Parking your bike

[G3CWI]

I’m intending to make a short video for our local Council to help them understand what makes for good cycle parking in Macclesfield town centre. What do you suggest that I need to include?

 

[Drago]

The dangers of wheelbenders.

Decent spacing.

Good natural surveilance, ie, not tucked in some out of the way corner where Johnny Lightfinger can work undistubed.

And perhaps stress the reduced pollution, congestion, the need for elss car parking etc that encpursging cycling can bring.

Best of luck.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Good idea if you can park it under CCTV

I was a bit shocked to find that my local Tesco had no CCTV over the bike racks
But they were honest when I asked - always worth asking

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Needs to be right outside the shops

 

[mjr]

Good natural surveilance, ie, not tucked in some out of the way corner where Johnny Lightfinger can work undistubed.

Relatedly, not where Johnny's mates can drive the van right up to and hide him while he works.

Bike parking should be right by entrances, so you don't lose all the time saved cycling by walking across the vast area of parked cars.

A stands (Sheffield Extra or TfL) are probably the best these days.

 

[G3CWI]

Surely someone has invented a bike stand where the locking mechanism is integral so you either don’t need to carry a lock at all or all you need is a padlock?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

What I find dumb is out local Halfords
They have a bike rack outside - but it is one of those where you just push the front wheel into it
and all you can lock to it is the front wheel

and it is on the end of the building and they have a display stand on one side of it so it is effectively out of plain sight

total wast of time - I normally lock my bike to a fence nearby - but it is still a bit dodgy

I think I will just take my bike in with me next time and take it up in the lift

 

[simongt]

What I find dumb is out local Halfords
They have a bike rack outside - but it is one of those where you just push the front wheel into it

Is that the one in Norwich - ? If not it's the same there. The excuse I was given by the Halford's manager was that's all the council would allow. And just to make things interesting, the cycle dept. is upstairs. Can't have all those poor drivers having to use a staircase to buy that essential bling thing for their precious car can we - ?
Yeah, right - !

 

[mjr]

Surely someone has invented a bike stand where the locking mechanism is integral so you either don’t need to carry a lock at all or all you need is a padlock?

Yes, such as https://www.norwichcycleparking.co.uk/ or its sister at London Russell Square but it's not an unambiguous win: it has to be manned so the locks aren't attacked while empty, which puts costs up, and how many riders will trust that the locks will be there and working? If they carry a lock anyway just in case, it only really gains the guarding in exchange for the money, which may still be worth it in high theft areas.

Think about a comparison: how many motorists save a bit of cost by not carrying locks and alarms and relying on guarded valet parking? Top end stuff in this country. A niche service.

You may also like to look at https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/-/media/.../parking-standards-for-norfolk-2007.pdf?la=en

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Is that the one in Norwich - ? If not it's the same there. The excuse I was given by the Halford's manager was that's all the council would allow. And just to make things interesting, the cycle dept. is upstairs. Can't have all those poor drivers having to use a staircase to buy that essential bling thing for their precious car can we - ?
Yeah, right - !

Yup - sounds the same
weird how the council have a proper bike locking place about a hundred yards away - also in a more frequented place
and again - the cycle bit is upstairs - but there is a lift which I presume a bike would fit in

 

[simongt]

Of cycle racks, one of our Norwich branches of Sainsburys had an 'upgrade' of their cycle rack s while back. Under cover are 'push-the-front-wheel-in type racks but are designed for fat tyred bikes. No chance of getting a road bike to stay upright in them. The Sheffield type stands outside are so tall that anyone with a bike withou a top tube struggles to get the lock round the bike. Good upgrade Sainsburys - !

 

[mjr]

Of cycle racks, one of our Norwich branches of Sainsburys had an 'upgrade' of their cycle rack s while back. Under cover are 'push-the-front-wheel-in type racks but are designed for fat tyred bikes. No chance of getting a road bike to stay upright in them. The Sheffield type stands outside are so tall that anyone with a bike withou a top tube struggles to get the lock round the bike. Good upgrade Sainsburys - !

Which one? Have you told them, cc Norwich Cycling Campaign and maybe the city council planning enforcement dept?

I'm sure it's crap but did you know you're meant to lock your wheels and frame to the uprights of a Sheffield stand, not the top tube to the top bar where Tommy Thug can use the bike as a lever to bust the lock or at least it's an easy height to attack?

 

[mjr]

Is that the one in Norwich - ? If not it's the same there. The excuse I was given by the Halford's manager was that's all the council would allow.

I would bet that manager is talking through his hat.

Halfords King's Lynn have Sheffield stands... but they're too close to the wall so bikes don't fit in and they put the "we fit" tent blocking it. More excellent reasons to use one of the six other bike shops in town.

 

[simongt]

Have you told them

Nope, for the simple reason I'm an Aldi shopper and Aldi always factor in proper bike stands for their customers - !

 

[MichaelW2]

Of cycle racks, one of our Norwich branches of Sainsburys had an 'upgrade' of their cycle rack s while back. Under cover are 'push-the-front-wheel-in type racks but are designed for fat tyred bikes. No chance of getting a road bike to stay upright in them. The Sheffield type stands outside are so tall that anyone with a bike withou a top tube struggles to get the lock round the bike. Good upgrade Sainsburys - !

Norwich Sainsbury bike-parking saga goes back longer. They installed some Sheffield type stands that were ok. A bit thick, only half undercover, far from the door. They then doubled the capacity by installing complicated wheel clamp devices between each Sheffield rack!!!!.
At Norwich Library they had some excellent stainless Sheffield racks . They replaced them with some ghastly plasticky Hi-low racks that gather leaves and beercans. The big selling point of the new style was no ground works required, just concrete bolts. !!!!
Morrisons have a textbook setup. Location undercover next to main door.
Stainless steel Sheffield racks, no designy guff. Generous spacing for two bikes+person between racks.
For something that isnt rocket science, planners get it wrong most of the time. CTC (Cycling UK?) publish sensible specs that no one reads.