6 stumbling blocks that you should avoid with a bicycle parking system

After looking at what to consider when using bicycle parking systems in public and what the trends of the future will be in the last two articles on the subject, in this article we want to take another look at the stumbling blocks that could get in your way when planning and installing a bicycle parking system in your city. Together with the bike rack experts from Gronard, who also provided us with a wealth of technical and specialist knowledge for this article, we take a look at six avoidable mistakes to ensure that your bike parking system is a success.

All too often, we in the G+L editorial team have been annoyed by the inadequacies of bicycle racks, which make locking up bicycles a fiddly task or even impossible. Poorly planned facilities are little used and still cost money; a well-designed facility, on the other hand, effectively promotes the switch to sustainable modes of transport.

Gone are the days when it was enough to simply add bike racks to a planned project as an afterthought. Today, cyclists expect a well thought-out and sensible placement of the bicycle parking facility and its accessories. That’s why – as we insist time and again in this series – a bicycle parking facility should be an integral part of a construction plan from the outset. Ideally in consultation with the supplier as early as possible. Planning such facilities retrospectively is generally inadequate and leads to the facility being poorly received. Early planning is essential, especially for systems that also have charging facilities. If the system is large enough, the question of whether a 400-volt power supply is required should be clarified. The installation of an electricity meter also needs to be planned in good time – retrofitting is time-consuming and cost-intensive

Important: Don’t forget to clarify in advance who will be responsible for maintaining the system. Double-decker parking and green roofs in particular require regular maintenance, which needs to be organized and financed in order to be able to offer a durable and user-friendly bicycle parking system.

To avoid any unpleasant surprises, the ground conditions at the desired installation site should be taken into account. Slabs and large paving stones are well suited. Asphalt is less suitable, as the fixing screws can loosen due to heat. Bicycle racks that are doweled into the ground look particularly tidy, as their mounting rails are fixed underground and are therefore not visible.

In general, it should be checked in advance whether and which foundations the system may need. Solutions such as the Kappa bicycle stand from Gronard offer no fewer than five different mounting options for three mounting variants (or and underground, as well as set in concrete) and can therefore be adapted to the requirements of any construction project.

Where access is restricted, for example when roofing over a bicycle parking facility in a backyard, care must be taken to ensure that the required components fit through. This is sometimes only possible if roofing systems can be dismantled, as is the case with the BWA series from Gronard.

Incidentally, there is the option of renting bike racks for events for a certain period of time. This allows event organizers to support environmentally friendly travel by bike and at the same time save on the costly storage of bike racks.

Lighting can make the difference between a popular and a deserted bicycle parking facility. On the one hand, well-designed lighting that is bright and casts few shadows ensures that bicycles can be easily parked and removed. On the other hand, good lighting also helps to reduce the likelihood of bicycle theft and vandalism at night. Despite all the arguments in favor of bright lighting, the environmental impact of a building’s lighting should also be taken into account. Keyword: light pollution, i.e. the emission of artificial light into the environment at night. One consequence of light pollution is the disorientation of birds and bats. Insects also like to fly towards light sources, mistaking them for moonlight, which they usually use for orientation at night. Light sources that have a light temperature of less than 3000 Kelvin and are therefore in the warm white range can help here. They contain only small amounts of short-wave blue light and therefore have a less disorientating effect on nocturnal wildlife.

Think about the mounting and the statics of the system in general. A roof, for example, significantly increases the acceptance of the system and can also be retrofitted in some cases. With many of Gronard’s roofing solutions, there is also the option of installing a green roof or a solar roof (more on this under point 6).

Don’t make the mistake of reducing the recommended minimum distances between parked bikes in order to supposedly create more capacity. In theory, more bikes can fit in the same space this way. However, there is a risk that it will be so tight that only every second stand will be used and the increase in capacity will be ineffective. Calculation tools such as those offered by Gronard are a great help here.

You should not plan too little space in front of the bike rack, because you not only have to take into account the space for the bike, but also the space needed to maneuver it. It is therefore not for nothing that manufacturers generally specify how the traffic areas in the immediate vicinity of a bike rack should be designed.

Don’t make the mistake of not using all the possibilities for funding your project. There are programs at both federal and state level to promote cycling, which also include bicycle parking facilities as eligible objects. Here, for example, you can find information on funding for the municipal “construction of mobility stations”: Link

You can also search for suitable funding programs in the funding database of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection: Link

Tip for amateur football clubs: As part of this year’s European Football Championship in Germany, applications for funding for climate protection-relevant projects can still be submitted to UEFA until June 30, 2024: PDF

Just buying and installing a bicycle facility is not enough. As with other buildings, the maintenance of a bicycle parking facility should be factored in at the outset. As already mentioned in the first point, this is particularly essential for double-decker parking systems with their moving parts. It is particularly important to carefully maintain electrical systems, i.e. things like charging lockers or lighting. In the long term, it makes a lot of sense to use quality products from proven manufacturers who have been in business for many years. These are particularly low-maintenance due to their reliability. And even if something should break, quality manufacturers can provide the appropriate spare parts – instead of having to buy the entire product again. Even inconspicuous details make a difference. Gronard, for example, not only hot-dip galvanizes its bike racks, but also treats them with a long-lasting protective coating, while other manufacturers may use less durable corrosion protection methods such as electrogalvanizing or dispense with them altogether and simply apply a powder coating to their products.

The city of tomorrow is green and the bicycle parking facilities in your city should reflect this. Modern buildings should no longer be able to do without green roofs, which is why Gronard, for example, offers bicycle boxes with an optional and retrofittable green roof or flat roofs to cover entire facilities. Of course, it is easiest to be clear at the planning stage whether you want a green roof, solar roof or something else. If you decide to retrofit a green roof at a later stage, check whether the roof’s statics are sufficient to support the much heavier green roof. A long-term concept that can be gradually upgraded with a green roof or photovoltaics requires foresight and early decisions on the right product with the option of upgrades. Those who turn to manufacturers who can respond to individual customer requirements through in-house production, as is the case with Gronard, are well advised.

You can also find out more about “Bicycle racks and bicycle parking systems” in our previous articles:
Four points to consider when using them in public spaces
The four trends of the future for the city of the future