Bike racks at work - what a load of carp!

[- Baz -]

I'm lucky to have secure bike parking at work in the underground car park. This was one of the reasons I decided to commute by bike. There are 10 'V' shaped brackets on the wall, under what I assume is part of the air-con unit (complete with iron girders - so you have to duck to park the bike. Nasty if you bump your bonce.)

Anyhow, not only are these brackets too close together, but most contain dead D locks/cable locks of long since departed former commuters. As a result, there's very little 'grip', especially if the tyres are wet, and a few times I've come to collect the shiny new bike for the journey home only to discover the bike has fallen over, causing mainly cosmetic damage, but still annoying.

I realise the bike parking is at my own risk, and have advised the powers that be about the old locks, but unless you ram home the wheel with some force (and even then there's no guarantee), I've lost confidence that my precious bike will still be upright when I return to collect it.

Any one got any ideas how to keep the bike upright?

 

[661-Pete]

I'm not quite sure what sort of rack you're referring to, but it sounds like a 'butterfly' stand - one of these is it?

If so, there's not much you can do to improve the situation: these are widely regarded as very poor design and likely to damage the wheel as well as increased risk of theft.

The only acceptable cycle stand, in my view, is the 'Sheffield' stand which looks like this:

That's what you should be pushing for.
Best of luck.

 

[Paul_L]

we're pretty lucky at our place.

We have 12 Sheffield stands, which are themselves within a locked cage.

the cage is also in the basement which is only acceessible by a swipe card.

Pretty safe i'd say!

 

[gemsno4]

I asked for sheffield stands at my work for that reason. Got 2 flat tyres from my bike falling over and sort of ripping the tyre out. And my bike had a kickstand. When that request was declined I took to locking it against whatever railing was available - hunt around the car park there is bound to be a hidden corner isn't there?

My backup plan if that didn't work was going to be to take it up in the lift and leave it next to my desk which would have got more action - but then my employer is always banging on about green credentials and not providing stuff like decent bike storage so they *may* have deserved it.

 

[- Baz -]

I asked for sheffield stands at my work for that reason. Got 2 flat tyres from my bike falling over and sort of ripping the tyre out. And my bike had a kickstand. When that request was declined I took to locking it against whatever railing was available - hunt around the car park there is bound to be a hidden corner isn't there?

My backup plan if that didn't work was going to be to take it up in the lift and leave it next to my desk which would have got more action - but then my employer is always banging on about green credentials and not providing stuff like decent bike storage so they *may* have deserved it.

Pete - Yes, they're the ones! About as much use as a chocolate teapot.

I think finding a hidden corner may be the solution. I'd thought about parking the bike in the office, too!

TBH, I can't see them changing the current system. Gonna try though. What's there to lose?

Thanks for the replies, chaps.

 

[fossyant]

If you have to duck under a 'girder' to park your bike, the H&S would have a field day with the management - nasty risk there....smacked my head on iron girders in the past.

 

[661-Pete]

If the butterflies are not already occupied, i.e. if there are none or very few other cycle commuters at your place, you could try securing the bike sideways on - i.e just lean it against the wall and use the butterfly as something to pass your lock through. But of course cyclists that come after you might say it's a bit anti-social. I do this at the local DIY store, which has a row of butterflies like that and never a cyclist in sight (apart from me). For you to decide.

 

[fossyant]

If the butterflies are not already occupied, i.e. if there are none or very few other cycle commuters at your place, you could try securing the bike sideways on - i.e just lean it against the wall and use the butterfly as something to pass your lock through. But of course cyclists that come after you might say it's a bit anti-social. I do this at the local DIY store, which has a row of butterflies like that and never a cyclist in sight (apart from me). For you to decide.

That's sort of what I did at one place for a short while - angled the bike by the side of the stand, then was able to get the D through the rear triangle/rear wheel and the (removed) front wheel. Worked well, but one day was a bit sloppy with the positioning, and someone put a note on it saying I was blocking a space. Certainly wouldn't put the wheel in one - next to it only.

 

[hackbike 666]

We have Sheffield stand sort of things but they are too close together and too close to the wall...obviously put in by someone who knows about cycling...Rumour this week though is that we are going to lose our bike racks and will have to use the railway station racks.

About locks...what I did was use an old cycle lock cable along the wall grille thing and people hang their locks up on it.