Bicycle stands

[tgame]

Felixstowe is fortunate in that there are plenty of bicycle stands around, at supermarkets, town square, and outside the public library. But they are all stands such as I would never use, just holding the bike upright by means of the front wheel being held in a slot of some kind. Even those with generous upright iron bars holding the full diameter of the wheel obviously put strain on that most delicate part of the whole bike, and I would never use them. The concrete slots at ground level are plainly an invention of the devil. What is member's experience with public stands? Do any exist that are sensibly designed to be actually usable?

 

[flecc]

I agree that they are terrible things Tony, which I would never use. The last one around here was at a Halfords branch where they should have known better, but that's long been got rid of.

All of our public ones for miles around here are like these Sainsburys ones, upright locking loops, often in stainless steel.

Very sensible, and our bike stands are mostly roofed over as this one is.
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[tgame]

upright locking loops, often in stainless steel.

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They do look very good. Wish we had them. Our council has provided the space but not understood the requirement.

It's the same with cycle paths. As the government insists that cycle tracks be provided so do our council provide them - by painting lines on the road! Cars drive in them, park in them, and bikes have gained nothing at all from their being there. Crazy.

 

[Jeremy]

At the campus where I used to work, the bike stands were a neat design with two big padded hooks, spaced a couple of inches apart, for each bike, hanging from a rail. To use the stand you simply picked up the front of the bike a few inches and slung the handlebars into the hooks.

The only snag was it didn't work at all for my 'bent, but then none of the others do either really, although I can just about chain it up to the lower style of ones like those linked above.

Jeremy

 

[flecc]

I have a simple solution when towing my very large trailer.

I jacknife the trailer alongside the bike and chainlock them together, right in the middle of a car parking bay.

Car drivers never object, even when bays are in short supply. In fact it causes a fair degree of interest and amusement.
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