Bike parking, Manchester?

straas

Enjoyed my first commute to work today until I actually got here, have been informed that despite most of the sheffield stands inside the car park being empty - there is a waiting list to use them going back as far as September! and am not allowed to leave my bike locked anywhere else in the building.

Bummer

So does anyone know of any secure parking around central manchester? I'm based in piccadilly gardens and don't really want to be walking a long distance in cycling shoes. There are sheffield stands I can see from my desk, but as I'm 5 floors up I'd only be able to watch it get nicked!

shm_uk

Dunno if this may be of any help...

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200102/walking_and_cycling/732/cycling_in_manchester/12

Lancslad

Empty and you cant use them, thats mad. Hope you got sorted.

walkingbootweather

So what would happen if you locked your bike to one of the empty sheffield stands and claimed ignorance?

straas

The stands are in the courtyard and I have to go past reception to get to them, such a farce - they're never in use and I'm not allowed to use them - grr.

walkingbootweather

Does sound crazy. Have you considered bribery?

How about an entry to your staff suggestion scheme? Propose a refundable deposit required for anyone wishing to reserve a stand. If someone chooses to give up their place their deposit is refunded. If they fail to make use of their alloted place for a month without cancelling then their deposit is donated to charity. Either way blockers are taken out of the system. Appeal to personnel / HR manager? Wouldn't it be sensible if at least some of the space should be allocated to staff or visitors on a first come first served basis?

KeimanP

Could you ask people on your floor to find out if they have a bike stand registered and don't use it and ask if you can?

Do the stands fill up in summer months?

shouldbeinbed

mattomal wrote:

Enjoyed my first commute to work today until I actually got here, have been informed that despite most of the sheffield stands inside the car park being empty - there is a waiting list to use them going back as far as September! and am not allowed to leave my bike locked anywhere else in the building.

Bummer

So does anyone know of any secure parking around central manchester? I'm based in piccadilly gardens and don't really want to be walking a long distance in cycling shoes. There are sheffield stands I can see from my desk, but as I'm 5 floors up I'd only be able to watch it get nicked!

chain your bike to the bosses alloy wheel to get their attention to such a piece of lunacy. at the very least raise it as an issue with the top brass, take a photograph in the middle of every day, so you can present evidence that they're simply bring hogged and unused.

don't know of any wardern/secured accessstuff as I work outside of the city centre but for the odd week when I have to work in town I tend to use the ones outside Primark facing the the Gardens and Bus Station and good locks front and rear - I figure its in plain sight on a constantly busy bit of pavement and hope that, along with multiple decent shackles will be enough deterrent. not tempting fate but so far so lucky.


I know what you mean about the shoes too - the bus/metro concourse is lethal even with my spd/mtb shoes - god help anyone in a pair of proper roadies.

straas

I've emailed around asking if anyone is in possession of a space but isn't using it, I'll also take photos of the racks to show how empty they are day to day.

Think the best racks for me would be those to the right of the thistle, hoping that the taxi drivers might be at least some kind of deterrent to thieves.

I just thought there might be some bike sheds about I was unaware of, all I can find is some mention of a cycle centre planned for the 'next tax year' I'll assume it's probably been scrapped.

straas

If anyone's interested I managed to get my bike into the building eventually - only by appealing to the security after my front wheel was nicked!

Good job I got in aswell, the stands where I used to stick my bike have been completely taken over by motorbikes to the extent that you can't possibly put a bike there.

Drfabulous0

Just lock your bike to the stands in the car park, if anyone complains tell them to F off, if they still complain offer to fight them over it.

CiB

Drfabulous0 wrote:

Just lock your bike to the stands in the car park, if anyone complains tell them to F off, if they still complain offer to fight them over it.

Come come. Etiquette? You can't just tell someone to F off. D lock the c**t first, then tell him.

Tut. Youth of today. No style.

crazy88

Not sure how far the Uni is from picadilly gardens, but there's always loads of bikes around Uni locked up. Some fairly nice ones too.

I don't really know Manchester very well. I just get off at picadilly and walk into my building 100m away

EDIT: I see you've managed to get it in the building. Yay! Anyone else wondering where to park a bike...the Uni stands often have spaces

AndyManc

crazy88 wrote:

Not sure how far the Uni is from picadilly gardens, but there's always loads of bikes around Uni locked up. Some fairly nice ones too.

It's a bus ride away and the uni bike racks are easy pickings for the local thieving scum.

Regular reports of thefts in that area.


.

CRAIGO5000

God I feel so lucky now with our indoor cycle store with lockers and showers.

Seriously though, your company needs to be presented with the cold hard facts that they are NOT being used by those who have them booked.

As mentioned, get photos and make a small case to be presented. If that fails, go hardcore and just use them regardless.

Booking a stand is lunacy imo. First come first served is the best policy.

Dipak

Hi folks,

Just in case anyone revisits this thread...... We have opened a secure Bicycle parking venue in Central Manchester

www.popupbikes.co.uk.

Dipak

merkin

:x Excuse me but this is a London forum.

shouldbeinbed

merkin wrote:

:x Excuse me but this is a London forum.

Think of it as the new local parking for people rehoused by Newham Council then :-D

shouldbeinbed

Dipak wrote:

Hi folks,

Just in case anyone revisits this thread...... We have opened a secure Bicycle parking venue in Central Manchester

http://www.popupbikes.co.uk.

Dipak

Good looking website & excellent rates, I'm not regular enough into Manchester to go for membership but will definitely park & have a brew with you when I'm in town.

rolf_f

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Good looking website & excellent rates, I'm not regular enough into Manchester to go for membership but will definitely park & have a brew with you when I'm in town.

You must be from that London! Looks pricey compared to Leeds (though Leeds lacks the coffee )

SimonAH

I thought that in Manchester you parked wherever you liked and simply bought your bike back from Gumtree in the evening freshly resprayed?

rolf_f

SimonAH wrote:

I thought that in Manchester you parked wherever you liked and simply bought your bike back from Gumtree in the evening freshly resprayed?

Silly man! You don't park your bike in Manchester. In Manchester they just remove the bike from your person after someones shot you.

shouldbeinbed

Rolf F wrote:

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Good looking website & excellent rates, I'm not regular enough into Manchester to go for membership but will definitely park & have a brew with you when I'm in town.

You must be from that London! Looks pricey compared to Leeds (though Leeds lacks the coffee )

Pricey? really?? £1.50 a day??? I'm from that Oldham and usually weld it to some sheffield stands in plain sight on the busy shopping thoroughfares then spend my time worrying more than £1.50's worth of therapy if it'll still be there and not have been mangled for fun by the time I get back.

where is the one in leeds and how much, I may well make the 40 mile ride for bargain parking

rolf_f

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Good looking website & excellent rates, I'm not regular enough into Manchester to go for membership but will definitely park & have a brew with you when I'm in town.

You must be from that London! Looks pricey compared to Leeds (though Leeds lacks the coffee )

Pricey? really?? £1.50 a day??? I'm from that Oldham and usually weld it to some sheffield stands in plain sight on the busy shopping thoroughfares then spend my time worrying more than £1.50's worth of therapy if it'll still be there and not have been mangled for fun by the time I get back.

where is the one in leeds and how much, I may well make the 40 mile ride for bargain parking

It's right outside the train station. £1.00 a day. And Leeds is much nicer than Manchester
Still, £1.50 isn't bad.

If you come over just to park cheaply, let me know and I'll buy you a pint. I think you'd deserve it!
http://www.cyclepoint.org/tariffs.html

Agent57

I'd be interested if a) it was closer to Oxford Road, and b) I could leave the bike there overnight, rather than during the day. The Brompton's OK, but I'd rather be on a full-sized bike.

shouldbeinbed

Rolf F wrote:

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Good looking website & excellent rates, I'm not regular enough into Manchester to go for membership but will definitely park & have a brew with you when I'm in town.

You must be from that London! Looks pricey compared to Leeds (though Leeds lacks the coffee )

Pricey? really?? £1.50 a day??? I'm from that Oldham and usually weld it to some sheffield stands in plain sight on the busy shopping thoroughfares then spend my time worrying more than £1.50's worth of therapy if it'll still be there and not have been mangled for fun by the time I get back.

where is the one in leeds and how much, I may well make the 40 mile ride for bargain parking

It's right outside the train station. £1.00 a day. And Leeds is much nicer than Manchester
Still, £1.50 isn't bad.

If you come over just to park cheaply, let me know and I'll buy you a pint. I think you'd deserve it!
http://www.cyclepoint.org/tariffs.html

shouldbeinbed

Cycle Parking facilities in Manchester, They're like busses none for ages then..... http://road.cc/content/news/57162-cycle ... mment-form

Might give the other one a knock before its even got established tho, far more central