Plantlock Turnstile Bollard Concept

Here is a rough idea of what an 'improved' Plantlock might look like, if paired with a bollard. This turnstile bollard actually spins in the unlikely event of an incident. The Plantlock is painted in the same livery as the Victorian Cycle rack to maintain a level of consitency. The vanes of the turnstile bollard are all retro-reflective white. This idea has been forwarded to OCC for consideration. Residents who will be using them are invited to get involved designing these, as manufacturing must begin by end September 2010 in order to be installed in time.

The bollards are inspired by existing speed control bollards at various places around Oxford. You've probably seen them if you're on a bicycle. They're the ones on Cutteslowe footbridge and at various places around the city.

Victorian cycle rack, T profile with bollard

On Sunday 5 September Ed and I dummied up the Victorian cycle rack in front of 37/39.

The "T" profile is a significant improvement on the old "H" profile in the original spec as it actually allows for more bikes to attach to it, it's more stable (and therefore does not need bolting to the street) and has a less intrusive footprint, allowing access to the sewer main as well as easier access to drives for numbers 39 and 38.

It looks a bit dumpy in the photo, but with gloss black railing paint and white retro-reflective details, it should look quite handsome. There will be a Victorian bollard in place of the plastic drain pipe in the photo.

Also bear in mind the partial arched element that rises above the western pillar will not form part of the final design (we just didn't have time to remove it from the pillar!)

Victorian cycle rack, T profile with bollard

Here is the design of the Victorian cycle rack after several back-and-forth sessions with Anthony Kirkwood at OCC as well as further consultation between 37 and 39 where the cycle rack sits in front. The design is free-standing and quite heavy, as the two vertical posts are cast iron as well as the gates. The two gates are bolted together instead of welded in order to provide 'snap points' in the event a car collides with the rack. Colour is currently spec'd as black with while reflective glass-bead paint.

We are currently waiting for final confirmation of this design from the OCC and, following a mock-up test in early September, Witney Welding Company will put the bits together.

Plantlock Cycle Racks

Jeremy read about this form of cycle lock in the CTC magazine. It's a suggestion for the cycle rack at location number 14 on the proposal map v 10.3 posted on this blog and on the BCR bulletin board.


PLANTLOCK £135 (£117.40 + vat)

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A VIDEO DEMO OF PLANTLOCK'S HARDINESS, VISIT http://frontyardcompany.co.uk/products/plantlock_work.html

"PlantLock frees up cluttered hallways and stairwells by offering a solid planter to lock your bike to. As well as providing safe and tidy bike storage, PlantLock transforms the front yard to a green space. (PlantLock can also be used in back gardens, balconies, communal gardens and other maintained public places.)
PlantLock constitutes an "immovable object" to lock bicycles to, weighing 75+kg when planted up.

"PlantLock accommodates most bicycle types on the market. Bicycle frame and both wheels can be secured to the bar with the owner’s existing locks – ideally two quality locks of different types, as recommended by SoldSecure. PlantLock requires minimum maintenance, being made from robust, durable materials. The locking bar is made from boron steel, case-hardened and tempered, to achieve robustness beyond most commercially available bicycle locks. Each PlantLock accommodates 2 bicycles, and is available in a range of subtle colours.

"PlantLock planting: PlantLock is suitable for growing a wide range of flowering plants, hardy shrubs, fragrant herbs, and alternatively, low maintenance, drought tolerant planting. PlantLock is best positioned in a well lit location, in open view from inside and outside the house, avoiding blind spots and shadows from trees and other visual obstructions. 
For permanent fixture, PlantLock can be attached to the ground, using fixing holes.

On-street residential cycle racks in Hackney

An existing on-street cycle parking place in Hackney. It does have build-outs to protect it, but at least there's something of a precedent in a UK residential street.

http://www.hackney-cyclists.org.uk/parking/

"Victorian" Cycle Rack, version 2

This is version 2 of the "Victorian" cycle rack.

It's composed of architectural salvage I already have.

The OCC has already flagged a concern about the tall archway on one end, so this will either have to be positioned along the gutter side of the road (instead of closer to the centre of the street) or just done away with altogether.

Structurally, the current design needs to have an arch in order to be accessible to cyclists parking inside the two railings, and as the OCC concern was initially about the stability of the stand, I will lobby for it to stay and design more stabilising features. The arch is the old Woodstock Road Baptist Church archway I bought when it was removed a few years ago.

Would the hamlets that include the other two cycle racks prefer some sort of a Victorian salvage constructed cycle rack rather than the standard 3-hoop design?

Click on the image below to see it enlarged.

Another 'listed' cycle rack

Here's a cycle rack composed of cast iron pieces I already have. The arch I bought from the Woodstock Road Baptist Church four years ago when they removed it. The railings currently form an ad-hoc cycle rack in my front garden (a bit beat up right now). The brown trough/trellis planter at the northern end is readily available for £31 (it's about a metre tall). This design would create a nice profile on the street while offering parking for four cycles and have a planter to buffer the traffic. It would probably cost no more than £400 to cover what I paid for the materials (around £100), and to put it together and install...the same price as a three hoop ordinary cycle rack. Kate Arnold-Foster has raised the prospect of BCR possibly installing the country's first 'listed' cycle racks.

Prefab Cycle rack ideas

Amongst the pre-fabs, my favourite style is by a US company called DERO although I dont have prices for the UK. This may not be the best type of rack for BCR as is, since each one would individually have to be drilled into the ground. The other prefab is the 'toast-rack' or 'hoop' style. These are less inspired, but might be the preferred choice of an individual hamlet if they dont want to go to the trouble of commissioning a bespoke cycle rack.

"Period" cycle rack design

I'd like to consider how we could use bits of architectural salvage iron to create cycle racks with more imagination than the off-the-shelf stuff. Here's a piece that I think could be incorporated into a terrific cycle rack that would also work as a bollard. They're from Brighton seafront. They're being sold as a lot of 11 for £1150. With some engineering work to transform them into cycle racks, that would work out to a price comparable to the cheapo 3-hoop cycle racks. If other hamlets are interested in exploring a consistent cycle rack design for the street, this might be our answer. Any thoughts?