Trailhead Design
SECURE BIKE PARKING
By Alex Tsatsoulis, via the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition blog
Getting your bike stolen can be devastating, especially if it’s your primary way of getting around. While you can minimize your risk by using a quality lock, and increase your chance of getting a stolen bike back by registering your bike with the police; where you park your bike matters too. We asked Andy Lageson, VP and General Manager of local company Dero Bike Racks about how they’re working to make bike parking more secure in Minneapolis.What are the most common reasons bikes get stolen in Minneapolis?
Andy: Making the right bike lock purchase is key to deter bike thieves. Using the wrong type of lock is the most common mistake made by cyclists. We recommend that people only use U-locks or non-cable bike locks, such as Kryptonite chains or the Abus folding locks. Never use just a cable lock; they are quickly and easily cut. A cable lock should only be used in conjunction with a U-lock or chain. It’s also important to be aware of what you’re locking your bike to and how you’re securing your bike. No matter what, always lock your bike – I know it’s tempting to run into your favorite store and leave the bike unlocked for a minute, but it’s just not a good idea…always lock your bike, even if it’s just for 30 seconds. A lot of theft occurs because of this split-second decision.Recently The Oregonian ran an article about a new trend in bike thieves cutting through bike racks to steal bikes. Has that been an issue you’ve seen with bike racks in Minneapolis? Are the racks Portland uses similar to the Dero racks the City of Minneapolis uses?
Andy: I think we’ve been pretty lucky in the Twin Cities metro area. We haven’t met with these types of issues here much. Based on the photo from the article, someone used a pipe cutter to steal the bike. (Counter to the article’s assumption, the cut is too smooth to be a saw.) Portland uses a bike rack manufacturer in the Northwest that uses a lighter gauge material for their racks – they probably used this based on cost issues. The bike racks that Dero manufactures use a heavier duty schedule 40 steel pipe. Both racks are susceptible to a pipe cutter, but a heavier duty rack will take longer to cut and may deter bike thieves. Another issue is that the bike racks use round pipe, which thieves can cut with a pipe cutter. Any racks that are inverted-U racks or hoop racks made with round pipe are at risk to pipe cutting. The Dero Bike Hitch Rack that the City of Minneapolis uses won’t work with pipe cutters, since the pipe cutting tool can’t spin all the way around the locking arms (this is good news).One of the suggestions in that article is filling bike racks with concrete to make them more secure. Is that something Dero has considered, and what other technologies might work better to stop bike thieves?
Andy: We’ve experimented with filling our Hoop Racks internally with concrete and that was a nightmare. It’s not economical, takes a lot of labor and time, and has to be done onsite at the installation location. A better option is to weld a chain on the inside of an inverted-U bike rack from end to end. We have manufactured a large amount bike racks for the City of Los Angeles and have included a chain welded to the inside of the rack. Pipe cutters can cut the outer pipe, but won’t be able to get through the interior chain. The chain acts as a separate safety feature.Beyond locking to a secure rack, what other advice would you give people looking to secure their bikes in the best manner possible?
Andy: If a bike rack isn’t available to lock to, make sure the structure you choose is made of steel, is strong and durable, isn’t bolted together (bolts can be removed), and is firmly installed to the ground or a wall. As a rule, remember to make sure your bike doesn’t impede pedestrian right of ways or access to buildings. For short-term parking, lock to a closed steel structure like a bike rack (not a tree or short sign post with no sign). Make sure that you can’t remove your lock from whatever you are locking to and at least one wheel to the bike rack is secured (this might not work for mini U-locks). For long-term parking, we recommend using a U-lock to lock the frame and one wheel (this might not work for mini-U-locks) and a cable lock to secure both wheels in place. Also, if the bicyclist has an expensive seat like a Brooks saddle, we recommend using a short chain to secure the saddle rails to the seat stays.Do you have any advice for businesses or others installing new secure bike parking on how to place it to minimize theft?
Andy: The best place for exterior bike parking is right next to the front entrance of a business. These locations usually offer window site lines, great lighting, and customer foot traffic, which all helps to keep thieves away. For interior settings like parking garages, bike rooms, and bike shelters, secure bike parking areas are the way to go. These facilities should consist of a fully enclosed room or cage with user key access, great lighting, and cameras. For home garages, locking it at night isn’t enough. Be sure to anchor a bike rack to the wall or ground and then lock your bike to it. Also install motion sensor lighting if you can. Dero along with other local retailers sell these types of products for home users. I highly recommend investing in these measures. It’s the worst when your bike is stolen – I know from personal experience.index
Yeah, we can do that.
CUSTOM BIKE RACKSINFORMATION + INSPIRATION
Bike Valet for the Inauguration a Smash Hit
Thousands of residents and visitors chose to make their way to the historic inauguration of our 44th president, Barack Obama, by bicycle. In what was a landmark day for America, and a record for transportation demand for our nation’s capital, bike valet proved remarkably successful. The inaugural bike valet, the first of its kind for a US president, was the largest bike valet in a single day ever in the US- over 2,000 bicyclists took advantage of the free service organized and run by WABA. In fact, over 50 bikes where parked at the north station on 16th & K streets before opening at 7am. The north station also had to close temporarily around 10:30am before expanding to an additional coral.
It was a smart choice to arrive by bike as traffic was greatly hampered by security and bridge closings. Metro is usually a great way to get around the city, but those who did noted the massive throngs onboard. Bike Valet staff & volunteers from WABA, Dero, and DDOT worked hard to ensure a high level of service throughout the day at both locations. We also asked a few participants why they chose to ride and what they thought of the service. See video below. Note, the bicycles took up an entire two lanes of a city block- a rare site in a US city. Updates and photos will be added soon.
Update: 1/26/09: Photo Albums available Dero: http://picasaweb.google.com/DeroBikeRacks/BikeValetForInauguration WABA: http://flickr.com/photos/waba/sets/72157612778271825/