Public Cycle Lockers

[steve30]

Here in Rotherham we have a lot of cycle lockers which you can conveniently lock your bike in (you just bring your own padlock) (see picture). We've had these for many years and I've written about them various times. Unfortunately they don't get repaired or maintained properly. In the past I've had to repeatedly complain to the council to get them to clean up litter which people throw inside them.



Much to my amazement, they actually renovated them about 3 or 4 years ago (several had been damaged for years)! Then some time later, someone decided we weren't going to be able to use them at all. Some of them got locked shut with padlocks, and the majority had zip ties attached. I queried this with both the council and my local elected representative but as expected, neither replied. I asked why three quarters of the town's cycle parking is out of order at a time when we are both trying to encourage cycling and can simultaneously offer free car parking. Your guess is as good as mine .



My lookalike happened to go out the other week with a pair of scissors✂️.

 

[Drago]

Active travel is a carncil priority here.

Yet report a cycle route blocked by foliage they put it on a 26 week schedule for rectification.

Block a road so cars cant get past and theyre out withing rhe hour.

Active travel a prioroty, my arris.

 

[ColinJ]

Then some time later, someone decided we weren't going to be able to use them at all. Some of them got locked shut with padlocks, and the majority had zip ties attached.

My guess is that it was people doing the cycling equivalent of leaving a towel on a deckchair, i.e. "This is mine - I got here first!"

 

[Pat "5mph"]

My lookalike happened to go out the other week with a pair of scissors✂️.

Well done, great thinking!

 

[Mike Ayling]

My guess is that it was people doing the cycling equivalent of leaving a towel on a deckchair, i.e. "This is mine - I got here first!"

The padlock ones, yes, not sure about the cable ties..

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

AT the train station near here they have cycle lockers

but when I have been down there they are all either damaged - looking like someone witha LARGE crowbar has levered them opne
or rusted to Hell and back
or locked up with no bike inside!

in other words - no cycle storage available

so if you book a ticket ona train and ride down there hoping to leave your bike then you have very little chance of being able to

 

[steve30]

My guess is that it was people doing the cycling equivalent of leaving a towel on a deckchair, i.e. "This is mine - I got here first!"

I think that's what's happened in the past, where people had tried to reserve them and then forgot. Fortunately we don't get that many cyclists, so there are still enough lockers to go round.

Well done, great thinking!

I have a suspicion that he might go out and remove the remaining zipties at some point and may even go along with a sweeping brush to remove the litter from inside them and relocate it to somewhere visible to street-cleaning staff.

 

[Mike Ayling]

Melbourne Australia. A secure cage at most railway stations operated, by a swipe card. The concept and management by Bicycle Victoria which is rouglhly equivalent to Cycling UK

 

[steveindenmark]

I could see why someone at the council would zip tie them if they had just cleaned rubbish out of them all.

Looking at the photo it appears that most have padlocks on them. Are these council padlocks? It could also be to stop the homeless and druggies usung them.

 

[annedonnelly]

AT the train station near here they have cycle lockers

but when I have been down there they are all either damaged - looking like someone witha LARGE crowbar has levered them opne
or rusted to Hell and back
or locked up with no bike inside!

in other words - no cycle storage available

so if you book a ticket ona train and ride down there hoping to leave your bike then you have very little chance of being able to

That's what happened when I started cycle commuting. There were about 8 storage lockers that you could rent from the council. I did that - accompanied by dire threats from the woman processing the rental about losing keys - only to find that the key wouldn't open the locker.

There wasn't even a handy bit of fence I could lock the bike to. Hence buying the Brompton and taking it on board with me. They did later put in an area of covered Sheffield stands which I used after I'd changed job.

 

[Punkawallah]

I think that's what's happened in the past, where people had tried to reserve them and then forgot. Fortunately we don't get that many cyclists, so there are still enough lockers to go round.

I have a suspicion that he might go out and remove the remaining zipties at some point and may even go along with a sweeping brush to remove the litter from inside them and relocate it to somewhere visible to street-cleaning staff.

And then bill the Council, I hope?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I heard of somewhere where any cycle locker found empty but with a padlock on it
Had the padlock removed and chucked in the recycling

Which seems reasonable

but does require paying someone to be there and do it
which the companies seem allergic to over the last few decades

 

[Dirk Van Der Dirk]

Spokesafe have a few hubs around the UK, they are a great addition to safe cycle parking

 

[Drago]

I heard of somewhere where any cycle locker found empty but with a padlock on it
Had the padlock removed and chucked in the recycling

Which seems reasonable

but does require paying someone to be there and do it
which the companies seem allergic to over the last few decades

That also suggests customers should be using better padlocks!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

That also suggests customers should be using better padlocks!

very few padlocks can survive a decent mains powered whizzing thing with a cutting disk