Bike Parker – Bike Parking for public spaces

What it does

Bike Parker is a modular bike storage system, which pulls the bike into a vertical orientation mechanically, with minimal effort from the end user. It is designed for public areas and therefore space saving and easy to use.

Your inspiration

As a passionate cyclist, I'm often using my bike for many of my daily tasks as well as travelling with it too. This creates the frequent problem that i'm often having to leave my bike outside. Usually, the facilities provided by the city are very chaotic and disorganised and in discussions with other cyclists, I recognized that i'm not only the only one to see this. So in my Master Thesis, I decided to tackle the problem of the bike/train interface and the surrounding infrastructure. After weeks of surveys of the target group, I decided to prioritise the latter, and help cyclists store their bikes in a public space.

How it works

The bicycle rack Bike Parker consists of individual modules which can then be arranged in various configurations around a tree or a streetlamp. Each module is equipped with a spring-loaded cable that pulls up a cage, in which the front wheel sits. The bicycle is then pulled into a vertical position with minimal effort from the user, and the tension in the spring helps complete the motion as rear wheel is pulled toward the cut-out in the concrete foot. The front wheel can be locked in the cage, providing the desired safety in public places. A circular bicycle rack can accommodate 12 bicycles in the space of 7 square meters. Due to the modular design it is available in different configurations and sizes to accommodate all needs. A roof is also available for all module variants.

Design process

The project started with a theoretical analysis. I first looked at who actually is the cyclist, who uses the parking spaces at the station, what moves him and what influences him to do so. With the collected facts, I then went on to the empirical investigations. I have looked at the whole process of taking the bicycle to the station itself and made an online survey. In order to explore the needs of the users more closely, I spent 5 days at the station and watched cyclists. From the results came the design briefing, and finally the idea of the bicycle stand. The most difficult task was to find out how the stand works mechanically. I spent two months in the workshop testing various techniques and building models. This included, for example, a counterbalanced body or a crank to boost the wheel itself. The spring wire was the breakthrough. Another challenge was the gripping mechanism for the front wheel. For this I used several prototypes to find out how the mechanics can work safely. Finally, the CAD design helped me make the concept work more efficiently in the real world.

How it is different

By using a modular system, Bike Parkers can be individually arranged according to the needs of the customer, and, secondly, arranged around already existing trees or columns , which limits how exactly the space can be used anyway. The innovative mechanics ensure that the bike can be placed vertically without effort, thus ensuring a secure bicycle parking space. This new technology is to be licensed with a patent. The innovation lies in the fact that the mechanics of gripping the front wheel, the solution of locking and pulling up, does not yet exist in this context and in this combination. It brings the bicycle, through a fluid movement into the vertical state. Vertical parking lots in the public area are quite rare, since most existing systems do not have a mechanism to reduce effort from the end user. Even E-bikes, with them becoming ever more popular, can be parked with minimal strength required.

Future plans

The next important step is the construction of a functioning prototype. To do this, I need the following: Specialists such as mechanical engineers for mechanical design, metalworkers for welding, cooperation partners for financial support, a registration of my own company, patent application / design protection. My goal is to install the first bicycle stand in Salzburg in summer 2018. In the long term, public spaces are to be equipped with bike parks in order to provide cyclists with a structured way of safely parking their bicycles.

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