I posted this in the commuter thread since most people here use their bikes for utilitarian purposes. I am also a cyclist and an artist. Occasionally I have made cycle related art.

I have been requested to submit a proposal for a public art piece that is also a bike rack. I am working on designs and I want to make sure that it is functional first.

What do you think are the most essential things for a bike rack? What things have you seen in bike racks that have failed?

I commute a lot but don't use bike racks that often so I do not have strong opinions on them. I have always had a place to bring my bike in or have been in a country where I just lock the rear wheel.

I appreciate the help and if my design is picked I will post a pic on the forums.

A rack should fit a bike with 29'er wheels as well as disc brakes. Currently many racks do not do this.

I should be able to lock both ends of my bike to the rack--simultaneously--without taking more than "my" space.

When locking in the middle of the rack, my bike's front and rear racks should fit between the parking rack's bits.

A bike rack should be securely attached to the pavement.

Best type:


Worst type:

There was a thread on this just last week.

City of Toronto uses the ring style. Do not incorporate that style. Theifs have defeted it by crowbar through a loop and crack......
They have recently started pulling them out of the cement. They looen them during the evening hours then wait for someone to lock a bike up during the day.

If you do design one and it is sunk-in to cement, devise some sort of larger flange at the bottom portion so it can't be loosened and pulled straight up.

Gods how I hate scum who steal bikes. They should die in a very large, hot fire.

The ring looks like cast aluminum which is frequently quite brittle, thus allowing the crowbar attacks. IMO better if the loop was thick wall steel tubing with both loop and post filled with lead which gums up saws and grinding wheels thoroughly. Might also give thieves lead poisioning.

Make them heavy enough, with a mushroomed base sunk in concrete, and it might discourage the thieves.

From a functional standpoint I think that I like the inverted U as long as made with thick enough and proper grade tubing. Best if the ends were sunk deep in concrete rather than bolted down. Not sure how to make it look like art though. Use cast bronze maybe? That might make the rack too attractive to thieves though.

+1

Just treat them, and car thieves, the same way that horse thieves were treated in the old west.

Must have a vertical length of post at least 3 feet tall someplace on the periphery with top that forms a closed loop to rest of structure. This allows me to lock my bike to it using Sheldon technique while ignoring the rest of the superfluous 'artistic' portions.

Basically:
I commonly lock to parking meters when decent racks are not available; if your sculpture has any portion resembling that shape I can use it.

Does the inverted U rack satisfy your conditions?

For the inverted U style, should it be wider to stop the handle bars from turning?


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tsl said,
I think I understand the not taking more than your space but I am not sure I get the part about locking your bike in in the middle of the rack and having you luggage racks fit. If you could elaborate I would love to fit it in to the design.


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xenologer said,

The image of the Sheldon technique below is what you mean correct? If the inverted U style or a variation of it was used does it need to have the lower crossbar that completes an additional loop besides the loop made with the inverted U and the pavement?


What is the best way to get a bunch of inverted U's in a small space? Should they be staggered? How much space between them? Has anyone seen a location with them lined up too close?

Thanks again for the opinions.

Yes that is the method.
With inverted U style an additional crossbar is not necessary, simplying having the post loop back into the ground is enough.
Alternately, the pole does not need to loop back to the ground if there is a protrusion on the end that is too big to fit through a U-Lock; example, a parking meter's wide head.

If one were to go with the "wheelbender" or "jailbar" design, most have the bars spaced no more than 2" or 50 mm. I can't fit the rear end of my bike between these because of my rack. Six inches or 155 mm should be a minimum in these designs.

This is a similar complaint as oneredstar makes (above) WRT 29ers and disk brakes.

I still discourage the "wheelbender" or "jailbar" designs to begin with.

BTW, thank you for asking what makes a locking rack usable. A neighborhood business group here just installed ten artistic racks from a design competition. I can't figure out how I'm supposed to lock to any of them.

There are standards for sizing and spacing the inverted-U (or Sheffield stand).
The one illustrated above is a bit to high and too short.

You can reduce the width of the parked bike by setting the stands en-echelon (slanted) but you still need the same rack-to-rack spacing and end clearances to fit wheels. Also you need to be careful of en-echelon by fire exits, they must slant away from the exit so as not to trap people.

There are all kinds of ways people pretty-up the basic Sheffield stand. Some are made to look like victorian cast iron but these are usually too fat to be useful.

Good point MichaelW. U locks vary from 3.2 to about 5" in interior shackle width so probably 3" diameter should be considered absolute maximum for the bike locking points on any design. Also a rack design should allow for use of compact U locks which are about 3.2" by 5.5" internal dimensions as I recall.

If you have any say in the matter, please make sure that the rack(s) are installed far enough away from the building and surrounding utility poles/signs.
I have seen too many good racks be rendered nearly unusable by their unfortunate positioning.

A fattened top (parking meter) will prevent a thief from sliding a U-lock over the top, but it won't prevent them from sliding a cable lock over the top. I know, I know, cable locks are not as good as U-locks. However, a well designed bike rack will help everyone lock their bikes, not just those with U-locks.

Yeah, the ones we have at work have several u shapes on a common bottom piece, but they have butted that up against the window - losing the end of the rack, and even making the first section difficult to use because you handlebars end up hitting the window. Have also seen other racks so close to the wall, that the only way you can lock is through the wheel - the wall is too close to get through the frame.

I received the commission and I attached the preliminary design below. It is based on the upside down U style. The racks will be outside a theater and ballet which explains the musical note design.

Thank you for your input and thoughts. After everything is worked out I will post a picture of the final fabrication and installation.

Those look great! I'd be excited to see the finished product.