Bicycle Racks

Bicycle Parking Spaces Bicycle parking spaces have to be adequately sized to fit standard bicycles and positioned to allow for easy maneuvering that does not result in damage to bicycles. When bicycle parking spaces are well-designed, they allow for greater bicycle use capacity, which means greater efficiency of bicycle parking and reduced cost-per-space of this infrastructure. In order to accommodate most standard bicycles, bicycle parking spaces should be at least:

  • 0.6 metre wide
  • 1.8 metre long
  • 2.0 metre high

Bicycle Racks

Bicycle racks are located within bicycle parking spaces in order to support bicycles and provide a way to secure them with a lock. There is a wide range of possible options for bicycle racks, but there are standards that every bicycle rack should meet regardless of its design.

Requirements

All bicycle racks should:

  • Support the bicycle in at least two places, to prevent it from falling over
  • Allow locking of the frame and one or both wheels with a U-style lock
  • Be securely anchored to the ground, floor, or building; 4. Be resistant to cutting, rusting, bending, and deformation
  • Provide easily accessible bicycle parking spaces that do not require moving another bicycle for access or maneuvering

Bicycle Rack Examples

Bike Rack too close to wall

Not Ideal

  • Racks are too close to the wall, so there is insufficient space to park and lock a bicycle
  • Racks are also too close together to accommodate a bicycle on each side, meaning that the racks cannot be used to their max
  • If set back farther from the wall and better spaced, this common design would be a good choice for a rack
Wheel bender style bike rack

Not Ideal

  • Wheel bender' style racks do not support the bicycle by the frame, leaving it vulnerable to falling over
  • Difficult to lock the bicycle, and impossible to lock it with a U-style lock
Coat hanger style bike rack

Better

  • The ‘coat hanger' style of bicycle rack is a good choice, but in this case it is underutilized because one side is inaccessible.
Best style of bike rack

Best

  • Bicycle is supported by the frame
  • A U-style lock can be used
  • The rack is anchored to the ground
  • Both sides of the rack are accessible, maximizing utility
  • There is plenty of room to maneuver bicycles into and out of the rack
Staple bike rack

Best

  • All of the good attributes listed in the previous example, plus located out of the path of pedestrians, parallel to the street
  • Each of these ‘staple' racks is spaced sufficiently far from the others to accommodate two bicycles