in my opinion, are the easiest to use, especially with my crazy-shaped bike that doesn't fit in any other bike rack I've tried (unless I can get the outside edge maybe.)

My next favorite is the W-shaped post. But again I have to get the outside edge.

"I would do this. I would do that. I hate this. I hate that."

The cyclists' creed. Bashing all sorts of solutions into everyone's brain, but waiting for someone else to do it.

If you ain't happy, either shut up...


Look where your posting, ADVOCACY AND SAFETY. Do you know what a forum is? Please look up the definition on a dictionary perhaps.

Heed your own advice. if you ain't happy, SHUT UP.

That's because most all bike racks are still designed by people who don't ride bikes.

the city of pittsburgh just put in 130 of these,

they work quite nicely,
most racks here on campus are of the bolted down, overhead triangle type, as posted earlier by way124
they work well, and i can get my chain through both wheels and the frame easily.

http://www.bike-pgh.org/graphx/SingleRack_small.jpg
http://www.bike-pgh.org/graphx/TwoRacks_small.jpg

The enclosed ones on my campus (San Jose State University) are awesome. They're surrounded by a ten-foot tall, steel bar fence with spikes on the ends of the bars. They have a digital key for entry and exit. And they have these sort of A-shaped racks that allow you to lock your frame directly onto the rack; I generally lock it with the U-Lock going around the seattube and the right crankarm.

I have some photos of racks. There are more out there, one that I can remember is a cement block with grooves to fit the front tyre with. I know a place that uses them...

#1 is pretty common, and I don't mind them at all. I think these are the inverted-U rack people here are referring to. I usually lock it to the frame. #2 is one drawback with this type of rack, or any rack for that matter - when the numbers are high, it's hard to find a "parking spot".

#3 is less desirable, because one can only lock the front wheel with a U-lock. You can still use a cable lock to lock your frame to it though.

#4 is like #1, and is probably easier for the owner of the rack because no cement digging and pouring is involved - just put it there. One can lock the frame to it too.

#5 is one of the more bizarre ones, IMO. It's nice and all functionally, two bikes on a pole, takes up a minimum amount of space and usable with parking meters, but those rings are bolted on. Last I checked, the nuts are not "sealed", and some are actually loose. The effectiveness of these racks is at least questionable. I haven't seen free standing poles yet though.

Only the corners that fact on the opposite side of foot traffic are viable on all 5 situations. Having said that, I would not use any one unless absolutely necessary. The problem with bike racks are not the construction but the people who use them. Yes. Cyclists are their own worse enemies.

Bike racks tend to invite people who steal bicycles and those looking to rob parts. Period. Even the best designed bike rack will not stop the crook who's looking for parts or just vandalize. The bicycles that get parked on racks are usually department store junkers which shows you the type of element it invites. You need to forget bike racks and steath park unless you're riding a rusted five year old Huffy. I think you're insane if you even consider parking any bike on a rack worth more than $200.00 USD. I'll never forget that post where a woman parked a bike costing over 1K on a rack and wondered why it was stolen! All the problems I've ever encountered with crooks came as a result of parking on bike racks.

There are problems with these: many are old and rusty; the wheel-locking mechanism could probably be removed with a hacksaw fairly easily. The main problem, though, is that bike theft is RAMPANT here. I've had wheels stolen in broad daylight and two complete bikes stolen. Derailers and seat posts and handlebars get stolen all the time. :(

What's so cool about parking on that bike rack? I don't get it.

Folks. A bike rack where parts and bikes are stolen frequently should be avoided at all costs. I've never encountered a bike rack that was used extensively where the above situation did not occur.

the city of pittsburgh just put in 130 of these,

they work quite nicely,
most racks here on campus are of the bolted down, overhead triangle type, as posted earlier by way124
they work well, and i can get my chain through both wheels and the frame easily.

http://www.bike-pgh.org/graphx/SingleRack_small.jpg
http://www.bike-pgh.org/graphx/TwoRacks_small.jpg

Every business in my neighborhood shares a common problem: lack of parking. I suspect most of them would install a bike rack as nice as these TODAY, if the price was reasonable, and I could give them the phone number of an installer. The problem is, I have never located a "full time" rack installer. Racks in Houston are usually installed by "general contractors" who buy the racks from companies outside of Texas. Importing just ONE rack from out of state and hiring a general contract is more time and effort than a book store owner or coffee shop owner can invest.

It would be helpful if there was a "yellow pages" of rack installers for every major American city. A customer could just walk into a book store and hand the "page" to the manager and say "Call this number, and your rack will be installed tomorrow".

I find the notion that bike racks CAUSE theft bizarre. If a bike is properly locked to a well designed rack it is IMPOSSIBLE to steal the bike without using power tools. A crook is going to stand three feet from the door of a busy coffee shop using power tools to cut a bike lock? Not in my city.

What's so cool about parking on that bike rack? I don't get it.

Folks. A bike rack where parts and bikes are stolen frequently should be avoided at all costs. I've never encountered a bike rack that was used extensively where the above situation did not occur.
Well, I agree, the theft is not cool. But the bike rack where you only need one lock to lock frame AND wheels is a great idea. I don't think this style of bike rack is so much a cause of theft as a response to it. Unfortunately, it's not enough around here.

I find the notion that bike racks CAUSE theft bizarre. If a bike is properly locked to a well designed rack it is IMPOSSIBLE to steal the bike without using power tools. A crook is going to stand three feet from the door of a busy coffee shop using power tools to cut a bike lock? Not in my city.

It depends on the lock.

There are loads of bike out there still on the street using the Bic pen Kryptonite U-lock. The beauty of bike racks is the fact that they provide cover to crooks who want to bring special tools. Many U-locks simply need a good hard pull and it cracks open. I dropped a U-lock on the floor and it did just that!

A crook may not want to stand three feet from your door and use power locks to cut a bike but all he needs is to place a drop of Crazy glue in your lock (Vandalize) and now your bike is stuck! It happened to one of my locks!

Oh, how I love this topic...

My favorite bike parking area of ALL TIME is one on Duke University's East Campus.

I call it "The Place Where Bikes Go To Die"... I think it is so embarrasing that one of the top universities in the country is so abysmally bike-unfriendly. Nearly 99% of the racks found on campus are the heinous comb-style wheel-benders that we all know and love. Duke's campus is also split in two (an East Campus and a West Campus) and hordes of students wait for a shuttle bus to transport them one mile through a beautifully wooded area from one campus to another.

Most cyclists lock their bikes to handrails, fences, and lightpoles. The bikes you see on the wheel-benders are usually abandoned, or owned by the clueless - soon to be abandoned.

Now I wonder why so few Duke students cycle?