Bike racks: four points you should consider when using them in public

The bicycle is considered a key factor in the success of the transport transition in our cities. It helps to protect the climate and the environment, saves space and is quiet. It also contributes to the health of its users through the physical activity required. But to make the switch from car to bike as easy as possible, well thought-out infrastructure is needed – and that doesn’t just mean sensibly planned and well-maintained cycle paths. After all, it must also be possible to park a bike safely at the end of a ride. What needs to be considered here is only trivial at first glance.

In the first part of this five-part series, we talk to Munich-based bike rack specialist Gronard to find out what really matters if you want to offer public bike racks in your municipality. For G+L, Lothar Gronard, Senior Managing Director of the family business, took the time to give us four important aspects to consider when planning bike racks, parking facilities and the like.

When it comes to planning a bicycle parking facility, it goes without saying that building planning and building regulations law as well as specific municipal statutes should be checked first. So-called bicycle parking facility or bicycle parking space statutes provide information on the required size, quality and minimum number of parking spaces, as well as their distance from each other and from adjacent traffic areas. In addition to this, technical regulations and guidelines are also helpful for planning. These include the ADFC guideline TR6102 and the DIN standard 79008 that emerged from it.

A recommended reference work is the publication “Hinweise zum Fahrradparken” (“Notes on bicycle parking”) from the Road and Transportation Research Association FGSV. Among other things, it contains guidelines for determining requirements, financing and legal aspects in connection with the planning and operation of bicycle parking facilities.

It should be noted that regulations for bicycle parking facilities only apply to new buildings and conversions, but not to existing buildings. In addition, each federal state has its own building regulations that must be observed. With their own parking space statutes, cities and municipalities can issue specific guidelines for their local needs and thus exert a targeted influence on local traffic development. In contrast to standardized federal regulations, municipal parking space statutes can be adapted to each individual case and the local mobility management strategy in a much more differentiated way.

A detailed needs analysis for the intended location should be just as much a matter of course as a thorough study of local requirements. Only if you know what volume of bicycles is to be expected, how long the parking times are for different usage profiles and what the users’ needs are, can you put together and size the components of your parking facility sensibly.

So who will use the parking facility in the future? How many short-term parkers will there be compared to those who park their bikes for longer periods? What type of bicycles will be parked? The answers to these questions will give you valuable pointers for equipping your facility in a user-friendly way. There are many different bike parking concepts on the market. First and foremost, consider the needs of the users and be guided less by visual considerations. The decisive factor for the acceptance of a bicycle parking facility is its utility value. As a general rule, you should therefore opt for bike racks that also allow the frame to be attached using appropriate brackets. Another detail is the maximum tire width that fits into the bike rack. Parking facilities should take account of the trend towards ever wider tires on bicycles. Also on trend: the electrified bike. For e-bike users, it is a particularly convenient feature if charging facilities are available in the parking facility. Anyone who wants to park an expensive e-bike for a longer period of time will also be pleased with the additional security offered by lockable bike boxes or bike sheds.

Although popular, bicycle rests are less suitable – i.e. upside-down U-profiles that are usually made of flat steel and are about waist-high. Depending on the design, they may be stylish because they are simple and do not immediately stand out as bike racks. However, their utility value is significantly lower than that of other types of stands. The fact that the bike is only moderately secured against knocking over and rolling back and forth on such systems increases the risk of damage, particularly to the frame and handlebars. In addition, this type of bike stand is only suitable for one bike at a time. In practice, however, double or even triple occupancy often occurs. The result: handlebars and cables get tangled up or the neighboring bike is accidentally connected as well.

Acceptance and use of bike racks decreases rapidly among stressed commuters if they are not close enough to the nearest means of transport. People who have to get to work early in the morning generally have little desire to run several hundred meters from the bike stand to the train. This is why bicycle parking facilities should be planned as close as possible to the exits of a train station and buildings in general. For long-term parkers, on the other hand, the priority is the safety of the parking space. This includes good lighting, for example, but also a roof, which also drastically increases the general acceptance of a bicycle parking facility. It is good practice to locate a facility in places with a lot of pedestrian traffic, as this reduces the likelihood of vandalism through social control.
The facility should also be barrier-free. Even seemingly small steps or ramps that are a little too steep can make access to the facility significantly more difficult for people with mobility impairments. With lockers and service stations for tire air and minor repairs, you can round off the infrastructure of your facility in a bike-friendly way.

Even if you are struggling with a lack of space, there is a solution: with double-decker parkers, you can accommodate twice as many bikes in the same parking space. Please note, however, that the width of the traffic area must be slightly wider for double-decker parkers to allow easy handling of the upper parking rail. Also consider the space required for cargo bikes or bikes with trailers. Although these types of bicycles do not normally require protection, they do need significantly wider lanes.

Cheap bike racks may be an attractive option to save the budget. They often look almost indistinguishable from more expensive products. However, the regret comes after just a few years, when the cheap product is so rusty that nobody puts their bike in it anymore. Or even much earlier if the functionality is not there. As mentioned, operation and function should be the top priority when choosing a bike stand; true to the motto “form follows function”. Modern bike racks of high quality and functionality have their price. However, you can rely on their trouble-free operation for the next 20 to 30 years. This puts the purchase price into perspective compared to a cheap product, which may have to be purchased several times over the same period.

Make sure that the bike racks you purchase are tested in accordance with DIN 79008. This will ensure that they meet sensible and well thought-out requirements in terms of function and safety.