Reborntoride

I work at a large medical Clinic in a town of around 250,000 people. The Clinic I work at employes several hundred employees. There is no Bike rack to attach my bike and No hallways to store it in. I do have a public bathroom near my office that I can use to wash up and change. Wondering on any suggestion for storage/safety for my bike.

Mr IGH

At my old job they didn't have any bike rack, I checked the local building codes and it was a requirement to have bike parking available. The building managment was not very happy having to retro fit bike racks but the town management forced them.

gregjones

That sounds like our small local hospital. No bike rack. They have fancy landscaping around the base of the flagpole with a path through the bushes to get to the flag. I lock to the flagpole and the plants pretty much hide the bike. I'm not sure that I'd trust it for everyday security, do the same thing every day and the thieves have time to figure out what they need to get it.

Darth Lefty 

I'm sort of surprised. The hospitals around here have bike racks all over, even deep in the burbs. The more you need a kidney, the less you can afford a car. Is this a surgicenter near a hospital, or maybe in an industrial park? Have you maybe not just found the rack on the other side of the lot? Sometimes your employer is just a tenant themselves and it's not their fault.

himespau 

Are you the only one in your office? Can you store it there?

Leisesturm

A folding bike is pretty unobtrusive and I should think you could find a place to stash it in just about any kind of office setting. I can ride a folding bike up to 10mi one way and have done so.

H

energyandair

I commuted about 4 miles each way on a Birdy folding bike for 4 years. It was a a comfortable and fast ride. I'd guess better than than 90% of the commuter bikes I saw. I'd say that any distance you could ride on another bike, you could also ride on it

I generally had a bike room or locker but when they were unavailable I'd fold the bike and put it under my desk.

MikeRides

You don't need a bike rack! Find a fence post, flag pole, light post, or other fixed item to lock your bike to. Like someone else said, don't lock your bike to the same place regularly as it'll bring attention to the bike thieves. Usually fixed items in the wide open are great candidates to lock your bike to as most thieves won't want an audience while they cut your lock. Take any personal belongings with you (don't even leave a saddle bag with a spare tube/wrench set).

Tundra_Man 

As a contractor, I change offices frequently depending on my current client. Most of the time there isn't a bike rack available, and I sure as heck am not going to wheel a bike into their building. Generally I'll find something like a tree, fence, telephone pole, sign, etc. to lock up the bike.

At one client location they had none of those available, so I found an out-of-the-way spot in the landscaping and just locked the bike to itself. I was at that location for nearly three years and never had the bike stolen.

RubeRad

I would look for a janitor, explain your dilemma, and ask whether he knows of any storage area that you could store your bike in, and not be in anybody's way. Maybe you could even get a key if it's a locked room. Consider also the possibility of installing a hook on a wall, or one or two hooks on a ceiling, if you can hang your bike it can really stay out of the way.

Also, assuming everybody else at the clinic drives, is there a dedicated parking lot? You could try to ask HR/management to install a bike rack somewhere in the parking lot, perhaps in some corner that would not cost any parking spaces. Ideally covered and watched by security cameras.

Grillparzer

Same advice, but check with the clinic's security director. They are after all the people who will make you move it or move it for you if you put it in the wrong place.

linnefaulk

I would go to human resources and explain your problem. They should welcome someone trying to be healthy and help you out.

Todzilla

^ This.

Lots of HR departments push healthy initiatives and I have always been held up as an example. Of course, I'm lucky that I'm the highest ranking mofo in my building, so I put my bike in an underutilized closet and no one dares question it.

trailmix

I don't have a bike rack at work either, I lock my bike to the base of an 18000 pound diesel generator.

Tundra_Man 

I actually do that when I go to get a hair cut. No bike rack at the strip mall where the salon is located, but right around the corner is a giant diesel generator.

andyprough

Brompton

scroca

If there is no bike rack available, I love to lock my bike to a gas pipe by the meter. My hope of course is that nobody would be dumb enough to use anything to cut my lock that threw sparks... or if they did, that they'd get a nasty surprise.

Cyclosaurus

My first thought was, "get a folding bike" as some others have mentioned. If you go that route, you can go a little more stealthy even by getting a bag for it. I have a Dahon bag I got on ebay for $30 that fits the bike folded up. It can help reduce unwanted attention when transporting or storing your folder.

spivonious

Before our department changed buildings, I had no bike rack. I'd just lock it up to the railing next to the door.

Contact Security and find out if there's a good place to store it. Is there an office or unused exam room that you can store it in?

Altair 4

OP is in Toledo, OH.

Darth Lefty is in Orangevale, California.

Admittedly I haven't been near a hospital in a couple of years, but my strongest recollection was the group of nurses and doctors smoking outside. I'd guess that things are a little different between rust-belt Toledo and health conscious California.

RidingMatthew

we have moments at my work of friendliness vs not friendly... like this morning coming in and see signs says do not leave locks on lockers all day.
I can not take all the stuff I have in my locker home today either.

I have tried to reach out to the people who have put the signs up but they have not responded to emails.
i am not sure what i am going to do.

Darth Lefty 

Stereotypes may satisfy your prejudices but in reality the defining feature of Orangevale is that it's The Suburbs, and it's not new suburbs. It's much like suburbs anywhere I've been.

Doohickie

I agree that you should talk to facilities and/or security, but bear in mind that, to them, you're nothing more than an imposition, an exception to their normal routine. Try to be polite and positive, but don't be surprised if they drag their feet or even discourage you. But be persistent.

A little different situation, but I live in the suburban sprawl section of my city, and my councilman looks the part - suit or at least dress pants with a button-down shirt every time I've seen him. I've been to several community meetings though, and he at least recognizes me as That Bike Guy and last meeting I went to he actually knew my name. His stance toward cycling has gone from antagonistic to ambivalent; he's okay with other people cycling as long as it's not too much of a hassle to him. I joke with him now that my goal is to get him out at least for a short bike ride. It's taken several encounters to get to that point, but he's moving in the right direction. Bear that in mind when you deal with security/facilities. Persistent and friendly.

TransitBiker

Many municipalities require bike racks. Call them FIRST. This gives you the info needed to move forward.

Keep us posted!

- Andy

Reynolds 

Ask them for a place to leave your bike inside, or to put a bike rack outside. A "bike rack" can be just a length of 2" pipe with 2 90º bends anchored to a concrete or brick wall, so not difficult to set up.