Workplace bike shed provision.

[I like Skol]

The company I work for has just erected a brand new cycle shed.

While this is a good thing and the previous shed was possibly a remnant from the 60's or 70's I can't help feeling that this is not actually an improvement. The old shed was right at the back of the sizeable, secure carpark, just by the factory turnstyles and away from the public road and prying eyes. The new shed is right up front, in full view of the road and close to the carpark entrances.

The old shed had wheel tracks/channels that the cycle wheel was rolled into and then the bike was held upright by the channel and some uprights. Some might call this a wheel bender, but in a non-public situation where all the users are colleagues this was not an issue.

My big concern with the new rack, apart from security due to proximity to the road, is how the hell do you get a bike to stand reliably against the rails without it falling/rolling/twisting/getting knocked over? What might not be very clear from the above image, and an impression I got last night when looking at the new shed, is just how short the rails are. I reckon if I park my bike nose-in so I can get stuff out of my panniers that the support rail won't extend much further than halfway along the top tube.

Does anyone have any experience of this type of rack? As usual there appears to have been very little, if any, consultation on the new provision.

 

[Hicky]

Park nose first and hope for the best or remove/empty panniers before parking....how is the whole thing being secured/locked?

 

[MichaelW2]

Why don't you write to CAD shelters and ask them how to use this style of bike rack. I can't see how it works without the bike flopping over or scratching the top tube. Tell them you will post the answer here as a public service.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

I don't have any experience of the rack, but I'm familiar with projects with no user consultation that end up with something that's not fit for purpose... I guess there is no chance of you and your fellow cyclists boycotting the facilities until they are improved? Apart from having no alternative I expect you'd get the usual "At least you've got a shelter" response from management.

 

[helston90]

Get your hands on a load of pipe insulation and zip ties and pad some of them and then hope no one nabs those before you get to work.

 

[dan_bo]

Get your angle grinder/TIG welder out skolly and show 'em how it's done.

 

[screenman]

It looks like it was designed by a driver rather than anyone who has ever needed to leave a bike locked up, I take it each person will have a key to the gates. Total muppetry.

 

[cyberknight]

I put money on it being used as an alternate smoke shelter.

 

[cyberknight]

It looks like it was designed by a driver rather than anyone who has ever needed to leave a bike locked up, I take it each person will have a key to the gates. Total muppetry.

If anyone bothers to lock it .

 

[helston90]

I take it each person will have a key to the gates. Total muppetry.

We have this at my work, which can work OK so long as you're organised, especially if they lock gets changed- however members of the public can use it when visiting the offices so can pop to reception and ask for the key and they simply give it out to anyone- sort of negates the point of the lock in the first place.

 

[T4tomo]

It looks suitable for tieing up Shetland ponies or prize winning sheep at a local fair

 

[Drago]

A lot of employers don't have a clue. They talk a good fight, but in reality may as well not bother. Ours are the same. One of the thing our lot do is encourage builders at the planning stage to consider employing a specialist to eliminate crime opportunities for the design. A good idea, but in typical Westshire Police form they didn't actually bother doing it themselves when our new building was designed. Result is 2 cycle racks, but one is found the rear near an unlit public footpath, with no views from the building, our of sight of staff going about their business, so bikes kept getting nicked from it and no one uses it. Public money wasted, victims of crime created, all because they don't follow the advice they smugly dish out to the public.

 

[potsy]

I will give it a few weeks to see how the new storage works before committing any of my immaculate machines to it.

Will certainly be taking a D-Lock as well as the cable lock I use now if we do have to start using it.

 

[Sara_H]

Have to disagree with your comments about your old wheel bender style shed.
We used to have exactly the same where I work and I did indeed come back at the end of a shift to discover a knocked over bike and a bent wheel.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Have to disagree with your comments about your old wheel bender style shed.
We used to have exactly the same where I work and I did indeed come back at the end of a shift to discover a knocked over bike and a bent wheel.

Yes, Ours is of that style, seems to be used by several as a dumping ground for bikes they don't want to store at home, they've all fallen over domino style in there and nobody has noticed for months. Me and the other couple of regular bikers never use the thing.

As much as anything for @Drago's reason, it is stashed away in the corner by the back fence onto the canal towpath and although we have 24/7 security and CCTV, people have been over nicking bikes and deliberately damaging them.