The Flycycle by J2 for K2
Jason White Apr 21, 2016 06:16 ![]() | Easily the best idea of the two. The cost of this bike rack design takes the taxpayer into consideration. And ease of construction makes this and easy install also. Well done.
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Henry Lieberman Sep 1, 2016 05:31 ![]() | Poor design. As we cyclists say, this is yet another bike rack "designed by people who drive to work". (I don't know if the authors do, but it seems like it). Most importantly, modern urban bike parking *MUST* lock bikes where the U-lock goes through both the frame and the back wheel. The illustrations show bikes locked by the front wheel only. Recipe for theft. Their main design goal seems to be to reduce the inter-bike width in the rack. Yes, theoretically, that'll fit more bikes in the same space, but back in the real world, it'll be a disaster. Again, the illustrations show slim road bikes, but in the real world you get a variety of bikes with baskets, side panniers, tandems, wide handlebars, trailers, tricycles, training wheels, and other paraphrenalia that will foil attempts to pack things in so closely. Plus you need space for a body to get in between the bikes to properly lock them up. I'm constantly getting other people's pedals in my spokes. Bike racks need to have *wider* spacing than they do now. Finally, bike racks for commuters must have some overhead protection. Doesn't have to be a fancy bike locker, a simple canvas awning over the rack will do. Sure, a bike won't melt in a few hours rain, but a commuter who parks every day for eight hours will soon have a rustbucket.In truth, bike racks take so little space and are so cheap compared to accommodation for car parking that they are optimizing the wrong thing here. It's just that our society is so stingy with space for bikes. Next up: A proposal to save space in car parking lots by only providing enough room to open the doors halfway on one side of the car. |
Bill Ferree Sep 24, 2016 10:25 ![]() | Really like this design. More efficient use of available space, low-cost, simple materials and fabrication, and the clever added benefit of keeping at least some of the bike parking available when it snows, are all praiseworthy. This has utility written all over it. As you suggest, just add color to make these racks a valuable feature of the urban "complete street"scape. |