Outdoor public bicycle racks are an important part of a commercial planning as the society strive towards decarbonization. Although it looks simple, a well designed bicycle rack increases usage rates, decrease pollution and noise of a city.
Take a bicycle rack that cannot fit your bicycle wheels, this bicycle rack might as well be a waste of money and space:
After an extensive study, here are some hand picked top 10 best commercial bicycle racks.
No.1 U-Shaped Bicycle Racks
U-Shaped bicycle racks have been tested in time as they can be used for a vast array of bicycle types, including the tire size and the bicycle size. It is a popular default bicycle rack design that fits into any inter-generational city plans. Below is an image of a recently built bicycle rack in year 2024. It adopts to the popular minimalistic and industrial design of that particular year.
However in some countries, these bike racks might not be easy to spot nor is it a mainstream design for bicycle commuters to recognize.
No.2 Wave Bicycle Racks
Wave shaped Bicycle Racks addresses the issue of U-Shaped Bicycle Racks as they are similar to U-Shaped Bicycle, but combined together to fit more than 1 bicycle. These racks are easier to recognize as bicycle racks.
Below is a Wave Bicycle Rack that fits more than 8 bicycles. You can extend the bike rack to fit 10, 15, or even 20, the sky is the limit.
Of course, since they are connected, the bicycle size and wheel size would be restricted to more traditional bicycles.
No.3 Grid Bike Rack
Those who want a balance between economy and convenience, can go with a Grid Bike Rack. These are often designed with different materials such as wood or steel and are often portable. These can be installed in front of commercial properties like a supermarket or an office building.
The glaring disadvantage is that since the front wheel would need to slide into the grids, the wheels need to be traditional sized wheels.
No.4 Double Decker Bike Rack
This type of bike rack is suitable for high volume bicycle commuters. It is truly designed for cities that embrace bicycle as a main type of commuting. These can be installed outside or underground.
The disadvantage of this is not only the cost but the high breakage rate (the two tier system uses hinges and screws) and educating the public how to use.
No.5 Vertical Bike Mount
As population grows, a city would find itself hard pressed to give away spaces for bicycle parking, especially in high priced prime locations. Enter the vertical bike mount: These bike mounts can be drilled into a wall or in the middle of a parking lot, saving up the much needed space.
However, these require some muscle strength to lift your bike to park vertically.
No.6 Bicycle Lockers/Box
Next up, we have a bicycle lockers or box that you can put away your bicycle and actually lock the door. These are great in high crime areas or weather adverse locations but the sheer size of it would take up a lot of space.
However, if you forget the keys, it would then be a nightmare. As this type of bike storage is quite fragmented, we recommend getting a bicycle shelter that has a digital lock or a rack within the locker. Fitting awkward sized bikes can also be a challenge.
No.7 Bicycle Shelter
Saving the last for the best, we have the bicycle shelter that looks like a bus station. These shelters literally shelters your bicycle from weather and fallen debris. Also, you can install a bike rack inside the bike shelter. Other accessories such as a pump or even EV chargers for E-bikes can be later designed in future phases.
Conclusion
Designing bike racks for commuters, including customers or employees is not only restricted to budgeting concerns, but should also be solution driven. More and more e-bikes, fat bike and other outlandish designed bikes are in the market, demanding a more multi-compatible approach to rack design. In summary, we do not recommend grid designed racks but do recommend sheltered U-Shaped Racks that are well protected from theft risks and weather issues. Using vertical wall mounts can also save space, in addition to two-tiered bike racks that can fit fat tires.
