Want to Change your Works Cycle Provisions?

[Mudguard]

Hi,

I work for an enterprise where we are trying to change the mindset of employers to encourage cycling to work. We have a range of schemes available in which we can work with employers to provide bikes, storage, equipment, facilities etc... The problem is whenever we speak to employers they claim nobody cycles which we know is a lie! So for everyone that commutes out there let us know what you think of the facilities on offer to you and hopefully we can help improve those so everybody can cycle to work. All feedback welcome.

Thanks,

James

 

[marinyork]

Best of luck although I'd point out the 'enterprise' you refer to already exists in every city in the land and it's just duplication - they are called travel plans and most councils already have people working specifically along these lines, it's just the original TPs weren't much good.

My main criticism of the huge number of facilities I've surveyed is usually one of three things:-
1) capacity isn't generous enough, especially in new builds - two or three sheffield stands doesn't cut it.
2) Idiots install stands incorrectly, insufficient space between stands (recommended 1m, bad stands usually 40cm) + too close to wall/kerb i.e. backwheel and frame problems + bolted etc.
3) Wheelbenders being installed

 

[Mudguard]

With all the government cuts the travel plans have been the first thing to go in a lot of cities hence we are trying to keep this alive and encourage companies to still see the value in a healthier workforce. This is why I am trying to find out where people are saying capacity isnt good enough? So we can try and alter the capcity from the point of view that cyclists want it expanding.

 

[Chrismawa]

My work seems to have it spot on.

There are 2 showers, lockers and a covered cycle hut with a keycode on. Although it probably could do with being twice as big.

 

[mgarl10024]

I work for a large company, spread out over many sites.

We've been challenging facilities here for a number of months now. Our main issues are
- lack of privacy in the male communal showers deters new cyclists
- the cycle shed doesn't have enough capacity.

We've gone through getting plans drawn up for improvements and even got funding secured. Then other obstacles cropped up, the guy at the top signing the cheques left and now the facilities company is changing.

I'm waiting for the dust to settle before starting the persuading argument all over again.

 

[marinyork]

With all the government cuts the travel plans have been the first thing to go in a lot of cities hence we are trying to keep this alive and encourage companies to still see the value in a healthier workforce. This is why I am trying to find out where people are saying capacity isnt good enough? So we can try and alter the capcity from the point of view that cyclists want it expanding.

No they haven't. If you mean some of the sillier schemes in the earlier days of travel plans, then yes, some of that stuff has gone. Travel plans haven't really gone at all, now they are focusing on much more innovative ideas, which was always the way it was going to go.

Capacity isn't good enough in general. If you want to start with a good 'un, start with large employers and supermarkets. I've surveyed hundreds of premises. The nub of the matter is that even new builds which I inspect often aren't up to a proper standard with points (1), (2) and (3) routinely happening on new builds even where the little darlings have made an effort.

 

[Jezston]

My employer installed 'wheelbenders', but they are alright, certainly haven't bent my wheels and they installed them in a covered area so fair dues.

What has ticked me off is their complete and dismission stubborn resistance to calls to install another shower. There is only one at the moment, and it's in a bathroom where there is also a toilet and it's the only bathroom in the whole of a rather busy section of the company, so it's very hard to get to use.

Repeated requests for them to consider installing another (a good suggested location being in a sparesly populated department where there are two bathrooms next to each other) are rejected out of hand. They don't even want to talk about it.

 

[marinyork]

My employer installed 'wheelbenders', but they are alright, certainly haven't bent my wheels and they installed them in a covered area so fair dues.

What happens to your back wheel + frame? Or are you (like another workplace I go past) the only cyclist and so park your bike sideways and attach the frame to it? At a previous workplace I had a rack within a cage, it was a bit of an arse getting it in but you could get a D lock around frame and rack just (with wiggling) and the cage was padlocked.

 

[mgarl10024]

I've surveyed hundreds of premises.

If you don't mind me asking, in what capacity? You sound knowledgeable in this area, so I just wondered what you did?

 

[Mudguard]

Capacity isn't good enough in general. If you want to start with a good 'un, start with large employers and supermarkets. I've surveyed hundreds of premises. The nub of the matter is that even new builds which I inspect often aren't up to a proper standard with points (1), (2) and (3) routinely happening on new builds even where the little darlings have made an effort.

I appreciate your knowledge on the area and am also inquisitive into what you do? Have you heard of the "streetpod" ?? This is a product that is an alternative to the sheffield stand and the "wheelbender" that we are trying to encourage employers to install at their premises. It has won a secured by design award and is made from 100% recycleable materials therefore enhancing employers green credentials. However, as i said before when you approach these corporations they say nobody cycles to work which is a blatant lie! Hence, rather than cold calling places that dont appreciate cyclists I want to try and help cyclists that want better facilities at their work place.

 

[summerdays]

To be honest I find the sheffield stand is about one of the best systems ... I typed in Street pod and ended up with something that if it was on a street looks quite high profile in the street landscape and not much room to get in between the bikes. It also showed a cycle pod - well they have some of those locally at the hospital and I find them extremely difficult to use and just end up locking my bike to the pedestrian railings if I have an appointment instead. The Sheffield stands are far easier to install and cheaper I would have thought.

I agree about wheel benders though ... I saw these ones on Saturday outside some new student accommodation:


At least these students seemed to have worked out the best way to use them.

 

[Mudguard]

To be honest I find the sheffield stand is about one of the best systems ... I typed in Street pod and ended up with something that if it was on a street looks quite high profile in the street landscape and not much room to get in between the bikes. It also showed a cycle pod - well they have some of those locally at the hospital and I find them extremely difficult to use and just end up locking my bike to the pedestrian railings if I have an appointment instead. The Sheffield stands are far easier to install and cheaper I would have thought.

I

Quite surprisingly "Sheffield Stands" are more expensive and alot more difficult to install and they require planing permission making it a long winded process. The streetpod, and cycle pod, are both top surface mounted therefore you dont need to pay for expensive groundworks as there are no contractors needed through the whole process. I believe that the high profile nature is good because it means somebody is always keeping an eye on your bike. I have had two bikes stolen from a diferent sheffield stands because they are very often hidden around the side of buildings. As for room, there is actually more space for your bike at a streetpod as you dont have to lean your bike against somebody elses or the metal and risk getting scratched. We have Streetpods outside our building and everybody always gives very positive feedback compared to the moans and groans about the sheffield stand.

 

[marinyork]

If you don't mind me asking, in what capacity? You sound knowledgeable in this area, so I just wondered what you did?

As a campaigner. I'm particularly interested in 'private parking with public access' as one of the very senior bods on our council would put it. It's a time intensive task rather than a specialist one and it's not very difficult to do, I also have plenty of contacts that have been round places I can't go. It's why councils are particularly bad at it (just too much to do).

Really quite a few of these things take a lot time and talking through like with you and facilities . Travel plans are just formalising it all as it's very far from just being about money although it helps when you know what you want.

 

[summerdays]

Quite surprisingly "Sheffield Stands" are more expensive and alot more difficult to install and they require planing permission making it a long winded process. The streetpod, and cycle pod, are both top surface mounted therefore you dont need to pay for expensive groundworks as there are no contractors needed through the whole process. I believe that the high profile nature is good because it means somebody is always keeping an eye on your bike. I have had two bikes stolen from a diferent sheffield stands because they are very often hidden around the side of buildings. As for room, there is actually more space for your bike at a streetpod as you dont have to lean your bike against somebody elses or the metal and risk getting scratched. We have Streetpods outside our building and everybody always gives very positive feedback compared to the moans and groans about the sheffield stand.

Surely where the sheffield stand is the problem in your comment which could be the same problem with the pod if they also put it around the corner. And I don't think the shape of the stand is going to influence whether someone watches the stand or not. Admitedly the front wheel is more protected in that design but it also presumes a standard bike size - so if I had my child with me I imagine I would find it hard to lock the triangle at the same time as having the front wheel resting in the stand and it would be harder to lock a folding bike or other non-standard design. I don't like having to lift my bike to lock it, if the two stands were side by side I would probably chose the standard Sheffield stand - I know how to lock it to the stand - exactly where the bike lock fits through my frame, and around the wheel that it can be done without thinking.

 

[marinyork]

I appreciate your knowledge on the area and am also inquisitive into what you do? Have you heard of the "streetpod" ?? This is a product that is an alternative to the sheffield stand and the "wheelbender" that we are trying to encourage employers to install at their premises. It has won a secured by design award and is made from 100% recycleable materials therefore enhancing employers green credentials. However, as i said before when you approach these corporations they say nobody cycles to work which is a blatant lie! Hence, rather than cold calling places that dont appreciate cyclists I want to try and help cyclists that want better facilities at their work place.

I don't mind streetpod. They are viewed as a bit weird by various authorities though. East Midland trains nabbed a few. Cyclepods I'm have quite mixed feelings about, I think what they have in their favour is that they force capacity where the default is to install one or two sheffield stands but the price of this is security. Covering is also a plus. I don't regard the canopy as particularly efficient, if you add up many configurations of sheffield stands especially ones in the iffy side, you'll get more packed in. I would also regard the 'no groundwork' as a disadvantage as well as an advantage. Unfortunately it's quite common for cycle parking that isn't sufficiently fixed to go walkies when a company decides they'd like to shove them round the corner or even get ride of them .

I would say that nothing should be used as an alternative to a wheelbender, only an idiot would install them. They should never ever be used in my opinion. Worryingly enough we had an architect on one of these threads once saying what was wrong with them and they installed them in new buildings . Many wheelbenders are from the various weird and wonderful legacy systems we have knocking about but worryingly the odd relatively new one still crops up.

Corporations frequently claim that nobody cycles to work. It's one reason why I regard travel plans as a good idea, it becomes slightly harder to deny these things. If you want to get into major employers that are into green issues there'd a top bod ethical guy at the co-op and since the merger there are a considerable number of supermarket stores that have no cycle parking (since somerfield were not fans). Similarly many other businesses in the co-op group are poor.

Quite surprisingly "Sheffield Stands" are more expensive and alot more difficult to install and they require planing permission making it a long winded process. The streetpod, and cycle pod, are both top surface mounted therefore you dont need to pay for expensive groundworks as there are no contractors needed through the whole process. I believe that the high profile nature is good because it means somebody is always keeping an eye on your bike. I have had two bikes stolen from a different sheffield stands because they are very often hidden around the side of buildings. As for room, there is actually more space for your bike at a streetpod as you dont have to lean your bike against somebody elses or the metal and risk getting scratched. We have Streetpods outside our building and everybody always gives very positive feedback compared to the moans and groans about the sheffield stand.

Guidance is very clear that Sheffield stands should be installed near entrances and visible. Sheffield stands aren't perfect, nothing is, but they more or less fulfil what they were designed to do. The biggest problem with sheffield stands is simply that they haven't been installed correctly.