E-bike Racks
One of the trends observed in the 2020s is the increasing prevalence of electric vehicles on our roads, which not only pertains to cars but also encompasses bikes. E-bikes are growing in popularity and are now being included in government schemes for promoting alternative and greener modes of transport.
However, a significant obstacle to more people adopting e-bikes is precisely the issue of storage. Given the considerable investment required to purchase an e-bike, cyclists are understandably concerned about theft or damage caused by environmental factors. In response to this concern, real estate developers are adapting to the changing landscape by installing e-bike charging stations and storage in buildings frequented by large numbers of people for residential or commercial purposes.
We understand the importance of providing users with a secure and convenient means of parking and charging their bikes. To answer these needs and meet the growing demand for e-bike storage, we have expanded our range of bike storage solutions to include dedicated e-bike storage units equipped with charging ports.
Electric Bike Storage – Some Key Points
Every year, more and more people are leaving their cars parked at home and commuting to work, doing the school run or generally travelling for leisure by bike. This trend has extended into the electric vehicles space too. E-bikes have become less of a curiosity on the street and have become part of the urban landscape.
The uptick in electric bike numbers means that when planning out your overall vehicle parking strategy, specifically your bike storage area, you need to think of e-bike racks and regular bike racks. Keeping up with trends in transport is important for any building development, public bodies and employers. You want to encourage your employees to bike to work by providing a safe and dry bike storage solution for them to leave their bikes.
Security, weather exposure, cleanliness of the storage area, battery charging options and bike weight are some of the most important considerations to keep in mind when thinking about e-bike storage.
Safe storage is what any cyclist wants. However, this is especially true for e-bike users. Electric bikes are often a sizable investment, with prices sometimes reaching that of a lower-end market car. Your employees or tenants would understandably be anxious to leave their e-bikes just anywhere. They would truly appreciate and be more likely to use storage space that provides safety and real security.
E-bikes are also battery-powered; hence they have electronic components which require special care. This means cyclists must be more careful where and how they store them. Prolonged exposure to cold weather can damage and reduce the life of their batteries – ideally, bikes would be stored indoors or at least in a well-covered dry area.
E-bikes have well-protected electronic parts; however, this still isn’t a license to keep them in dirty places where they can get damaged. Ideally, when considering bike and e-bike storage, you would position your bike racks in a clean bike-designated storage area.
Electric cycle riders may also be worried about their battery in terms of charging options. Ideally, your electric bicycle storage would have charging ports to accommodate all bikes stored. This is why all our electric bike storage racks come with plugs.
Lastly, weight is one of the key things to consider when selecting appropriate e-cycle storage. Bikes are generally light; however, e-bikes still have a long way to go regarding their weight. Currently, a light e-bike is considered one below 20kg. Some newer models on the market are starting to weigh less and hover around the 15kg mark, but even that may prove a challenge to lift for some people. Keep this in mind when designing your cycle storage space.
The bottom line is that when planning your bike storage, you should think about your users – their needs, worries and potential problems they could come across. We have taken out a lot of the heavy lifting from the process because all our products are already designed with features to counteract some of the above mentioned problems.
Our product range at the moment includes two great options for e-bike storage. You can look at our BDS Electric Bike Rack, a clean and sleek single-tier bike rack with space for 4 e-bikes as a standard and a built-in twin gang UK plug socket. This robust option can be extended indefinitely to fit your space – 4 bike spaces or 40; it is entirely up to your needs. Alternatively, if you expect to have a large volume of e-bikes to accommodate, you may want to look into our BDS Electric Two Tier Bike Rack. This model double-stacks e-bikes and is a highly effective way to increase your cycle parking capacity while offering the facilities that are rapidly becoming a necessity in the active travel space.
Contact us today to learn more about our e-bike racks and how we can help you choose the right one for your business.