As cycling continues to grow in popularity, the demand for high-quality bike parking in urban and commercial developments is rising. To tick all the boxes when it comes to good design, architects and specifiers must balance functionality, security, durability, and aesthetics when selecting bike storage solutions. With hundreds of options on the market, choosing the best product can often become a challenging job. Selecting truly the best one should not be underestimated, as a well-designed bike parking facility enhances a project’s sustainability, usability, and overall appeal.
We have created this checklist to help outline key considerations for specifying durable and visually appealing bike storage solutions.
Compliance with Regulations and Standards
Regulatory compliance is the foundation on which your whole design will stand. Some of these are compulsory and cannot be overlooked, like local planning requirements. However, others are entirely up to the developer to follow or not, like BREEAM and LEED. Saying this, many developers are adopting non-obligatory standards and aim to fulfil their criteria for more sustainable buildings.
Depending on your specific project, you may need to look into various regulations and standards before selecting a bike parking solution to ensure it meets their criteria.
Depending on which part of the UK your project is in, you need to check if there are any national rules covering cycle storage. Furthermore, many local councils have started regulating new builds regarding cycling storage provisions. Depending on your location, check council regulations on the minimum number of cycle parking spaces required per building type and if they have any additional restrictions or requirements for the kind of bike storage.
If your project aims to get certified with one of the big schemes, like BREEAM or LEED, make sure you’re well aware of the criteria for each and opt for bike storage solutions that contribute to sustainability ratings and comply with their requirements. You can also take a look at our BREEAM guide for bike storage.
Material Selection for Durability & Sustainability
To make the best of your choice of bike storage product, you should make sure it is of good quality – this starts with the materials. Bike storage should be built to withstand heavy use and harsh weather conditions. One of the best materials to work with for this is steel. Steel is a wonderfully versatile and strong material that galvanisation can further strengthen. This makes it even more corrosion-resistant and damage-resistant, giving it a longer lifespan. To add to its qualities, steel is also a very eco-friendly option due to its longevity and durability, which means less need for product replacements, but it is also recyclable.
Additionally, to make your cycle parking infrastructure even more durable and resistant to damage and weather, you can add a layer of powder-coated paint that further protects the metal underneath.
Security Features for Theft Prevention
Users need to trust that their bikes are stored securely to encourage cycling. This is one of the top reasons people want easy access to bike racks or stands.
To ensure your end users are covered, when selecting products, look for ones with more than one securing lock point to ensure racks allow users to lock both the frame and wheels. A great example of highly secure bike parking is our two-tier rack. If your bike storage is located outside, ideally, you should also make sure it is covered and, if possible, has restricted access. Many of our products, from our smallest bike shelters to our larger security enclosures, offer security gates and locks to further reduce the risk of theft and vandalism.
Regardless of location, however, you should also consider adding additional measures like CCTV and lighting—a well-lit and monitored area deters theft even more.
Space Planning & User Experience
A well-thought-out layout enhances convenience and encourages use, which is why it is vital to get it right. Of course, real-life scenarios may have many constraints, such as available space, indoor vs. outdoor location, etc. However, you should aim for a few key things in an ideal case.
Accessibility is probably one of the most important ones. Regardless of how well done a bike storage area is, all effort would have been pointless if your users could not get to it or use the facilities installed there. This is why you need to make sure the space is easy to access, typically not too far from an entrance/exit point and as secure as possible. In terms of products, when specifying, you need to focus on optimal spacing – allowing adequate room for manoeuvring bikes around and enough capacity for the size of the development. You should aim for a clever mix of different types of racks like traditional Sheffields, two-tier and e-bike racks to cover most bike designs and user preferences. If your project absolutely does not allow for indoor cycle parking, then when planning an outdoor solution, make sure not to skip a cover – shelters are a superior solution as they protect both your bike racks and the bikes parked on them. Lastly, think about including a repair and maintenance station to improve the user experience even more.
Aesthetic Integration with Architectural Design
Bike storage should complement, not compromise, a project’s visual appeal. We’ve been part of many truly stunning designs that have only improved spaces rather than taken away from them. A cycling storage space shouldn’t look like a forgotten closet, but make a statement and be welcoming. You can use wall colours, wall and floor graphics, and motion sensor lighting. You can also take advantage of customisable options for products that can be powder-coated in custom colours to further blend with the surroundings.
A well-designed bike parking facility is more than just a practical necessity—it enhances the sustainability, usability, and visual appeal of a development. By carefully considering factors such as compliance with regulations, material durability, security features, space planning, and aesthetic integration, architects and specifiers can create bike storage solutions that meet both functional and design needs. Thoughtful planning ensures that cyclists have a secure, convenient, and visually appealing place to park their bikes, ultimately promoting cycling as a viable and attractive mode of transportation.