Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => On The Road => Topic started by: vorsprung on 14 November, 2018, 06:12:29 pm

Title: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: vorsprung on 14 November, 2018, 06:12:29 pm
As recently installed at Tiverton Parkway

(https://i.imgur.com/CIKtHUL.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xOuuAkZ.jpg)

The top section slides back and then you are supposed to lift the bike on it at chest height

I've never seen all the old racks full at Tiverton Parkway.  I'm not even sure that this does provide more places to lock up than Sheffield stands

Oh, and the metal bit to lock up doesn't align terribly well for using a U lock
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: Ivo on 14 November, 2018, 06:17:22 pm
Standard fare at larger Dutch railway stations. The upper one tilts down once fully extended, works perfectly for me, I voluntarily even choose an upper berth for my bike.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: R_nger on 14 November, 2018, 08:19:08 pm
Seen them in Holland. And Hemel Hempstead. In fact they've been here for years and, in my limited experience, they're great.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 14 November, 2018, 08:28:44 pm
They've been installed at London train stations for years.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: Jurek on 14 November, 2018, 08:33:21 pm
^This.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 14 November, 2018, 08:46:04 pm
There's something very similar at Parkway too. As Ivo says, the top racks should sort of swing down to ground level. Probably easier (less hard) to do than a dangly train space! Unless these are a new half-arsed design which doesn't do that?
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: Kim on 14 November, 2018, 10:34:03 pm
My understanding is that this type of rack comes in two flavours: Decently Engineered, and Finest Cheese.

Which should be obvious after a year or so of use.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: Ham on 15 November, 2018, 08:52:01 am
They're also in Westfield (Stratford) which has a surprising amount of cycle parking.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: pdm on 15 November, 2018, 03:30:25 pm
Bzzzzt!

Repetition!

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=55441.msg1325146#msg1325146

After all, Sheffield has made a name for itself wrt bicycle parking???
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: Tim Hall on 15 November, 2018, 04:06:30 pm
Standard fare at larger Dutch railway stations. The upper one tilts down once fully extended, works perfectly for me, I voluntarily even choose an upper berth for my bike.

Beware the not fully extended upper deck spoinging back upwards and clouting the unwary cyclist a clip, causing an erruption of Bad Swears. DAMHIKT.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: ElyDave on 15 November, 2018, 04:16:04 pm
They've even reached as far as the Fens, I make sure I lock my bike whilst still wearing my helmet as I alway bang my noggin on the upper rack when using the lower one.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 15 November, 2018, 04:37:28 pm
Installed years ago in York. Also seen in Cambridge, Ely etc.

Strong people should use the top deck, leaving the lower deck for those not-so-strong.

Main defect with those racks is the spacing; two adjacent bikes with 'town' handlebars will tangle levers and cables.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: rr on 15 November, 2018, 10:02:12 pm
Also in large numbers, but still full, in Chelmsford.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: quixoticgeek on 16 November, 2018, 12:28:39 am


How quaint.

We've got a few tens of thousands of these in Utrecht. A nice idea, but I've not yet found the courage to lock any of my bikes up in a city centre, so have yet to use them for myself.

J
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: pumpkin on 16 November, 2018, 10:57:53 am
use them up here at Media city. They telescope out then pivot downwards. Load the bike in, pull up then slide shut and apply lock. They do benefit from occasional squirts of GT85 or similar product.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: fimm on 16 November, 2018, 11:10:12 am
I know we have them at Haymarket and Livingston North stations, and I assume elsewhere as well.
They're a pain to lock a bike to, if you have a D-lock.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: mattc on 16 November, 2018, 12:29:55 pm
We've had then since the station makeover. Never used them, just cos I haven't needed to park there for years.

Having had a bike nicked from the old station, I'm inclined to think your bike is much safer* on the upper deck than in "normal" parking. But perhaps I don't think like a bike thief - do we have any here to comment??

(Note "MUCH SAFER" - which does not mean IMMUNE TO THEFT ! )
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: SoreTween on 16 November, 2018, 03:26:43 pm
I think it was this type of rack at Reading station where locked up bikes were being nicked. The lock hoop is, or was, bolted on the side of the main rail.

Ah yes:
https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/bike-stolen-from-reading-station-along-with-part-of-the-rack/
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: mattc on 16 November, 2018, 07:25:01 pm
Oh dear  >:(

Can our Utrecht correspondent provide any data?
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: quixoticgeek on 16 November, 2018, 09:42:25 pm
Oh dear  >:(

Can our Utrecht correspondent provide any data?

(http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/6132/1664/320/83303/data.jpg)
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: vorsprung on 19 November, 2018, 04:17:25 pm
The upper one tilts down once fully extended

I will aggressively try and do this.  When I had an experimental play with it, this didn't seem to happen
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: arabella on 20 November, 2018, 11:44:25 am
Strong people should use the top deck, leaving the lower deck for those not-so-strong.
if only they did
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: vorsprung on 20 November, 2018, 12:11:47 pm
there were motorbikes parked on the concrete apron in front of all the racks, making it impossible to pull down the upper layer
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: PeteB99 on 20 November, 2018, 01:15:06 pm
Video from Bicycle Dutch showing them in action in Delft.

https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/the-delft-bicycle-parking-facility-revisited/ (https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/the-delft-bicycle-parking-facility-revisited/)

Bottom video
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 20 November, 2018, 01:37:03 pm
Watching that video shows the security concerns mentioned earlier. Wouldn't want to leave a bike there with QR wheels.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: FifeingEejit on 20 November, 2018, 01:46:55 pm
Had no qualms about leaving a mates bike on one at Alkmaar for the day.
Along with the 5000 others that would be there by commuting time (and the 1000odd that live there until their owners get off the train and take the bike to work), the chances of theft depended on where the thieves started in the racks and having the better looking lock and locking point.
Meanwhile looking at the sparsely populated one at Leuchars, 3 bikes erm nope... the only thing going for it right now is the fact it's on the platform.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: quixoticgeek on 20 November, 2018, 02:00:37 pm
Watching that video shows the security concerns mentioned earlier. Wouldn't want to leave a bike there with QR wheels.

pitlock.de

J
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: Greenbank on 21 November, 2018, 12:40:33 pm
Here's one of them in the down position:-

(https://i2-prod.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/article12112636.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/1736706-4K_Cycle-Point0011.jpg)

(This is at CyclePoint by Cambridge station, 2850 bike spaces over two floors, it's enormous! 24 hour access, CCTV, free, special area for tandems/trikes/etc.)
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: CarlF on 22 November, 2018, 07:48:22 pm
There’s a standard design of shelter with these racks (space for about a dozen bikes) that ScotRail have been slowly working their way across the network and installing at stations.

Dundee council just spent £400,000 on a rather more ambitious new bike shed at the station with 120 of them:
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/bike-parking-area-opens-at-dundee-railway-station/amp/?__twitter_impression=true (https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/bike-parking-area-opens-at-dundee-railway-station/amp/?__twitter_impression=true)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-tayside-central-46098248 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-tayside-central-46098248)

The version they have used at Dundee looks a little better than the other ones I have used; on those ones the upright loop for locking to is not present. On the others, I have found it is just possible to get a U-lock round the support for the back wheel and up between the non-drive side chainstay and the wheel, near the rim. Needs a bit of jiggling to get the wheel aligned so the spokes don’t foul the lock. Kryptoflex cable goes through the front wheel. Much more awkward and less secure feeling than a Sheffield Stand. Not nearly as bad as a traditional Wheelbender though.
Title: Re: Bizarre double decker bike racks
Post by: vorsprung on 22 November, 2018, 09:36:15 pm
I did try out the upper deck of one of these stands today

it was "awkward and less secure feeling".  Getting the bike in and out was an extra time consuming job