Cycle Lockers

[steve30]

Here in Rotherham, we have quite a lot of lockers like this:

http://www.cyclerax.com/products.php?cat=Cycle Lockers

I find these useful because when I visit Rotherham town centre, I can just carry a padlock, rather than a big cable lock and U lock. I can also leave my helmet etc inside it.

Does anyone know how secure these are in comparison to using a cable lock and U lock with a 'Sheffield Stand'? I'm sure the lockers in Rotherham don't get as much use as the stands.

Unfortunately, the town centres of Sheffield and Doncaster don't seem to have lockers, so every time I visit I have to carry big locks with me and don't get anywhere to store my shopping when I have lunch .

 

[marinyork]

Unfortunately, the town centres of Sheffield and Doncaster don't seem to have lockers, so every time I visit I have to carry big locks with me and don't get anywhere to store my shopping when I have lunch :troll:.

Lockers are generally disliked so apart from Meadowhall and one of the multistorey car parks in town there aren't any although there are some motorbike ones on Devonshire Green. This may have been sorted with the planned superduper secure cycle storage we were going to have in town but it's been vetoed by liberal democrat tight wads incorporated so the only secure one you're going to get will be whatever ends up at the cycle hub at sheffield station.

 

[steve30]

Any idea why they are disliked?

 

[marinyork]

Any idea why they are disliked?

They cost a lot of money and are seen as an eyesore by moaning so and sos. There's also the issue of access to things below like drains and pipes - bog standard sheffield stands can be easily be removed and have known to go walk abouts for a few months :troll:. There's also the terrorism excuse, particularly at railway stations and shopping centres. To a large extent these are made up bullshit excuses but they are nevertheless used. You get some cycle lockers for staff at some developments. The council supposedly like to keep to standard stands - which is a nonsense because they installed all those fin stands and then ripped a lot out but that's the official line. Another thing is that the council are quite phobic to putting cycle provision in/near car parks in general - unlike rotherham. I think they quite suit some car parks. All depends on your pov really, bits of sheffield are catered for very well for cycle parking vs other cities.

The cost argument is somewhat illusory in that I know for a fact some of the sheffield stands cost a lot more than £250 to install each in city centre locations (so the 6x efficiency factor is untrue). That said if you look at some of the eye-watering amounts of money spent by schools on cycle lockers, one can see the council's view on this.

 

[HJ]

Does anyone know how secure these are in comparison to using a cable lock and U lock with a 'Sheffield Stand'? I'm sure the lockers in Rotherham don't get as much use as the stands.

Locker offer better protection for you bike than a 'Sheffield Stand' as it harder to get at the bike...

 

[steve30]

Locker offer better protection for you bike than a 'Sheffield Stand' as it harder to get at the bike...

That is true, but I expect it would depend on how good the padlock is in comparison to the U lock.

 

[ufkacbln]

The Terrorism excuse was used at Exeter station to remove bikes, but allowed cars to park up to 2 feet of the railings in question. Obviously no-one would think of placing a bomb in a car!


Then they took the suspicious bikes into the ticket office...... just the place if you really suspect it is an explosive device

 

[HJ]

Maybe they were trying to protect the bikes from terrorist attack

 

[gambatte]

Hi guys, long time, no post.
Problem with the lockers, I’m aware of, in Rotherham is that they’re outside the council buildings (Bailey House). As far as I know there’s no signs to denote what they are never mind who they’re for. I’ve always assumed they were provided for council staff. Especially as anyone walking into town would find a set of Sheffield stands, 100m closer to the town centre.
For my $0.02 I’d rather use the lockers – there’s nothing to say you can’t also use a cable to disable your transport whilst it’s in there.
The only potential problem I could see would be if someone wanted to ‘reserve’ a locker for themselves and left their lock on when they left?

 

[steve30]

Hi guys, long time, no post.
  Problem with the lockers, I’m aware of, in Rotherham is that they’re outside the council buildings (Bailey House). As far as I know there’s no signs to denote what they are never mind who they’re for. I’ve always assumed they were provided for council staff. Especially as anyone walking into town would find a set of Sheffield stands, 100m closer to the town centre.
  For my $0.02 I’d rather use the lockers – there’s nothing to say you can’t also use a cable to disable your transport whilst it’s in there.
  The only potential problem I could see would be if someone wanted to ‘reserve’ a locker for themselves and left their lock on when they left?

There are several outside Bailey House and the Civic Building, but there are also some in the Nottingham Street car park, and on Percy Street car park. There were a few outside the college on Eastwood Lane before they demolished the building.


I'm not sure whether there are any more. Only ones I can think of are at the Tanyard in Wickersley, but they are broken.


If they are indeed for the council staff, I expect it will be OK for me to use them, since I am now an employee of the council .

 

[HLaB]

Here in Rotherham, we have quite a lot of lockers like this:

http://www.cyclerax....Cycle%20Lockers

I find these useful because when I visit Rotherham town centre, I can just carry a padlock, rather than a big cable lock and U lock. I can also leave my helmet etc inside it.

Does anyone know how secure these are in comparison to using a cable lock and U lock with a 'Sheffield Stand'? I'm sure the lockers in Rotherham don't get as much use as the stands.

Unfortunately, the town centres of Sheffield and Doncaster don't seem to have lockers, so every time I visit I have to carry big locks with me and don't get anywhere to store my shopping when I have lunch .

I don't like the look of those lockers. I used to use ones at my old local train station, they had solid doors it just removes temptation a bit and if you used a pad lock to secure their doors, the lock was better protected from theives (closed on three sides). They were useful there. The downside was secureing the bike inside was pretty poor.

Also in the city centre, people just want to lock up their bike and nip to the shops etc, Sheffield type stand are much less faff tha why I think they'd be better used. I'd rather carry a big lock anyway if you turn up to use lockers sometimes you'll find them full up (particularly likely in a CC) or vandalised a little pad lock isn't much good to you then.

 

[marinyork]

If they are indeed for the council staff, I expect it will be OK for me to use them, since I am now an employee of the council .

They aren't for council staff. They are marked on the council's cyclemap.

 

[guitarpete247]

I remember a few years ago there were some lockers at Doncaster station. They were only about 3' tall so you had to push your bike in and wouldn't have been able to lock it up in the locker. I know they are not there now. Just wonder what happened to them and if they were moved somewhere else in town.
Now I've moved down to Leicestershire I know there is a "Bike Park" in Leicester which seems a good idea even if it is only for 120 bikes. Seems a good model for other cities or large towns. Are they financially viable especially with the shop on the premises?