Bike storage is becoming an essential when it comes to sustainable development and construction. It is especially significant when it comes to larger developments that are planning to house many tenants and projects that want to be BREEAM, LEED, or ActiveScore certified. These certifications lead to better buildings, higher rent premiums and happier tenants.
You may not need much convincing to install bike storage and may have already made a decision. Then, this blog is for you and your next steps. One of the first things you need to decide is whether to do it inside or outside; this is the question. There may not be a choice in your particular location, but if there is, here is some information on the pros and cons of indoor bike storage. If you want to read more about outdoor bike storage, you can see our other blog on it here.
Is Indoor Bike Storage A Good Idea?
We won’t beat around the bush, the short answer is yes, indoor bike storage is a very good idea. If you have the space and it is in a good location within your building or indoor car park, then we would suggest going for it.
Having bikes parked indoors keeps them dry and clean. The same goes for your racks. Indoor storage also offers better security against theft and vandalism, and it’s more comfortable and convenient, especially in bad weather or late at night. While it requires dedicated space and might have higher initial setup costs, the benefits of protection, security, and ease of maintenance make it a worthwhile investment.
The Pluses of Indoor Two-Tier Bike Storage
Indoor bike storage has one immediately obvious advantage—it keeps your investment—the racks and your employees’ or visitors’ bikes—dry and away from the elements. Bikes and two-tier bike racks stored indoors are shielded from weather conditions like harsh sun, rain, and wind, reducing the risk of rust and other damage in the long term. This helps maintain your racks in good condition for longer periods.
The benefit of having your cycle storage situated inside your building or in an indoor car park gives you the edge of better security. Indoor storage is typically safer compared to outdoor places since there are usually doors to go through before you get to the bikes, there may be security cameras already installed, and generally, access is a lot more controlled. Plus, any potential thieves might not even know there is bike parking in the building, eliminating a whole line of risk.
Having indoor bike parking gives users more comfort, not just in bad weather but also when it is dark—people feel a lot safer inside a building than traipsing across a car park to go get their bikes. One of the annoying things about outdoor storage is that sometimes you have to get from it to the building, and when that happens on a rainy day, nobody is happy. This isn’t an issue with indoor storage.
Then, there is the aesthetic element, which shouldn’t be underestimated. From our experience, we have seen some pretty amazing things done with indoor parking areas—from bold block colour to fun signage and wall stickers. Indoor bike storage often lends itself more easily to visually appealing design and can be kept clean as part of the general cleaning cycle of the building, providing a more pleasant environment for users.
The Drawbacks of Indoor Two-Tier Bike Storage
Going for indoor cycle storage is a good decision, but as always, it really depends on your specific situation. A popular issue is not having enough space.
This can make it challenging to accommodate a large number of bikes. In this line of thinking, the space constraint issue might crop up again in the future if you need to expand your bicycle storage area due to increased demand. With indoor spaces, there are usually inherent scalability limitations due to physical space limitations and the potential need for further modifications or permits.
The good thing about two-tier bike racks is that they’re space-saving by design, and they let you store twice the number of bikes in the same space, so that should help with both those issues.
Setting up indoor bike storage can be more expensive. This will depend on your building and what stage you’re at – construction or refurbishing. If you have to renovate or entirely repurpose an existing space, this will add to your costs. Depending on what you already have provisioned, you may need to add a budget for lighting, ventilation, and security systems if these aren’t already there.
Like with the outdoor two-tier bike racks, your indoor setup also needs to consider location. Indoor storage may be less accessible, especially if it involves navigating through buildings, using elevators, or worse, stairs, or dealing with restricted hours of access. This disadvantage may wipe out some of the benefits of having your bike storage indoors, so make sure you plan for it.
How To Mitigate The Cons Of Indoor Bike Storage?
If you have the space, indoor bike storage is a very good idea – it keeps bikes and racks safe, protected, and conveniently located within the building. However, saying this, as we saw, there are some disadvantages. Here are some ways you can mitigate them.
Firstly, make sure that your two-tier bike racks are indeed in a convenient place. Location is often one of the most important things about bike storage – it needs to be easy to locate and get to, and most importantly, it needs to be accessible to all your users. Lugging a heavy bike across a flight of stairs? That doesn’t sound very good and might be pretty much impossible for some people. So make sure you have clear signage to ease wayfinding and ensure the location is sensible. If there are stairs, you can install a special ramp with a wheel channel along the wall or build a larger ramp. Alternatively, there may be an elevator, so just ensure the bikes fit inside.
Second, we can’t stress enough how good of a solution our two-tier bike racks are. They’re space-maximising by default, and despite their complicated appearances, they are really easy to use. They are a fan favourite and can really boost your bike storage capacity without you having to knock down walls to expand an existing room or do a complicated refurb. So, even if you don’t have a large space, investing in space-saving racks will help you provide more storage for cyclists.
To sum it all up, indoor bike storage is a highly beneficial option, particularly for larger developments aiming for certifications like BREEAM, LEED, or ActiveScore, which enhance building quality, attract higher rent premiums, and increase tenant satisfaction. It offers superior protection from weather, improved security, and greater user comfort compared to outdoor storage. Although indoor storage requires dedicated space and can incur higher initial setup costs, the long-term advantages in terms of protection, security, and maintenance make it a worthwhile investment. With careful planning and the right equipment, such as space-saving two-tier racks, you can effectively address potential drawbacks like space constraints and accessibility issues, ensuring a convenient and efficient storage solution for your cyclists.
