Just as improvements have been made to bicycles, advancements have significantly changed bike parking over the last 50 years. Thanks to new materials and design innovations, bike racks now do a lot more than early models that just held a wheel in place. Good cycling infrastructure can better guard against theft, help prevent damage, keep parking areas more organized and be an important part of city planning. At °ϲĻϢ Davis, bike parking is more than an afterthought of urban design. Our racks need to hold the estimated 20,000 bikes that come to campus every day. “°ϲĻϢ Davis has been the test case,” Bicycle Program Coordinator Tim Bustos said. “Everything that’s ever been tried has been tried here.” And new innovations are on the way. Here’s a look back at some varieties that have been seen on campus.
1960s and earlier These so-called “wheel benders” don’t provide a way to secure the frame — so what if the rest of the bike could be easily stolen? They earned their nickname any time a passerby bumped into a bike, sending its owner to the campus bike shop.
1960s and earlier These “playground” or “comb” racks focus on holding the wheel and claim better organization. But locking a bike’s frame to one is nearly impossible, so a rogue cyclist sometimes takes up an entire rack by parking sideways in an attempt to get a more secure hold.
1980s This design allows two bikes to share a single rack and secure their frames, but doesn’t do anything to keep bikes from falling over. A few were ordered as an “experiment” in the late ’80s and still sit in a corner of campus.
1990s The side profile of these racks — which inspired their name — shares the angle of most bicycle frames, making it possible for frames and wheels to be locked simultaneously. Still, bikes can easily topple over, turning the whole area into a mess of wheels and handlebars.
1997 to present These racks provide a way to lock a bike’s frame and front wheel simultaneously and keep the front tire stable so bikes don’t topple over. They can be quickly installed in bulk — say, when a building becomes a temporary lecture hall.
2008 to present These racks allow more bikes to fit into a parking area by staggering them and include rubberized loops to prevent metal-on-metal contact. They’re installed individually, which makes replacement cheaper if one is damaged.
[imgcaption='Planners continue to seek new ways to solve issues that come with a growing population: preventing theft and finding more places to park bikes. At °ϲĻϢ Davis, a parking garage now houses a secure cage where cyclists pay a fee for more peace of mind. And other universities are experimenting with double-decker bike racks (the top level swings down to make the lifting easier), which are expensive but provide for higher-density parking.']
