Grrr - Lidl replaces Sheffield stands with Wheel Benders

[Mick F]

I never use Sheffield stands or "wheel-benders" as any cycle facilities at supermarkets are (in my experience anyway) always off to one side away from the main door. Easy peasey to break a lock and steel a bike where no-one is watching or even able to see.

Best place to lock your bike at a supermarket is near the main door where everyone can see it - even you through the windows.
Lean it on any available structure and lock your bike to it.

[mjr]

I never use Sheffield stands or "wheel-benders" as any cycle facilities at supermarkets are (in my experience anyway) always off to one side away from the main door. Easy peasey to break a lock and steel a bike where no-one is watching or even able to see.

Best place to lock your bike at a supermarket is near the main door where everyone can see it - even you through the windows.
Lean it on any available structure and lock your bike to it.

Your local council is rubbish. Elect a better one

Seriously, our local parking standards require the cycle parking to be nearer the main door than normal car parking, so stores can't get planning permission without it. The remaining problems are of three types:
1. small shops that have no car parking so don't have to provide cycle parking - usually solved by council-provided racks on the street outside;
2. old shops (including conversions) that predate the parking standards but I think they've been in since at least the early 1990s, although wheelbenders were allowed in the early years until my precursors got the standards improved;
3. Tesco, who insist on using their own design of rubbish small ^-shaped racks too near the wall and too far from the main door and seem to wave their lawyers at enforcement officers until they chicken out. Aldi, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda and others comply but not Tesco. It's possible to lock some bikes to the anti-ram-raid fences (which are shaped like long Sheffield stands) and outside of the trolley park, but not enough for the size of shop.

[Patrickpioneer]

I have just got back from a ride to the vets (they said my rash will clear soon) I had a look around and they have two wheel bender stands, I think these could be for staff? Our local hospital has the same stands under a cover, many bikes get stolen from there or vandalized.

[gaz]

I expect the investigation will find cycle parking takes up car parking space.

Tesco1Jul17.png

The racks were about as far from the store entrance as is humanly possible on the site. You had to cross the entire length of the car parking area to reach them. Various cages and bins routinely parked next to them to prevent their use.

Tesco2Jun18.png

The fencing went up first, storing cages and bins to absolutely prevent use. Later the racks were removed. No other cycle parking provision on the site.

Cycle and car parking were both shown on the planning docs, conditions of planning permission made reference to providing and maintaining the agreed number of vehicle parking spaces.

I pointed out to the local authority that cycles are vehicles, so it's a planning violation. I don't know whether the council have decided otherwise, Tesco have ignored the decision or the council has a significant back-log and this has yet to make it's way to the top of the pile.

Edit: I followed up and the council advise they responded last September (presumed lost in post). In planning terms cycles are not vehicles. The bin storage is "permitted development". No violation of planning consent has occured.

[FatBat]

Check your local planning policies and their permission. It would normally be a breach of conditions requiring secure standard parking here, which the local cycling campaign would report to the enforcement officers.

On the case - our UDP did have minimum standards for cycle parking, but that has just been replaced with some new policy which is rather vague when it comes to details.

[FatBat]

My local Lidl (Holmfirth) has just replaced five Sheffield stands with five wheel-benders. Won't be going there again.
..

Where do you shop instead, does your boycott cost you in time, cash, choice?
Wish I had a lidl near home, I do have an aldi, it has wheel-benders I think, but I always walk there

An Adil has just opened, which is actually closer. Went there yesterday and it has five Sheffield stands right next to the entrance. Unfortunately, some bright spark has decided to place pallets of barbecue charcoal and ornamental pebbles, and displays of bedding plants, right next to them so I could only park my bike by resting the front wheel on a pile of bags of Yellow Polished Decorative Pebbles.The bike looked rather uncomfortable with its front wheel three feet higher than the rear.

[Lance Dopestrong]

It narks me off that my GP surgery doesnt have a single cycle stand, not even a piddly wheelbender. I get annoyed at having to use a car to drive 2 villages across to see the quack or collect a prescription simply because there's nowhere to secure a bike.

[Mick F]

It narks me off that my GP surgery doesnt have a single cycle stand, not even a piddly wheelbender. I get annoyed at having to use a car to drive 2 villages across to see the quack or collect a prescription simply because there's nowhere to secure a bike.

Our health centre is the same, but I just lean my bike against the wall behind the bench.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.52455 ... 312!8i6656

[Cyril Haearn]

Have to drive?
Maybe one may park nearby and -walk- a few metres
I make nearly all trips by cycle, maybe I should walk more

[Mick F]

............. maybe I should walk more

Get yourself a border collie puppy.
I've walked MILES with him.

[mjr]

It narks me off that my GP surgery doesnt have a single cycle stand, not even a piddly wheelbender. I get annoyed at having to use a car to drive 2 villages across to see the quack or collect a prescription simply because there's nowhere to secure a bike.

Send a letter to the practice manager. They probably drive to work so they haven't noticed.

Our local GP has 4 Sheffields, but they're far enough from the pharmacy door that I usually lock the bike to the rarely-used bench by its door. I think in theory that's for passengers waiting for the dial-a-ride or taxis to collect them, but in practice they prefer to wait indoors where it's warm in winter and shady in summer.

[pete75]

It narks me off that my GP surgery doesnt have a single cycle stand, not even a piddly wheelbender. I get annoyed at having to use a car to drive 2 villages across to see the quack or collect a prescription simply because there's nowhere to secure a bike.

Send a letter to the practice manager. They probably drive to work so they haven't noticed.

Our local GP has 4 Sheffields, but they're far enough from the pharmacy door that I usually lock the bike to the rarely-used bench by its door. I think in theory that's for passengers waiting for the dial-a-ride or taxis to collect them, but in practice they prefer to wait indoors where it's warm in winter and shady in summer.

Our local GP practice has some walls. Handy to lean a bike against I find.

[Mick F]

................. and why are they called "Health" Centres?

Should be called Ill-health Centres or Poorly Centres or even Sick Centres.

[mjr]

................. and why are they called "Health" Centres?

Should be called Ill-health Centres or Poorly Centres or even Sick Centres.

Because I go there to preserve my health and not become more sick I think that's rather insensitive to suggest such a renaming.

[mattheus]

I never use Sheffield stands or "wheel-benders" as any cycle facilities at supermarkets are (in my experience anyway) always off to one side away from the main door. Easy peasey to break a lock and steel a bike where no-one is watching or even able to see.

Best place to lock your bike at a supermarket is near the main door where everyone can see it - even you through the windows.
Lean it on any available structure and lock your bike to it.

Indeed.

I find most supermarkets have a trolley park-thingy in a good spot, that's a pretty secure object to lock your bike to.