Technology...

More and more people are riding bicycles these days. How many people feel restricted from riding bikes because of issues with theft, or with not knowing where to lock up the bike? My guess would be a lot of people. Fortunately, companies are coming out with all sorts of nifty ways to park and lock bicycles.

The first is BikeLid Systems. These are polyethylene shells attached to a steel bike frame that is cemented into the concrete. They look like little, individual igloos to protect and enclose the bike. Even better, the shells are also made from 90 percent industrial plastic waste materials and recycled steel. You simply lift the unit up and place your bike underneath, and seal it all up with a padlock.

Another option is the Bike Tree. It looks exactly how it sounds; it is a vertically long bike stand and multiple bikes can hang from it at one time. There is a control panel attached to the stand, with finger print sensors. The control panel allows you to lock and unlock your bike. You press the button and the bike correlating with that fingerprint is lowered. It conserves lots of space! How cool is that?!

SLIM, but Modular is an interesting design for parking bikes. It consists of a slanting steel rod that almost looks like the bottom of a ski. It is faced upward and you can park the bike in place, hands-free! It is the wheels and the bike that gets locked in, making it kind of impossible to steal. It’s still in the design phase, but something to get excited about!

Lastly, there are Cyclepods. This looks like a lamp, lampshade included (See Picture!) There are eight spaces on it, and the bikes are placed upward. Like SLIM, the cyclepods can lock the wheels into place. The lampshade type structure protects the bike from ugly weather conditions. They, ALSO, are made from 95 percent recycled aluminum.

Wow. Technology never ceases to amaze me.

Sounds like it’s time dig your bikes out of the garage and get them all spiffed up for the warm weather!