Bad bike racks are suppressing bike friendliness in our cities. It's time to improve bike parking
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- After being forced to lock my bike to one too many stop signs and/or saplings, I decided to explore the public bike racks in my city. Knowing that decent bike parking is a big part of the bike friendliness of a city, the results are a mix -- some terrible racks, some head-scratchers and some great ones.
What are the racks like in your city? Tweet me your photos: / tombabin
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Your topic is so true. I asked for an appointment with the manager of a local supermarket and took him outside and showed him how the bike rack was poorly designed and in an out of the way place, and showed him where it could be placed where it would be out of the way of customers but in a place where there would be a lot of people. Less than a week later the old bike rack was removed and a new bike rack was place where I suggested it to be. Encouraged by this I did the same thing with the local WalMart and the same thing happened. Sometimes you just need to speak up in a respectful and informative way.
This is amazing! You took the time to make things better, and now other people are benefitting from it. I hope others follow your lead. Great job!
That's great! I had to go to the property management after the supermarket told me it wasn't their job.
We have local Hike/Bike/Walk organization who does this too! It's pretty awesome! They also get picnic tables and benches setup along our local rail trails.
I tried that and the manager told me to stfu
I know I am kinda off topic but do anybody know of a good place to watch new movies online?
The main problem with bike parking on any establishments is. The person responsible for purchasing the bike parking rack doesn’t ride bicycles. So they just pick the cheapest bids offered by a contractor for compliance.
Yes, I think this happens a lot. It often feels like the person who installed the rack has never ridden a bike before. So frustrating
The other thing too is they assume Walmart bikes with kick stands, which a lot of higher end bikes don’t have. A lot of these like the school one he showed you just plop the kickstand down and then cable lock the front wheel or around the head tube to that.
@Colin Deal in the Netherlands the default rack is very tight like the L shape showed in this video, with support for the wheels. But why it still works is because every other bike, the rack is high or low. Edit: actually, there is only support for the wheel. It's not in your face (mb cuz we don't need to be shown that they exist..) , reduces visual clutter and is simply efficient and effective. Also cheaper and lighter ofc.
We also have a design where you hang the bars in a rack, lifting the wheel from the ground. The bike will be held on both sides, so it's steady and easy to lock with a U-lock as well.
Otherwise I like the very simple designs shown here.
You are spot on. Thats why EVERYTHING doing with riding a bike in the Netherlands work because EVERYONE is a bike rider. Cars and bikes work beter, because everyone rides a bike. Parking works beter, because everyone rides a bike. Btw its so nice on a sunny day to jump on your bike and go the city center and have some nice drinks with some friends outside and after worths jump on your bike and ride back home. No drunk driving and there is nothing like the wind in your hair and you have to walk to you parking but you can just put your bike a few meter fromw were you sit.
When I worked at a hospital, it had an excellent solution. It put a chainlink fence around an already covered area next to a side entrance. It had a locked gate, and any employee with a bike could get a key. A security camera covered the area. It was quick, easy and safe. Even attachments to the bike couldn't be snitched. Bikers also reduced the burden on the hospital's employee parking.
I'm a town planner in a major British city and we've required developers to install the U racks (known here as Sheffield stands) for many years as they're considered the safest and most practical form of short-stay bike parking. As a result we now have lots of places to leave a bike while popping into a shop or maybe having a coffee where you can keep one eye on the bike. Unfortunately what lets it down (especially for those of us who ride higher-value machines such as e-bikes) is the almost complete absence of covered / enclosed storage lockers or similar, where a bike can be stored out of view and out of the elements to protect it against theft and vandalism (both major deterrents to utility cycling in what is a high-crime society with endemic levels of bicycle crime.) I think I agree that the best strategy where bike infra is concerned is just to copy the Dutch, as they seemed to have figured out all things cycle-related 40 years ago! No point in trying to reinvent the wheel...
U racks are great for short-stay on a dry day. They need to be out of the elements for wet days.
Don't just copy, everything can be improved, even if it is just for style.
Do the Dutch know how to provide a place to charge e-bikes? Seems like lockers with power outlets inside them would be the way to go for e-bikes. That seems like a much better public investment opportunity than the ride-sharing systems that I've seen...
True. Just add solar panels to the roof, a large storage battery (lithium-iron-phosphate?) and a few 3-500 watt inverters…
U shaped ones are one of my favorite. They don't break easily and they are convienent to use. Saying this as a Dutch person.
When I was a kid + biked to my primary school, there was nowhere for kids to lock up bikes, and I was the only kid who rode one, so I would chain it to the backdoors in the alleyway behind the main entrance, so every 3 months or so if get called down to move it so the school could get their deliveries 😅 I only started chaining it up there bc the only other option was the guard rails by the pavement near the crossing right before the entrance, and I'd been told to never chain my bike there bc it was "unsightly" (even though it wouldn't be in the way at all, looked absolutely fine, and would have given the railing a reason to exist for more than 30 mins twice a day 🙄)
This is the same school that was constantly having assemblies about childhood obesity, tried to get us more active whenever possible, and banned junkfood from breaktime, so we had to bring fruit/nuts/etc or go hungry til lunch, where we could have all the junkfood we wanted 🤨
Unfortunately, most local authorities in the States haven't been on a bike since they were 10 and think bikes are just for kids to ride around the neighborhood. They have zero clue about bike lane standards, bike parking, etc. and like you said, bike transportation is seen as an afterthought.
THe problem In most of America, it is seen as poor / or worst poor minorities that ride bikes or rich people riding as a hobby. The middle/average are disgusted at both class and tends to treat them mentally less than kind
@@tofuyam7361 So true, so I started to treat the ignorent obese majority less kind.
@@tofuyam7361 it's probably best to not be accepted by the majority of Americans because they are crazy people
I've been messaging and calling all my local super markets, shopping mall reps, and council members about this...I've even had to tell my employer I ride my bike in the snow to have the parking shoveled for access. THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE NO ONE CONSIDERS!
Forced to walk is for a biker a huge issue not one even considers?
@@2adamast I am not sure if I completely understand your comment...but if it is "walking isn't a big deal if you're already riding a bike miles," I agree, but that implies there is somewhere to place your bike while you shop. This isn't the case when you resort to a tree on an island in a parking lot surrounded by cars that don't see you. It is often a dangerous location not meant for bike parking, or somewhere your bike is sure to get dinged (next to shopping carts), not to mention an easy access bike rack would help out significantly when it is time to pack away my $100+ grocery hauls...doing this is not easy if your cart full of things is poking out into the road or rolling down a hill while you pack up your saddle bags or trailer. As Tom states it's all abaout convenience
It is also important to consider that as a cyclists I am spending just as much of my money at these shops that don't offer me a safe place to park my bike as someone who drives to shop, so why are cyclists not being considered? We don't deserve a safe and convenient place to store our bike out of the way of pedestrians, outdoor dinners, distracted drives, and shopping carts? And if that place is a little ways away from the shop I am visiting I wouldn't mind walking a distance...this is actually something I do when I go to my local comic book and coffee shops as the bike racks are on the other side of the street.
Oh yes, an entire renovation where my bank is, and not a single bike rack. This is a brand new completed project. Dozens of stores, and right next to a high school, where many bikes are expected.
You know, we have rules in all areas of the USA that say that for every X number of parking spaces, there needs to be X number of handicapped spaces. New rules should be introduced to include bicycle parking spots (perhaps with chargers for ebike owners), as well as electric car parking with chargers.
Very cool idea
Wonder how charging could be handled better. For cars it's a universal plug AFAIK. Every e-bike has it's own charger with different specifications. I'd hate to see a fire-hazard level of charge cables at bike racks. Not to mention now you have one more thing to figure out how to lock.
@@BigHatBoris it's definitely a difficult thing, especially with liability. The best would be a sort of fireproof lockable cubby with an outlet in each, you provide your own charger and rent the power and lock it via an app. Wouldn't work for batteries that can only charge in the bike though, but again liability, one of those goes up and you could damage all the bikes in the storage area.
In Melbourne, Victoria there's a lot of bike racks that are useless. There's some in supermarkets that once you park your bike there, you block people and their trolleys. You have great content mate.
Supermarkets should have good bike parking. I baffles me why so few have it
@@Shifter_Cycling I think they assume that they are only used by their teenage staff to get to work, and not by paying customers.
I work at a local grocery store and this is my issue... And I commute on a Radrunner Ebike with 4" tires. So my only option is chaining it to the end... And one side is blocked by a postal mailbox, the other by a pillar. So I literally have to lift it clear over the rack and back behind the pillar.. because the other side of the pillar is blocked by two Netflix machines 😫
@@Shifter_Cycling I have a suspicion that some supermarkets actively want to discourage walking and cycling. They want you to drive to the supermarket so you can make impulse purchases without having to worry about whether you can get it home.
Actually that is another good point about supermarket's discouraging bikes or at best, not encouraging them.
I have recently got a bike trailer specifically to allow me to leave the car at home for a full weekly family grocery shopping. I had about 60kgs laden on the way home last week.
None of the supermarkets in my town 6 km from my house have any bike racks.
So I just padlocked my bike (now plus the trailer when I have it) to the side of the outside or underground car park trolley bay's in two of them.
The others have no option at all. Not one accessible post or pillar.
But in other supermarket's or shopping centres in other towns further away that actually have a rack of some sort, a trailer would be sticking out additionally the best part of another 2 metres blocking footpaths.
I could possibly take the trailer off the bike and fold it up and try and secure it with chains and locks to the bike rack but it's something I'm going to have to be inventive about and scout out the possible options in other various locations before I take the trailer further afield.
The trailer is cool but now I have to think about the problems I didn't think of before I got it.
Often I've found that the bad bike parking is because of bad local zoning code. Lots of cities have updated their codes to start including bike racks at every new development, but if the code isnt written well, then developers can get around it by placing some of those bad racks you showed. Technically its bike parking, and they can call it space for like 7 bikes, even though only like 2 spaces are decent.
In my city the code clearly didnt state any sort of clear zone around the rack, so a developer put 7 staple racks right next to each other. The end result is that there's only 1 actual space open.
And yet, cities CAN get it right. Cambridge, MA, has good, common-sense standards for type and placement of bicycle racks, and I think they mandate a certain number of spaces, in proportion to car spaces. :)
I’m a little embarrassed to note that the best bike parking at any store near my house is at the Walmart. Bright yellow upside down U racks, embedded into the concrete, in a highly visible spot but still out of walkways.
You should be embarrassed. XD Our one Wallyworld doesn't have *any* bike parking.
My local Wal-mart also has some of the best parking.
I was shocked to see good bike parking at the Costco near me!
@@TomBabin does yours have the big coil too? The placement is great; right in front where all the people are, but out of the way.
Same in my area sort of though a couple are in the way of the shopping cart entrance. Not for normal people but those long shopping cart trains with a pusher. They get bumped and knocked over so most people only end up parking on the edge racks crowding.
I agree!! The best bike racks are the U shaped ones!! It's so convenient & fast since i always hang my lock on the upper frame of the bike. I never get the wheel bike racks, you have to keep moving your lock and it's just time consuming.
I agree that ease of use is a key criteria as well.
yes and in areas where you have little space and many bikes its also perfect. Super easy to lock and you can fit many bikes per m^2.
Those are made for Walmart bikes with kick stands and cable locks to the front wheel. Most people don’t know of any nicer kind of bike.
Technically, those are n-racks. U-racks would make bikes too easy target)
@@event4216 lol ur right
I generally dislike the front loading ones as they're usually too narrow for my tires (I ride a mountain bike). And they don't allow me to lock my bike to something which is a deal breaker and locking my front wheel to it just isn't enough, especially given that my bike has quick release skewers.
Yeah you have to guess the people that designed these racks never ride
I ran into this issue just this weekend at the public park with me little kid. My wife’s bike is just a regular department store mountain bike. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.
The one that looks luke a fence sometime placed a tempory one in the netherlands. (Many of the ones you see in the netherlands are frontweely ones though (with a tapered sides so womewhat wider tires fits)(occasionally wit a little loop to lock your frame to, though never something to lock your back wheel too, since it would takes too much space (u-locks are never used)
when I was riding every day, I put skid plates on my front fork, and just took the front wheel off and locked it with the back wheel and frame. Never had any issues.
They date back to a time when bike theft wasn't a big problem.
No bikes cost much over a days wage and few self respecting thieves would bother.
An age where every bike had fenders and a basket and handlebars that bent to meet you not the other way around. Sigh...
Yeah they should have been phased out in the 70's
One of the best bike racks you get here in the Netherlands is the tulip rack. It is easy to use, solid and you get high density with it.
One of my bike dreams is to bike around the Netherlands. You guys got it going on!
@@hydrazi having moved there from south africa, being able to cycle everywhere was liberating! Its a total other lifestyle and I must say I would not want to go back to having to use a car. I would definitely recommend a cycling trip here!
2:30 - I always thought the proper way to use those racks was to back the bike in. No falling and you can use the U-Lock on the frame.
Yes I think you are right! But most people (even Tom) don't realize that so they are problematic. Of coursr, having to turn your bike around and back it in is also a hassle
Backing in also doesn’t work if you have a rack or panniers on the back of your bike. It’s not a great option
I back into those bike racks too. I have panniers, and it works okay as long as other bikes aren't close. I use a cable lock, which makes it possible. Those racks aren't ideal, as Shifter says.
I remember those racks from my childhood in the 50s and 60s. The reason they worked well then is that kids had rugged, 1- or 3-speed bikes and if they fell down who cared? Also, we usually didn't lock our bikes.
Things have changed since then, haven't they?
Around here, we put the front wheel of the bike over the top bar of the "jail bar" racks, then you can u-lock the front wheel to the frame under the bar. I think it would be tough for children to do, but when I'm in a popular area with those, I have often seen at least 5 bikes secured that way to a single rack. Love your videos, Tom--you bring up great issues :)
I love this channel. ❤️ We need more people talking about the normalization of bicycle transportation and the specifics of how to make it feasible. Your content fills are sorely neglected niche. Much appreciated.
Yeah I'm spoiled. I live in the Netherlands and there are some truly amazing bike racks here. Even my employer put up sheltered bike parking for about 50 bikes. My commute is about 10 minutes, and there are three supermarkets along the way, I cross the train station Hilversum Mediapark and take the elevators up and down 'De Kijkbuis' which is a pedestrian bridge, but they made it all accessible by bicycle. There is not even one single major road I need to cross to get to my workplace.
My office in California has the wave/loop/squiggle bike racks which actually work really well (compared to most of the useless front/back loading racks) and seem to accommodate more bikes than the individual staples. The squiggles are wide enough that handlebars don't interfere too much and you can easily lock your frame to the bar with a u-lock.
I have seen many instances where the rack at 1:07, which is typically just bolted to the ground, has had its bolt sheared or removed so that the rack can be lifted. Theft is therefore easy as locks can simply be slid off of the end.
Not if you lock to the places where you’re supposed to, those triangles in the middle.
@@JasperJanssen Those middle triangles are gonna be pretty easy to cut though.
@@jayspeidell so’s your lock. That rack is steel and it’s not *that* thin walled a tube.
I have a two legged kickstand that allows my bicycle to be parked, fully upright, without leaning on anything. It makes it far easier to chain to poorly designed/placed racks especially when using panniers.
It’s so true! At my local supermarket that i frequent, they have one rack that fits two bikes at most.
Supermarkets are great places for good bike parking. I don't understand why they can't turn one parking stall in a sea of them over to bikes.
The bike racks in the Minneapolis suburbs are almost always that "jail bar" type. My only option is to lock up to the side with my U-lock. And more often than not, these aren't even anchored to the ground. Thanks for the great vid!
Thank you for the new name that I will henceforth use: Jail Bar Rack. Love it!
If they are big enough being anchored is no problem. At a local Dolarama they included cheap loopstick racks, but the criminals have found that they can break the poles off the concrete in 10 seconds, and ride your bike away!
I'm in Eagan and experiencing this firsthand. There are sometimes M/wave racks, but they're often too short to lock both the front and back wheels. My apartment even has the freestanding jail rack too. I bought a noose chain lock which sort of but not really gives me a little locking leeway.
Another consideration for bike racks is this:
NOT EVERY CYCLE IS AN UPRIGHT, DIAMOND-FRAMED TWO-WHEELER.
Longtails, bakfiets, recumbents, and yes _tricycles_ also exist.
I used to ride a recumbent, "tadpole" tricycle - two wheels in front, one in back, and you sit reclined with the pedals out in front of you. Very comfortable, very fun to ride, *an absolute nightmare to park*, and sufficiently expensive to be worrisome when parking away from home. (Mine "only" cost $1,500 .... and was the "economy model" from that maker; some tadpole recumbents can reach prices in the $6K to $10K range!! $2K-$4K is about typical for the type.)
You can't just pull up next to a fence, after all; the frame shape was such that there were only two places the lock could go, and those were _both_ between the front wheels. (At home? I sank a spiral anchor, 18" long, into the ground - and would park my tricycle directly over it, to lock up. Would have required >700 pounds of force to simply pull the anchor from the ground, and there wasn't room to spin the whole trike in order to un-corkscrew the anchor itself.)
Any rack that was bad for a regular bicycle, was just a waste of metal and time for my tadpole.
The best racks for that, were the simply U-staples. I could roll my tadpole backwards to one of them, so that one wheel was on the opposite side from the rest of it, and lock up very easily that way. Yeah, taking two spaces - but the trike had a six-foot by three-foot occupied area _regardless_.
...
On a different line of thought: another good design I've seen locally (north-central Massachusetts) is a ring, mounted on a pole that also goes through the center of the circle - it's shaped like two P's back-to-back. That's as good as a U-staple for upright cycles, and also works really well for LOW cycles like my old tadpole (I just locked to the upright post, rather than the ring - since you can't pull a lock up past that ring, it's still a secure locking point).
Agreed, one of my rides is a tadpole trike!
Thank you, this! I'd love to see Tom demonstrate most of these racks' failures with something like my step-through bike. Or a longtail with kids' seats and full panniers. Or a cargo bike or trike. Or even an e-bike; they're getting more popular in my area because they help with hills, but they're 20 lbs heavier because of the battery, and nobody's "lifting" those up to park. And show the *actual* locking up process on each rack type - I was taught that for best theft protection, you need to have your U-lock go through both your frame and your back wheel, and some of the racks he praised I would find it difficult to properly secure my bike to.
@@LynneBaer TBH, I hadn't even considered the a step-through, but now that you've mentioned them ... :)
Please come to the Netherlands again some time and see how we do it now. The Dutch are experts at having as much space for bike parking as possible.
The TrainStation in the city of Zwolle has almost no parking for cars (I think less than 100) but an underground parking garage for 5800 bikes. And the first 24 hours are free.
3:56 These are actually very close to the racks you will find in the Netherlands. They are IMAO the best kind of rack for on street parking.
Here in Kraków, Poland the reverse U is the only shape approved to use by local authority on roads (it took years of work from local cycling community to convince the city officials to use them) and more and more are installed. However, private properties like shops, office buildings use whatever they like.
The U shape is so simple and easy to use that this sounds like a good decision. If only private property owners would get on board.
@@Shifter_Cycling Actually more and more do. There's a supermarket near me that has great reverse U racks padded with rubber on sides that prevents the frame from scratching - it's the best rack I've used so far. Bad bike racks are there because people that decide what to use have no idea what works and what not. If they're given a good example to follow, like the city using consistently one type of rack they are likely to choose the same. I can see it happening already.
here at University of California Irvine we have lots of these front loading racks and there is always at least one front tire left behind, u-locked on, just to prove that they're useless
Kinda crazy considering Irivne has awesome bike lanes.
you need to get a light carbon bike so you can manage the 600lbs extra of chain you need to lock your bike ;)
I live in Michigan, USA. My city is probably one of the most hostile to biking. Our shopping center is cut off from the neighborhoods. If you want to bike or walk, you have to brave a tiny sliver of sidewalk with no barrier between you and 45mph traffic, that's also under a bridge and unlit. Also, there are no bike racks anywhere.
This sounds awful, but most cities were like this not too long ago. Hopefully yours can make changes too
I live in Michigan as well, in the Kalamazoo area. Not sure how bad it is compared to other places, but it's certainly not great. I lock my bike to a cart corral where I work.
Cincinatti suburbs are bad too. To get to White gate mall one has to cross the interstate with a narrow walking path.
I completely agree about front loading racks.i feel like they were designed by someone who doesn't have a bike. I LOVE the n shaped bike racks. But my flat building has a bike storage room (which is GREAT) I wish it wasn't just front loading bike racks because it's really hard to lock your bike properly
Private storage rooms or bike lockers are amazing.
What I'd like to see is a rack bar attached to a building about 32 to 40 inches above the ground out 6 to 9 inches. As it wouldn't hinder snow removal. It is minimal infrastructure, minimal interference, and minimal space! As a plus it is there 12 months per year!
I always loaded my bike into those racks rear-wheel first and locked through the rear triangle.
Practically speaking, my favourite type of rack is the sort of 'M' shape, as I think it gives the most opportunities to lock properly and tightly, no matter what type of bike frame style you have. I don't really like ones with square cross-sections like 5:10 though, it makes it more difficult to lock to and always leaves some empty space in a D lock to be attacked.
On the more stylish side off things a small number of car parking spots around London have been replaced by bike racks, but they put a metal silhoutte of a car, emphasising the huge space
efficiency gains of bikes versus them.
As an aside, how do you tolerate no gloves and rolled up sleeves while it's cold enough for snow to settle?
That's northerners for ya. I'm from a place that gets to -30F so 30s is just hoodie weather 😁
Also it looks like it's mostly melted so the temps could have swung into the high 50s by that point.
The secret to keeping warm while it's cold enough for snow is to start a rant at the bottom of a hill!
@@captaincaveman8532 in places along the east face of the Rockies the temperature changes can be crazy. I assume you mean 50F, rather than 50C, but temperatures in mid 20's are possible when it was snowing the previous day. One day in Boulder CO we were drinking beer in bathing suits with no shirts at lunch and there was 10cm of snow on the chairs by supper time.
I couldn't help but notice that none of the racks you showed were actually in use
it's because he lives in Calgary. where it fu$#%# snows 8 months a year.
Yeah I mean looking at the rest of their bike infrastructure I'm not surprised.
It has nothing to do with snow, biking in snow is fine and safe as long as it's taken care of as well as the car infrastructure.
@@squelchedotter which it isn't taken care of, hence why noone ride bikes in calgary where it snows 8 months a year.
@@michaelxcx well it snows alot in parts of sweden, but ppl still ride their bikes. its 100% up to the infrastructure. if its good ppl start taking their bike. Sure less ride in the winter but i dont see much snow on the video.
Unless you're riding with a 15lb chain, locking a bike at a rack is basically making a donation to local organized crime where I'm from. They'll be on it with an angle grinder pretty quick.
I commute to work by bike and ride recreationally, and I find it really annoying that the barrier to running errands or meeting friends via bike isn't infrastructure or fitness it's theft. Total BS.
I read somewhere that the US has TEN parking spaces for every car!
What really annoys me is when there supermarket with bike parking but no safe route into the actual supermarket complex on a bike. parking lots and car intersections are so dangerous because it where people are rushing, and yet no clear route in for bikes!
My bike commuter husband has had to have the bike parking conversation, complete with references to city codes about how they have to be under cover (we are in Oregon), multiple times. Fortunately, we have a good advocacy group active here, and the city has a Bicycle Advisory Committee, so our area is improving parking, lanes, and multi use paths every few years. Adult commuters have it better than they used to, but kids still can't ride to school in most cases.
at the 3:00 mark, I try to use my back wheel in as it doesn't tip over much and is a bit less likely to bend a wheel.
Yes, good suggestion. But if you have a rack or panniers back there, it can be a tight fit.
@@Shifter_Cycling Also difficult to squeeze in behind the handlebars when it's time to unlock your bike. And heaven help you if other bikes are backed in on either side of yours!
Great presentation. Great edit too! I don’t understand why you don’t have 5 times as many subscribers
Haha. Thank you. We're growing, but slowly!
with the school one, depending on the height, I've just gone to putt my wheel and frame over the top. yes there is the possibility of scratching the under downtube, and it wont work if you have fenders, but there's a decent fix.
Yes, did that at university. Another method is to put the rear tire in the rack and put the u-lock through the rear triangle. I used a cable to secure the front wheel to the u-lock. Not a great method for a big city, but worked well enough for campus.
In Japan I saw lots of bicycle parkings, both public and privately owned. They are near schools and train stations. Some were 3-level concrete car-park-like structures. And around those bicycle parkings there are lots of shops and pubs and grocery strores etc... Riding bicycle and public transic is made very convenient. Lots of people ride from home to the train station and ride the train to work.
About time someone addressed this. I tend to use the stop or other signs, saplings, railings or the humped edge of a crappy rack that actually works when the rack doesn't. I have seen a few rare better ones. I have always accepted this condition more than other peeves because it represented my bad fit in a messed up world and the saplings and such just made me happy--a place to fit because there wasn't one made. It me feel smart because bike racks were so dumb, but there were other ways.
When I was growing up, all there was were the “front loaders.” When I got my first U-lock I quickly learned to lift my front wheel over the top of the rack to lock my bike to it. Now I ride a Brompton, so I don’t lock my bike up anymore. I fold it up and bring it in with me.
I usually used those by loading the bike in backwards and locking through the rear triangle. Only problem is you still have to protect the front wheel from theft. (Maybe we shouldn't make bikes so easy to take apart?)
Important topic. Bike corrals (e.g., curbside auto parking spot take-over) are also useful in city conditions. I will just add that it would be great if the bike rack designers would take into account that modern bikes are no longer lightweight road bikes. That many urban/city bikes have wide, flat-style handlebars, wide tires (2.3 inch and wider), racks with panniers or child seats, large diameter downtubes (e.g., e-bikes), and can also include cargo bikes - both long-tails and bakfiets style.
Yeah it can be real tough finding a good way to park/lock my Radrunner with 4" fat tires. With the front loaders my tires usually don't fit and I have to park it at an angle so it doesn't stick out too far.. which sometimes isn't always an option because they place other structures in the way i.e vending machines, ice boxes, mailboxes, etc.
Yeah, at the college I work at they have two-level front-loading racks (meant to stagger the handlebar heights) and the gaps are too narrow for the tires on my e-bike. It's not a "fat tire" bike but it has wide cruiser-style tires.
Exactly: This needs improvement in every journey step of the day so people consider it as day to day mean of transport:
It starts at the front door: In my case the bike is parked safely in a nice rack in the street, using frame lock and U lock / chain lock for quick and safe unlocking. This level of accessibility makes it always faster than walking. Back in Germany I used to have my bike in the basement or 3rd floor on the wall, using a complicated folding lock - 2 accessibility thresholds.
🏫 University: Bicycle parking in the basement
🚉 Train station: Bicycle parking right on the way to the tracks (no time lost compared to walking) - major stations have guarded parking with repair centres / water refill / toilets etc.
🌇 City center: Guarded parking in the city center. No parking, neither for bicycles or cars right in front of stores to maintain walkability
🏖 Beach: Bicycle parking right at the beach - cars don't get to the nice spots.
🏪 Supermarket: Yes, bicyclists can park right in the front. Most people have front carriers, so they can do grocery shopping by bike, drop it in the crate and leave.
It needs to be end to end - and it needs to be well connected. Just, you know, same infrastructure as there is for cars - At least.
Great comment. Thanks for sharing
thank you for your service
Great video. Thank you. I started a riding, repair, and advocacy group in my hometown called #BicycleVacaville. This is one of the issues that I plan on bringing up with our mayor and city councilmembers.
Good for you. Good luck in your advocacy! Good bicycle advocacy is so important. That's where real change starts.
@@Shifter_Cycling Thanks for the reply. If you are ever in the S.F. Bay Area, be sure to check out this bike ride. We made this video last year. ua-cam.com/video/YReSH1kB1Vk/v-deo.html
My supermarket uses the bike rack to stack things around. Brilliant! :P
... at least they HAVE a bike rack to talk to the manager about not blocking.
I don't know of any within fifteen miles of me, that have ANY rack at all, not even a small at a break area, meant for employees.
Why do they not have a bike rack in the entry way instead of the often shoplifted snack foods
This is why people in The Netherlands have two bike. One old cheap bike to run errands, and one nice bike for weekend rides!
Netherlands sucks. Fool’s bike paradise.
I love your optimism.
Some days it's a struggle, but I genuinely think we're making progress
2:21 funny because my school deemed riding to school “too dangerous” and gave everyone who rode to school detention after they banned it. I pray to god they lifted that Ban 😢
Came to think of it, next to our railway station is a free carpark for commuters. There are also free bike racks and a locked bike shed where we can park or bikes safe from thieves, but using the bike shed requires an entrance card that we have to pay for.
For the front loading bike racks at the school, lift your front wheel over the top. Top of the rack ends up between your wheel and your down tube, and you can then out a lock through the rack, the frame, and even include the wheel.
I'm having trouble visualising this. Doesn't this mean you have to precariously balance the bike on top of the rack?
As someone who is 5'0", this is at best a difficult maneuver with my average shape and size bike. It only gets more difficult if you ride a cargo bike, or an e-bike, and impossible if you're on a trike. And then the problems with the handlebars taking up multiple spaces remains. Better to just put the staple/U racks in in the first place and accommodate a higher number of all shapes and sizes of bikes.
@@adityapathak5761 , so once over the top of the rack, the back side of the front wheel will still slot into the bike rack,so it balances well. I found a web page that shows a picture, hopefully UA-cam allows the link.
"Two Ways to Securely Lock Your Bike on a Comb Rack" lifehacker.com/two-ways-to-securely-lock-your-bike-on-a-comb-rack-1644304400
@@LynneBaer Hi Lynne. Good point on the ebike and cargo bikes. I wasn't defending the design of the rack, just offering a hack that allows you to lock up the frame of the bike if this type of rack is your only option. Your mileage may vary with a cargo bike, of course.
In any case locking your bike like this was common practice in my university and even shorter people could do it. They just used their rear brake and moved backward to lift the front wheel up, walk up to the bike rack, and again use the rear brake and moved forward to lower the bike onto the rack. Barely any lifting necessary, as the movement necessary to lift the handlebars is achieved by walking forward or backward with the rear brake activated rather than lifting vertically.
The downside is that it CAN scratch up the bottom of your down tube.
@@rcranes2227 correct. only way to use these racks... but I hate them.
We added a new grocery store in our neighborhood. Being the local bike guy in our municipality, I asked that they install bike racks which they assured me they would do. When the store opened I biked over to do some shopping, couldn’t find a bike rack anywhere. When I said I could find a rack the store manager said well they said they put one in. Two days later we found it, completely surrounded hidden by skids of plant mix garden manure etc
Exactly!
Bicycle parking is sooo important and here in Germany we have those front loading racks e v e r y w h e r e, especially if it's a private business, they often have bike racks but almost always it's the front loading type.
They also very often don't fit tires above 1.8" which is very annoying.
It's also almost impossible to lock the frame in most of these racks with my 1.1m (3.5 ft) folding lock, unless I back into them, but due to having a hefty rear rack that doesn't always fit.
I especially love the rack you show at 5:08, so elegant, inconspicuous and delivering everything you need!
Yes, I didn't even mention the problems with locking wider wheels. Thanks for the reminder!
Bingo! One of the reasons I bought my bike was so I could use my bike to run to the grocery store or convenience store. The larger grocery stores do have bike racks but they inevitably locate those bike racks in some obscure location where there are no security cameras and they are not really safe from thieves.
At one point I even called the Frys Food/Kroeger main office to ask about this. They were polite about taking my call but I seriously doubt that they really give a shit because it's not likely that they'll ever ride their bikes to one of their own stores.
I ride an E-Bike. It cost just under two-grand. I mention this not to show off but to show the loss I'd incur if it were to be stolen. In short; I only ride my bike to places where I can keep an eye on it while I'm out. It's a damn shame because I know that if more businesses would cater to bicycle riders it could only improve their businesses.
I think that the bike riding community would do well to make a concerted effort to inform local businesses that we're here, we have money to spend but if we have to suffer a loss like having our bikes stolen while spending money at their establishment then it's best that we stay away from their stores or shops or whatever.
I don't really think about this often, but bike parking is indeed really important. There is not really a point in having nice cycle lanes if you can't just trust that there is decent parking infront of or near shops and stations/bus stops. I like the "staple" style racks as well, they're quite common in the Netherlands these days. Your bike doesn't easily fall over in them and you can also easily lock the frame to them which is really important if you're gone for a while. These front loaded "fence" type things aren't really a thing here afaik.
Some types you'll see in the Netherlands:
- Front loading Low: www.google.com/search?q=fietsrek&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiNndL1woXwAhWN4bsIHdgECD4Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=fietsrek&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyAggAMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeOgQIIxAnUNceWKMiYM4jaABwAHgAgAFLiAHIApIBATWYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=HvV6YI2WDo3D7_UP2Img8AM&bih=1329&biw=2560#imgrc=t57rVmB1hFa56M
These were really popular, but you'll see them being replaced everywhere. I think because you can't really lock you frame to them and your bike can fall over and bend its front wheel (actually happend to me, bye bye 90 euros).
- Front loading High: www.google.com/search?q=fietsrek&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiNndL1woXwAhWN4bsIHdgECD4Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=fietsrek&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyAggAMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeMgQIABAeOgQIIxAnUNceWKMiYM4jaABwAHgAgAFLiAHIApIBATWYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=HvV6YI2WDo3D7_UP2Img8AM&bih=1329&biw=2560#imgrc=ufIeqLb4eVFp8M
These or something similair is what is often placed as new in a lot of places these days. It's like the low one, but with a extra bit sticking out which keeps your bike in place and you can lock your bike to it. These ones, like the ones before can also be found in a configuration where you could use them from both side.
- Hanging: www.google.com/search?q=fietsrek+hangen&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjc0qf4woXwAhV8z7sIHbgsCUkQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=fietsrek+hangen&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECAAQHjoGCAAQChAYUMvsFViy9RVgnfcVaABwAHgAgAFAiAGjA5IBATeYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=I_V6YJy1Mvye7_UPuNmkyAQ&bih=1329&biw=2560#imgrc=57abH-5K7AN_4M
These were new at my old school like 8 years ago. You hang your handle bars in them which make it almost impossible to fall over, but you can't really lock your frame to them. That's probably why you'll find them at high schools or other places that are guarded so you wouldn't need to lock your bike to anything. And unlike maybe something like the "staple" style these won't damage your bike's paint in any way.
- Stacking racks: www.google.com/search?q=fietsrek+stapel&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjo1JikxIXwAhXLwLsIHUdnCAsQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=fietsrek+stapel&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1DCuA5Yvr0OYIW_DmgAcAB4AIABY4gBigOSAQE2mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=jPZ6YOjeEcuB7_UPx86hWA&bih=1329&biw=2560#imgrc=Yb_SW_NzbtYvQM
This is the last one that I can really think of. They can be found at almost every train station throughout the country now I think (unless it's a reaaaaly small one maybe). The issue with stations and bicycles in the Netherlands is that there are just loads of people that come by bike which might not sound like an issue at first, but at some point you just don't have the space to put down more of the front loading racks in the same way that car parking just uses up massive amounts of space. That's where these stacking models come in and the guarded underground parking garages. You can imagine that when you're taking the train you'll probably be gone for a bit, so it's not neccesary to be able to quickly get your bike in and out. So having to decend or accent one even more levels and then finding an empty rack, pulling it out, putting your bike on it, locking it and then lifting it up is something people are willing to do.
I think about this all the time. Those school style racks are horrible b/c even my long coiled cable lock has a hard time reaching from frame to rack. My favorites are the staple style with some decorative features built into them.
To be aware of in Australia. Many posts that have parking signs and the like on them are now put in sockets with a small metal wedge holding them in. Useful to change them when a car backs into them but easy to pull out and steal a bike. If it's an expensive one it can be on the back of a ute and away.
At least there are racks around there. I’m getting frustrated with the lack of bike racks where I work. Most buildings / apartments I ride around don’t allow bikes to be parked on their ground. I can’t even use a stop sign on a pavement let alone a tucked away corner of a building. I’ve gotten citations for that.
A lot of the racks you showed (even from the ones you liked) have one proproblem: They are easy to remove by unscrewing the bolts. Sometimes if you do that, it is easy just to slip the rack out of the lock an deal with it later... And even if you can't separate the bike from the rack, you can lift the combination into a van, and deal with it later.
Yup this happens here, a lot. Along with unbolted sign posts.
Another thing that really annoys me with the wheel based racks - my bike never fits!
If I'm out on my road bike then generally I can get away with it, but if I'm riding my mtb which has larger tires the racks are ALWAYS too narrow 🤦 It's not the 90s anymore, we've moved past everyone having 28mm tires please someone design something that works for every bicycle
In high school I used to pick locks and move the bike to the other side of the rack or to a different rack and re-lock with their lock. That was my idea of fun.
My university has the wmwm lookin ones and I love them. They're wide enough to just ride your bike right into, and you can get your bike up far enough to lock the whole frame in. The best style in my opinion.
The second rack is an old style rack that's made to just lock the wheel to the thin vertical bars. It's basically a bike rack designed by someone who has no idea how bikes or bike locks work.
I've seen people break the single u shape racks out of the concrete. Usually cheaply bolted into the ground.
Here in the states the oil lobby makes sure we are all driving cars ☹️
The rack where your bike tipped is intended for rear wheel entry not front wheel, although most cyclists fail to use those properly.
Use of trees and poles is frowned upon and facility staff are usually tasked with immediate removal by cutting the lock or the frame or both, without any care towards your abandoned property.
Also the racks at the office tower by the step only needs to be rotated 90° to be fully functional. That is more likely the fault of the installer, not the design!
I would like to see a bike parking spot per the first one or two wheel chair "disability" parking spots and one per every four disability spots there after. They should be close to the doors in the same area as the disabled parking.
Locally I promoted having a front bike rack, immediatly in front of the doors between the two disabled parking spots at a Tim Horton's location in Moncton that was up for redevelopment, I presented at city council and I was advised by the lawyers from Timmies, that they would charge me through civil court for the costs involving any delays in the project! Due to lack of resources and knowledge, I backed down, knowing the laws I may not back off today!
Toronto actually has a relatively good setup. Besides sketchy areas etc, the downtown core generally has really frequent & municipally adequate racks
That’s why u park backwards in some.
Some racks are full with bikes that where abandoned.
For the school bike rack, put your front wheel over the top bar of the rack. Able to lock frame and front wheel.
Nowadays you see a lot of TuliP bikeracks in the Netherlands. They. Are. Great. Has an opening for bikechains, and the density of bikes next to one another is really good. They can also be place back to back pretty easily
The problem where I am is that delivery people at restaurants take up all of the bike parking if they put it near restaurants. Also, often a more crowded area is less safe because a thief can blend in more.
To anybody locking to the front wheel rack. How I do those is I place the back wheel thru the slot, I put the u-lock thru my back wheel, the back triangle of the frame, and the rack. Then I use a cable going thru my front wheel connected to the U-lock. My bike hasn't been messed with like this so far.
You're a bike philosopher. Cities should hire you as a planner and execute on your ideas. I love your tips. It's all the nuances that make the differences. Thank you for putting out all these great videos 👍🏻 Cheers from İstanbul
In my experience oddly enough some of the worst bike racks are in front of bike shops. If they even have one, which they often don’t. I
LA Metro (Los Angeles) has bike lockers at train/bus stations. They do leave your bike out of sight where thieves can't see if there is a bike in the locker. Problem: You need to rent them in advance and only one person has access.
I load in back first in those 'front loading' ones. It still sucks but your bike is propped upright better and you can lock through the rear wheel and triangle.
Edit: The U racks are usually the best for whats common by me.
I would take a lousy bike rack over no bike rack. I wanted to try a different place to get my haircut, but the strip shops had zero bike parking other than a few skinny trees near the car parking. I went on to another shop that I knew had a decent bike rack. People like to talk about being green, but when it comes to decent secure bicycle parking, crickets. My bicycle is over 10 years old and 99% of the time I use 2 different styles of locks as the thought of getting my beloved bike stolen while being away from it is scary. I no longer want to own a car, so my bike and I go everywhere I need to be. Thank you for making this video.
In the UK the upside down U bike stand is standard. Most cities and town centres have them including supermarkets, libraries and schools /colleges. They experimented on other types many years ago and settled on these. They're usually placed near front doors. My local bike stands can be seen from inside the supermarkets and is as close as the disabled parking spots making it more convenient than regular cars to shop.
This was very interesting. I loved that Beltline rack.
The most hilarious thing ever, I went to a bike shop to get something specific, and they didn’t even have a bike rack to lock your bike. How ridiculous is that? I did what I had to, I brought it inside the store. If it’s a choice between locking it to something solid or just itself, I’ll leave, and order the thing from Amazon or another place. A bike locked to itself isn’t locked.
Sounds like the bike shop you visited doesn't consider bikes to be a form of actual transportation. They must be too focused on their mountain biker and spandex-clad customers.
@@stuartwithers8755 it was a Trek store. The manger said it was actually a directive from corporate. Considering I have never seen a bike rack at any Trek store I've been to, I don't doubt him. They just want you to drop off for repair or to buy, nothing else.
@@david78212 that is very interesting…. Wonder what the rationale could be…. maybe something involving fear of some kind of liability in case of whatever…
@@PRH123 I don't know but I can guess based on experience. I put bike racks outside my store (not a bike store I just love cycling and wanted to do my bit to encourage it) I even put a friendly "Customer bike parking" sign up. But what actually happened was commuters used them and I would find the same 3-4 bikes locked up there day in, day out, all day. When I noticed one Sunday morning that 2 of the "regulars" had the audacity to leave their locks attached in such away that it blocked others from using the rack, I saw red and ripped them out. One even had the balls to come and ask for his lock back, he got it, both halves.
@@chris1275cc I see, one could understand them though I suppose, it’s often hard to find a good place to lock up, and if there’s a rack right there…. Maybe you could ask for a small monthly fee for commuter parking on the rack..? Could be a whole new line of business.. or pay for some beer at least :)
I always try to put my bike backwards into every bike rack so that I can lock my rear wheel (because I’ve got an eBike with a rear motor). Maybe locking the frame would be more intelligent, though. Anyway, the only kind of bike rack I’m really scared of are the ones that are pretty low but still high enough that they could touch my bike’s disc brakes. A bike shop mechanic once told be to be careful of them, they can bend your disc brakes!
Thank you Tom!
Very true, nobody wants to risk their pride and joy, we're trying to set up a bicycle crèche in our city. Leicester City in the UK has a secure hub.
Critical part of biking experience. My favourite is what you called the staple at minute 4:00. Cheap & cheerful, yet solid. Easy to use, accommodates many different shapes & sizes of bikes.
The Beltline sign & parking was very cool, critically because it looked like it actually worked well too. Much respect for it!
Those front loading racks I rear load. Makes it easier to secure the frame, but it does due to handlebars then make it a pita to get the bike out. I have to unlock mine by walking around the rack and reaching over normally as you can't walk between the tightly packed bikes.
I think the other issue with bike racks is liability. If they install a bike rack and bikes get stolen people will try to sue them. Or just damage and break the racks if it is easier to cut through the rack than the lock.
I like the tour of Calgary. I have been to Canada but never Alberta.
I really like the idea of using bike racks as bollards to separate pedestrian and automobile traffic where there is no street parking. Put a bike rack in the space between every street tree and in no time there would be a ton of bike parking. This of course only applies to good streets.
Love this idea.
The British town that I live in installed quite good bike racks, then got complaints that vision impaired people would trip over them. They got moved to places more out of sight, which is better for thieves. Then disappeared. Now in town, I lock my bike on railings protecting pedestrians from the road.
It's definitely a tough balance. I can't imagine having bikes locked to railings is the best option for anyone.
To be fair those railings are really good to lock your bike to (probably not the most sightly) but very easy to do....
Supposedly the Sheffield variation (with a low crossbar about 5-10cm above ground level) are safer for visually impaired people, but mainly those who use white canes, because the cane will contact the crossbar. Better planning about location, surrounding structures and/or contrasting colours would also help. I've noticed lots of bike stands going in locally between raised planting beds with seating around them, so the bike parking is recessed off the main pathway.
I’ve thought about this - have a (heat-treated) high-carbon steel, 1 inch cross section round or square, in an upside-down “u” with long legs. These are to be embedded in concrete, no bolts…. These are intended to be inexpensive to make and install, then be hard to cut through with a portable angle grinder…
Very important issue. 🍀
@5:13 is one of the best designs. Takes up very little room when not in use.
Completely agreed.
I'm watching you complain about "terrible bike racks" in your city while I live in a city with no bike racks. I would love to have your terrible bike racks. I have to lock my bike to a pole or something similar. I agree though improvement is always good. Awesome videos and keep up the good work!
Great video, thank you! Another issue with bike racks that I've noticed is when I was living in the UK and a bike rental company just started: they took over all the bike racks with their fleet! It'd be ok if it were just because of an increase in cyclists due to using their bikes and people started using more racks, but no it was that the company just decided to take over the best spots for themselves every morning. There was no way you could park in front of the public library for example, all 20ish racks turned orange. I don't think public infrastructure should be taken over by private companies. Eventually the company went bankrupt because their bikes were poorly maintained so noone rented them, and instead the local youth would steal the bikes, saw the locks off and paint them.
I think that ride sharing is the ultimate solution to the bike parking issue but it also comes with a whole host of its own issues.
All the bad racks you showed? That's most of the bike parking around here; not that there's much. As for that transit stop, the racks are great, but what are the chances of returning to find your bike still there? Not high.
But thanks for drawing my attention to the lack in commercial areas; Old Town Eureka, next to the Eureka Waterfront Trail, doesn't really have any. I'll investigate and bring it up to the city.
In London, the issue is not just provision of bike parking but also safety. With battery powered angle grinders getting cheaper and smaller, it’s so easy for thieves to steal bikes (a useful commodity thanks to the pandemic) in broad daylight and no one will challenge them. I’ve seen a few empty shops converted into bike parks, with double level stands, and safety in numbers there is definitely a positive - even though you can walk into the shop freely, you’d noticed someone trying to angle grind a lock amongst 100 or so bikes. Not being able to safely lock your bike without fear of it being stolen is a huge barrier to utility cycling in the UK.
You're right and it is the same in America. I constantly worry about my bike (even though it's cheap) and breathe a sigh of relief when I get out and it's still there. I'd really try to stop any theft in progress because theft is such a problem and prevents people from usingbikes in the city. But, let's say that the thief is using his angle grinder and I throw something at him. Well, I might get charged with assault and he'd probably get off scot free. So it is a difficult situation. Would probably start by accosting the thief, then calling the police, although they might not do anything. In that case I'd start bellowing at the top of my lungs and yeah, maybe throwing stuff at them.
Bike theft is a huge problem. Stay tuned, I’m working on something about this
@@Shifter_Cycling Great, looking forward to seeing what you have to say... love all your videos!
My favorite example of bad bicycle parking is all the bone racks that are too small for my 27" tires.
Thanks for making this video, and cheers from Winnipeg! I just had a bad experience with bike parking at a local patio that claims to be bike friendly, so I plan to pass this on too explain it to them
As a recumbent trike rider I hate decorative bike racks like at 5:18, they are usually made without any consideration to unusual "bikes". The U and staple shapes provide the most compatibility I think.