The "Bike Tree"� keeps your bike safe

[+Green Blog]

Here at Green Blog we love bikes. They are green, easy and cheap to maintain and will even help you go down in weight.

But of course they also have their downsides. And one of the worst is that they are so easy to steal! But maybe the “Bike Tree” can help keep your bike safer, and even save some space in crowded areas?

The idea is pretty simple. Instead of parking you bike in an ordinary bicycle stand you lift it up in a “tree” away from the ground (see above image). The “tree” has room for five other bikes besides your own.

The control panel includes finger print recognition sensor with some controls for locking/unlocking the bicycle onto the stand. The panel branches out of the trunk at user friendly height.

For locking your bicycle:

1. Place your bicycle in the vertical slots
   
2. Manually lock the rim
   
3. Press start
   
4. Finger print
   
5. OK/ CANCEL
   

For releasing bicycle follow the similar path.

View the full article

[Steve_Barker]

I hope the design can cope with non-standard bikes, not everyone rides mountain bikes or hybrids.

We have a couple of folders, an AirFrame which I think is wonderful ( http://www.airframebike.com ) and a Brompton + a recumbent ( same as the top picture but in purple and with shimano pedal system http://www.hembrow.eu/personal/speedross.html ) - Unfortunately many bike racks do not cope with these bikes, useually the wheels are too small to slot in.

[mountainhiker]

I hope the design can cope with non-standard bikes, not everyone rides mountain bikes or hybrids.

We have a couple of folders, an AirFrame which I think is wonderful ( http://www.airframebike.com ) and a Brompton + a recumbent ( same as the top picture but in purple and with shimano pedal system http://www.hembrow.eu/personal/speedross.html ) - Unfortunately many bike racks do not cope with these bikes, useually the wheels are too small to slot in.

True, however for the places that are trying encourage bike traffic, shopping malls and business centers, this would be a very attractive addition.

[Steve_Barker]

True, however for the places that are trying encourage bike traffic, shopping malls and business centers, this would be a very attractive addition.

There is nothing worse than getting somewhere and not being able to park your bike, and lock it.

Many places have cycle parking which is only usable by standard sized bikes - worse than that some places have no cycle parking at all.

About 15 years ago I cycled to Manchester Piccadilly station on a Friday afternoon, to go away for the weekend. Arriving at the station I found only bolt holes where the cycle racks had been - so after looking about I chained my bike to a railing on one of the platforms. When I got back a few days later my bike had had parts removed - I went to the station managers office to find that on the Saturday afternoon (20 hours after parking the bike) they had closed the station and called the bomb squad. The station manager explained that they had stopped allowing bikes to park at the station because they could be used to conceal bombs - he could not see that there was a problem with the car park!

Many years ago Halfords ( http://www.halfords.com ) one of the largest bike retailers in the UK opened a Cycle Warehouse in Manchester. I cycled there and could not find a bike rack, I circumambulated the building, only to find all the drainpipes were integral to the walls to prevent climbing. I took my bike into the store, and was asked to remove it by security. I refused and the manager was called - he explained that this was a warehouse for bikes, you drive there in your car and take your bike away flatpacked - hence, they need bike parking!

[Simon]

The station manager explained that they had stopped allowing bikes to park at the station because they could be used to conceal bombs - he could not see that there was a problem with the car park!

I'll just say car-fetish!