Whether your whole workforce or only a few people cycle to work, having somewhere safe and secure to store bikes at your workplace is extremely important. Many bikes are expensive, and as an attractive target for thieves, employers need to provide safe cycle storage solutions for their staff.
There is a range of different storage options available to you that you can choose based on your needs, space, and size requirements. In this blog, we’re going to look at why it’s important to have cycle storage on your premises, and each of the options available to you. Each cycle storage solution offers its own advantages and is suited to different contexts, so by the end, you will be able to make the right choice for your business.
Why It’s Important to Provide Cycle Storage Solutions
As an employer, you have a duty to accommodate your employees’ lifestyle choices. Part of creating a safe, positive work environment includes supporting your employees in their choices. With many people wanting to reduce their carbon footprint and lead a more sustainable lifestyle, cycling to work is becoming increasingly popular. Especially in the context of COVID-19, many people are choosing to avoid public transport that so many commuters have historically used, opting to get to work independently.
Businesses need to adapt to changing habits, and cycling to work means that staff need somewhere to store their bicycles throughout the day.
Cycle Storage Solutions Support Wellbeing
Employers also have a responsibility to promote their team’s sense of wellbeing at work. There are many areas of wellbeing, including:
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Physical health
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Career development
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Mental and emotional health
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Social belonging
Encouraging your employees to cycle to work directly supports their physical wellbeing by putting the provisions in place to support them in choosing a more active lifestyle. If employees make the choice to cycle to work, or perhaps if cycling to work is their only option, they should be able to safely and securely store their bicycles whilst they work.
Encouraging Cycling Reduces Company Emissions
For eco-conscious companies, investing in cycle storage solutions can help reduce emissions and lessen companies’ roles in creating more pollution and damage to the environment. This is because having the storage available will encourage staff to start travelling by bike to work more.
Outdoor Cycle Storage Options
When it comes to choosing the best cycle storage solutions for your business, there are a lot of different options available to you. From cycle storage sheds to wall mounted cycle storage, each option offers different benefits. Let’s look at some of them.
Cycle Storage Sheds and Lockers
For more secure outdoor cycle storage, then cycle storage sheds or bike lockers make great choices. Bike shelters can offer protection from the British weather to maintain the condition of your team’s bikes all year round. There are also more secure options in bike lockers and gated bike shelters. These allow you to protect bikes from both the elements and any potential thieves looking for an easy steal.
At Barriers Direct, you can get your cycle storage sheds made to measure to accommodate any size requirements. Just get in touch with us to get started.
Cycle Wall Storage
Whether you have less space available or only need to store a few bikes, wall mounted cycle storage is a great option for businesses. Easily fitted onto exterior walls or even in your building’s car park, cycle wall storage is easy to install and use. Wall cycle stands are great as space-saving solutions, and bike stands can be easily added should more of your employees start cycling to work. Our collection of wall mounted cycle storage comes in the form of racks and stands to suit any business needs.
Bike Racks and Stands
Bike racks and stands can be standalone, fitted into the ground like the Sheffield cycle stand, or fitted onto the wall as we’ve already mentioned. The individual standalone stands are the most flexible solutions as you can add extra stands as you need. You can also opt for racks that fit a certain amount of bikes on it if you know how many you need or have a good estimate. These offer space for bikes to be parked, and for individuals to use any bike locks to secure their bicycle to the stand. These are easy to install and are made from durable materials that will stand the test of time.
How to Choose the Best Cycle Storage Solutions for You
When you are looking for bike storage, it can be difficult to know what the best option for you is. But you can make your own filter of sorts by looking at your space and working out what the most suitable storage solution for you is. Start by answering the following questions, as they’ll help you in narrowing down your search.
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How many bikes do I need to store?
This question will help you work out how large of a storage solution you need. If your purchase of a bike storage solution is part of an initiative to encourage staff to cycle to work more, then try sending out a quick survey to gauge how many bikes you can expect to need to store. If not, simply ask for your team to let you know who needs a space to store their bicycle.
If you only need to facilitate the storage of a few bikes, then some simple bike stands or a bike rack could be the best choice.
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Where will my storage solution be located?
The answer to this will dictate the way in which your bike storage solution will be installed. If you have a large amount of space, then a bike shelter may be the ideal solution for you. For those with limited space, then a wall-mounted storage solution is the best space-saving option.
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How secure does my solution need to be?
Cycle storage solutions offer varying levels of security, so if your business premises are on a secured property, you don’t have to worry about security issues. However, if your premises are on public land or in a city centre, it may be an idea to choose a bike locker where you can store bicycles in the most secure way.
After answering these questions, you’ll know what specifications your cycle storage solution needs to have, and therefore it will be much easier to narrow down your search. Once you know what kind of solution you need, you can consider things like finish, design and colour.
Cycle Storage Solutions at Barriers Direct
At Barriers Direct, our cycle storage solutions are durable, high-quality and affordable, able to accommodate a wide range of spaces. And each of the cycle storage solutions we’ve covered in this blog are available to purchase from us today.
We also offer installation services with our bike parking products, so you can purchase and get your cycle storage product installed all in one service with Barriers Direct. If you have any queries, please contact us, and we’d be happy to help.
