Building a secure bicycle shelter: the Abriplus guide

According to a study carried out by Drivalia, by 2022, 30% of French people will be travelling by bike, a figure that is constantly rising, reflecting a growing desire for more responsible travel. Against this backdrop, equipping our territories, businesses and public spaces with cycling infrastructure is becoming essential to meet tomorrow’s needs. Secure bike shelters are particularly appreciated by users, especially when they meet multiple needs. It’s not easy to think about every aspect of designing a secure bike shelter, but this is the step that will make it truly useful, optimized and safe. Let us guide you step by step.

Before getting started, let’s remind ourselves of a few basic rules. A bike shelter intended for public use must comply with certain standards:

• It must offer a parking area of at least 1m² per bicycle, excluding clearance areas.
• Parking facilities must be fixed, enabling bikes to be stabilized and the frame or at least one wheel to be attached.
• In addition, they must be secured, whether by a door with a locking system for housing estates, industrial or service buildings, or by the presence of a person, a video surveillance system or a secure door for commercial buildings or public service stations.

INSTALLATION OF AN ENCLOSED BICYCLE SHELTER

1. Analysis of your situation

The first step is to analyze your land:

• Where will the bike shelter be located? Location influences user needs and applicable regulations.
• What shape and size? The size of the bike shelter determines its layout, but even a small space can be optimized for maximum functionality.
• How many parking spaces are required? A preliminary estimate is required to meet potential user needs.
• What constraints need to be taken into account?

2. Defining the specific zones of your secure bike shelter

The second step is to consider several distinct areas for different functions of the bike shelter.
Depending on the size and configuration of your shelter, your bike racks may be placed on both sides of the shelter, or on one side only (in the case of a small shelter, for example). This will also determine the location of your doors and the direction of circulation.
In all cases, it’s vital to think beyond quantity! To ensure that cyclists adopt your bike shelter, make sure that :

• bicycles are not parked too close together
• there’s enough space to move your bike backwards, especially with 2-stage racks
• the shelter is easy to move around, even if several users are present at the same time

In addition to parking, a space can be dedicated to bike maintenance equipment (inflation and repair stations, deluxe stations, etc.), and another to the storage of personal accessories. It’s important to respect safety distances and optimize the space dedicated to two-wheeled parking as much as possible.

3. Choice of bike racks

Bicycle racks are essential and must be compatible with the different needs of users. At Abriplus, we offer a variety of racks for different types of bikes and scooters. These racks must be aesthetically pleasing, functional and adapted to the space available.

• Bicycle bollards: Ideal for parking classic bicycles with a more aesthetic appearance.
• Cargo bike bays: Designed to give priority to cargo bikes and prevent conventional bikes from parking there, thanks to their low height. Also available with VAE charging.
• Racks and racks: easy to install, optimize organization and space dedicated to bicycle parking.
• VAE recharging stations : VAE recharging stations have become indispensable and are much appreciated by users who need to recharge their machines regularly.
• Tiered bike racks : Horizontal or vertical storage, our double bike racks optimize your space and limit floor clutter.
• Scooter racks: Ergonomic, practical racks for parking two-wheelers.

4. Secure bike shelter equipment

In a secure bike shelter, the interior layout is crucial to user satisfaction. Maintenance equipment such as complete repair stations, electric inflators or inflation stations are important to quickly respond to bike repair and maintenance needs.

To complete your installation, you can also consider user comfort features such as litter garbage cans or storage lockers.

5. Bicycle shelter power supply

An enclosed bike shelter needs to be properly lit and, if it has charging stations, it needs to have an adequate power supply. Two solutions are available: a conventional electrical system, or the installation of solar panels on the roof of your bike shelter, if the latter permits. We install photovoltaic panels on flat-roofed bike shelters. This makes bike shelters self-sufficient in electricity, and simplifies installation since no electrical connection is required!

Our secure flat-roof bicycle shelters :

6. Security

Last but not least, an enclosed bike shelter needs to be properly secured. To achieve this, an access control system must be installed.

• Most enclosed bike shelters require secure access management to gain access to the bike park. Several access management solutions are available, such as a key, a Vigik badge, a smartphone or a transport card. If you wish, you can outsource access management for greater control and security.
• Three years ago, Abriplus developed the Diwio solution to meet these needs. Diwio is an access management solution for enclosed bike shelters. By opting for this solution, you outsource this part of your bike shelter management to a reliable and practical solution. In addition to its main function, you can also delegate to Diwio theoperation of your bike shelter, i.e. management of subscriptions, surveillance via digital camera, after-sales service and maintenance of the bike shelter.
• A number of solutions can then be put in place to guarantee the safety and operation of the bike shelter, such as real-time bike counting(to avoid ghost bikes) and video surveillance.

A few examples of successful layouts…

You now have the keys to the successfulinstallation of your secure bicycle shelter. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. At Abriplus, we have a team of experts dedicated to this stage of your bicycle plan. We’ll be delighted to help.