What are your city bike racks like?

[AllAroundTheIsland]

I've asked this in another place, but I'm interested in hearing more answers. What do you guys think about the bike racks in your town?

I haven't had my bike very long, but so far I've had experience with 6 racks. I don't like any of them.

I've had racks that a fat tire won't fit into, except on the side and one side is too close to the wall. Racks that are made for two bikes but one side is up against a wall. Racks that have a moveable display that blocks of one or BOTH sides of the rack. And there where some that where pretty good but set too close to a flower bed and you end up with a wheel in the dirt, not bad but not well thought out.

When I was thinking about a bike I hadn't thought about actually using the racks in my town, I was just thinking "Oh yay! I can use the racks by these stores!"

Do you people like the racks in your town? Do you use them? Do you hate them but have found something that works for you? I'm really interested to know!

 

[fooferdoggie]

most here in portland are the upside down u shaped so you don't have to worry about fitting a tire in the home in all shapes and sizes. you don't get as many bikes but they are easy to use. we have bike shaped ones and all kinds of cool ones.

 

[RGVCycling]

I got the local grocery store (H-E-B) to agree to install a bike rack. Target has one but it is no where near the front of store. The local library also has them but they took the Target practice and put it far from the entrance. I need to work on Home Depot.

 

[RunForTheHills]

I got the local grocery store (H-E-B) to agree to install a bike rack. Target has one but it is no where near the front of store. The local library also has them but they took the Target practice and put it far from the entrance. I need to work on Home Depot.

I would think that a warehouse like Home Depot would be okay with you bringing your bike inside with you.

 

[RGVCycling]

I would think that a warehouse like Home Depot would be okay with you bringing your bike inside with you.

I don't know about that. Our Home Depot is hopping with people coming and going. I think a bike(s) would get in the way of the foot traffic but I'll be happy for a secure place to lock up.

 

[theemartymac]

Here in Victoria, it's all over the map. The newer diagonal city racks downtown are fine and wide enough for a fat bike, but the majority of older style racks at businesses are not. I've been forced to lock the front fork only for short trips because I just can't get the bike close enough with a U lock. I plan to grab a folding lock for a little more versatility when needed, but generally I'm left hoping the "end" position is available when I get where I am going.

I would love to see more pop-up bike valet services during peak season too.

 

[antboy]

Here in Toronto our racks are mainly posts with circles...

The city has rolled out a "bike locker" program, but there's a massive waiting list.

 

[RunForTheHills]

The city has rolled out a "bike locker" program, but there's a massive waiting list.

When I was commuting to work a few years go for a contract in Concord, CA (not as bad as Oakland, but an area with a lot of bike thieves), I rented a bike locker from the property management company that ran the office building I worked in. It was $10/mo and totally worth it. I never had to worry about theft or weather.

 

[fooferdoggie]

here is the rack at the e bike store.

 

[RGVCycling]

here is the rack at the e bike store.
View attachment 88876

Our library has something similar but larger. I should get a picture of it.

 

[mschwett]

ours are all over the place - it would be very unusual for any block with shops or offices to not have a few on the sidewalk - but they're typically just an upside down metal U or O, one bike per side. the old-school kind of bike "rack" where you slide the front tire into a series of vertical bars is something i haven't seen in a very long time except in front of a few sporting goods stores.

i prefer the upside down "O" to the "U" since it allows more vertical choice in lock position. i understand they're square in cross section rather than round to be harder to cut, but they really aren't meant for long term storage anyway. not my pic:

my U-lock (granit xplus 54 mini) fits around the vertical steel post of our parking meters too, so that's where i lock up 75% of the time.

SFMTA typically installs an average of 500-600 bike racks annually.

But at the urging of Mandelman, and with funding secured from new city programs, SFMTA will increase that rate to 100 bike racks installed per month, or 1,200 annually.

 

[6zfshdb]

I don't know about that. Our Home Depot is hopping with people coming and going. I think a bike(s) would get in the way of the foot traffic but I'll be happy for a secure place to lock up.

On more than one occasion, I've seen bikes locked to a couple of shopping carts in the Home Depot parking lot.

 

[fooferdoggie]

On more than one occasion, I've seen bikes locked to a couple of shopping carts in the Home Depot parking lot.

I have seen that too.

 

[tomdutchie]

Here (Utrecht, Netherlands) we (because of the number of bikes) have lots of parking for bikes (50% of traffic is done by bike, going shopping/station would be more).

Funny question, because I tend not to think about it that often: so I did a little research on all different racks/facilities in my town

Most shops/streets have simple racks, where only the front of the bike fits in (most of the bikes only have ring-lock, so nothing to connect to bike to used)

Because the width/forms of bikes tense to change (different handles, crates on front, cargo-bikes, fat tires) and they all seem to get more cables (brake, gears, computers) on the front that is getting more and more tangled up. The solution on the street now seems to be: less/no more racks: just designate a place for bikes (signing on pavement) where it's allowed to park the bikes: that seems to work, but not as efficient (in space) as the racks are: and only working for bikes with stands and that don't use anything to connect them to.

In the center/station we also have about 15 bike parking lots, where the bike is kept secure for longer, there the racks are the 2 story variety [1 on top of other]: space-efficient, but less practical. (btw: the parking lot at the central station is biggest in the world: 12.500 capacity )

Because we don't all have a garage to put the bikes at home, and a front garden is a luxury that is non-typical for Utrecht, the municipality is also providing parking near houses: from the simple public ones (first picture) to a shared where up to 5 bike stays dry/secure. For this one, a car parking lot is taken, and the users pay about 5/month to use them. Alternative can be a neighborhood parking lot (now about 2.000 capacity in total): then municipality is making a dry parking lot where you can take a subscription on. That is of course all depending on the neighborhood in size/racks.

To be honest: I never knew the municipality would be making private/shared parking for bikes available [also don't need], but in the bigger picture it makes sense: to make biking more popular.

 

[BlackHand]

Seattle has mostly a mix of the upside down U and the converted parking meter posts like in antboy's picture. We do have a parking squid pretty close to my work neighborhood but I haven't used it yet.

I went to a new PT doctor last week and asked the admin about a bike rack because I couldn't find one on my way in. She told me that the building had it removed a few years ago but I was welcome to bring my bike in to the office and park it there. Then came the But: "But if it's wet or muddy....we'll have you wheel it into our kitchen instead. The floor in there is easier to clean." Wow.