Bicycling
Innovative bike rack makes parking into sculpture
I was traveling recently and came across this object. At first, it looks like an artistic sculpture, but on closer examination, it's also a bike rack!
Click to enlarge. Photos by the author.
For bonus points, do you know where this is or can you recognize the location?
Here's a part of the instructional sign on the rack. The full sign gives away the location, as do these two other signs.
The sign says this is more compact than other bike racks. That's largely true, though in this configuration, the rack also requires a lot of empty space around in every direction. In an institutional setting with big open spaces (and where it can also function as art), that makes sense. In many tighter urban spaces, arranging these curved, vertical racks side by side instead of in a circle would allow storing bikes even more compactly, though less artistically.
 | David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.   |
Comments
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by Kurt Raschke on Oct 14, 2012 1:33 pm • link • report
I like the idea of parallel racks. If they want to forgo the artistry, a lot of places could do even better and cheaper with hooks on the walls or ceiling for the front tire. Not sure if that complies with zoning codes etc.
by SJE on Oct 14, 2012 2:32 pm • link • report
by David Alpert on Oct 14, 2012 2:44 pm • link • report
by Gray on Oct 14, 2012 2:54 pm • link • report
by SJE on Oct 14, 2012 2:57 pm • link • report
by Veronica O. Davis (Ms V) on Oct 14, 2012 8:14 pm • link • report
I've uploaded a zoomed-in version of the first image. It's easiest to see the lock on the bike that's on the right side of the image.
by David Alpert on Oct 15, 2012 8:39 am • link • report
by Veronica O. Davis (Ms V) on Oct 15, 2012 9:39 am • link • report
In Toronto, they make them artful:
Here by the Royal Ontario Museum:
https://qitsune.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/bikeracks.jpg
by Capt. Hilts on Oct 15, 2012 1:27 pm • link • report
The configuration that you pictured doesn't make quite a lot of sense. In Palo Also, they seemed to be used less as an artistic statement, and more to cram some extra bike parking next to treeboxes and buildings, where there wouldn't be enough room to place a "traditional" rack without blocking pedestrian access.
I don't think I ever saw more than 3 or 4 of these racks placed adjacent to each other (most locations only had one or two racks). Seems like it makes more sense to use a more traditional bike rack if you've got a lot of space.
BikeArc is the company that makes this system.
Seems like a cool concept, although I never got to use one. No idea if the benefit is worth the cost...
by andrew on Oct 15, 2012 1:45 pm • link • report
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