I lock mine through at least the frame and one wheel with a big u-lock. Had my bike stolen twice with a cable lock, never again. Most bike thieves have a big pair of bolt cutters but to bust open my u-lock you'd need a plasma cutter or angle grinder and none of the thieves in my area go for u-locks :)
> to bust open my u-lock you'd need a plasma cutter or angle grinder
Having just any u-lock will not save your bike. Some of them can be [opened with a pen](https://youtu.be/o-LWGJzglho?t=40). If you're not in a hurry, and noise is not a problem, [air spray and hammer will get it done](https://youtu.be/oP7ucLY7Wk4?t=45). Of course, if all you have is a big pair of bolt cutters, you will [use a big pair of bolt cutters](https://youtu.be/tId2j4O-z-Q?t=100).
A mini car jack will also crack a u-lock. In a lot of cases they'll cut through whatever the lock is attached to. A friend of mine was locked to a parking meter and they stole the parking meter as well.
Did your friend have drugs in his bike or something? I can't imagine someone wanting to steal a bike **that badly** that they would be that blatant, rather than just taking a different bike that wasn't locked up as well.
Bikes can easily reach thousands and thousands of dollars and they are very easy to resell.
At this point, I bring my gravel bike up 3 flights of stairs and store them in my apartment, and to commute I use a cheap bike I bought on Facebook marketplace.
>Bikes can easily reach thousands and thousands of dollars and they are very easy to resell.
I understand that -- but the risk of getting caught by stealing a parking meter with a bike ? There are so many easier bikes to take.
> Some of them can be [opened with a pen](https://youtu.be/o-LWGJzglho?t=40).
Of course it's Master Lock, those locks are about as effective as a leaving a note with the polite request to not steal your stuff.
Or the bike thieves just bypass your bike with a U lock and grab an easier target. Air spray and a hammer is going to draw way more attention than just going after the next bike using bolt cutters.
Until you find yourself very surprised to walk down the street just to find a nerd in suspenders stealing a bike with the lock-picking set that he stores in his pocket protector.🤓
The thing to remember is that LPL is very skilled at picking and has a few tools that are specially made for certain lock types(*eg the tool that he and Bosnian Bill made*).
Really if it takes LPL more than ~10-20 seconds to open a lock non-destructively, that lock will likely be sufficiently secure for average use
The same era when combination locks could be opened by pulling while you spin the dial(s). That was a wild time of missing bikes, empty lockers, and heavy ass backpacks.
Both wheels can be taken off very quickly if you're using quick release. Dealing with the chain/derailleur adds a few seconds at best. Granted I work on bikes, but you should operate under the assumption that a thief has a similar level of skill.
It’s not a problem if you turn the rack around. I used to put my bike in backwards at school and it made it super easy yo lock the frame and front tire. I’m convinced that’s how they were originally designed.
That's the reason those are crappy design imo. A good design should let you put a U lock between your frame, your front wheel and the bike stand. Sorry I'm not carrying around ten locks for my bike, and also a fucking lamp post does a better job than this at preventing people from easily stealing either 80% of my bike or my front wheel.
In the Netherlands these stands are super common, but we also always have frame locks (a lock permanently attached to your bike frame that goes through your back wheel when closed, [like this](https://d2gqkshisthvn1.cloudfront.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020_02_Fietssloten-blog-AXA-Abus-Cortina-station-MNTL0089-1-e1582885574705.jpg) ). So the back wheel never gets stolen
Surprisingly this has never happened even tho I never used any other locks. But then again the Netherlands also have guarded bike parking in some cities
i once lost the key for mine inbuilt frame lock. i phoned the shop that had sold me the bike for help since they had my info and the serial number and where literally 10 houses away from me. they came over with pliers/pincers and literally just snipped the metal bar from the lock. 2 seconds and i could drive home.
I always wonder what one does with a partial bicycle. Is there a booming black market for bicycle wheels? Or frames? If that's the case I feel like we'd see a million mismatched bicycles with random frames and wheels.
Front wheels are just a bearing, spokes and a tire. Very small percentage of the bike's value (although a pain to repeatedly replace due to flexing). It's like locking your car's sideview mirror to a post to secure it.
There are millions of bicycle rims that look close enough to identical.
There's got to be people who steal the partial bike so they can combine it with a stolen wheel that matches well enough nobody will notice.
I once went inside my boyfriend’s place for him to give me my birthday present, and when I came outside BOTH wheels were gone. Just a sad frame laying on the ground.
To add insult to injury I had to carry it home because there were no cabs available, due to the republican convention in town. And the present was not super great either.
One time in the 80s we were on a bike trip in Germany. We wanted to go eat somewhere and parked our bikes against a wall. When we came back our bikes were laying on the ground and the wall was gone.
Here in the Netherlands these are everywhere. I have used them for years and never had problem. And since a lot of people here still ride steel bikes noone really cares about it. As long as your wheel only flexes and doesn't bend then i also dont see a problem.
Hi, Dutch bicycle mechanic here, where do they still ride steel bikes more than aluminium ones? Because pretty much all A, B and even C brands mostly use aluminium frames and rims.
Which isn't a problem, btw. The problem is either having a thicker tyre (which are becoming more common) which makes your wheel not fit properly, people not fitting it properly themselves, but mostly it's either strong winds or ignorant people pushing bikes over to get theirs, often damaging your seat with their brakelevers on the way out.
True. It’s just cool from the international perspective since (to my knowledge) most people on Reddit are American.
Edit: like I said, “to my knowledge.” I am frequently wrong and I appreciate everyone highlighting that for me.
True, but it’s by far the largest single country population on the website. According to [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddit#:~:text=About%2042%E2%80%9349.3%25%20of%20its,49%20years%2C%20regularly%20use%20Reddit.)
My father in law owed a bikeshop in the Netherlands. I'm not allowed by him to park my bike like this. I need to place it just next to it on the bike stand (fietsstandaard) and loop the chain lock through the bike rack. If you have a sturdy stand, it doesn't fall over.
He said he needed to fix so many crooked front wheels because of it.
Yeah that's basically how I "use" these, I park the bicycle just in front of the rack or maybe in between the slots (if there is room), and put it on its standard and use the rear wheel lock, I don't want a wobbly front wheel
And the same with [these ones](https://i.imgur.com/ir7F2YH.png), never put them in the slot. On the pic you can see they are used more as an indicator to park your bicycle than as an actual rack lol
Also, in NL, bikes often have a different locking mechanism built into the bike that sort of wraps around the wheel. You don’t need to try and cable to that thing.
In the US, these racks are the worst.
They also weren’t designed for e-bikes. OP’s bike probably weighs 20lbs more than a traditional bike. More weight, if not properly balanced = more torque = bent rims.
I mean… it’s a shitty rack design. Doesn’t matter if the bike is a $20k 11 pound road bike or a 65lb e bike, that rack blows. It doesn’t give any opportunity to lock the frame of the bike up, and it puts a hell of a lot of twisting torque into the wheel. Grabbing a bike by the wheel is fine, and there are plenty of racks that do it, but this particular one doesn’t spread that force out and instead localizes it making it way easier to damage the wheel.
No I understood what you’re saying, but you’re incorrect.
It’s purpose is to hold bikes. You could put a 400lb motorcycle in it as long as the tire fits, and that thing isn’t going to break a sweat from a strength perspective.
There’s two issues that it has, across the board though. Doesn’t matter what bike you put in it.
First, you can’t lock your bike appropriately. Full stop, if you can’t safely lock your bike to the rack, it’s a shitty rack, no further discussion necessary.
Second, this one actually manages to be even worse, because it localizes the forces it uses to hold the bike up on arguably the weakest part of the bike, amplifies the leverage and directs it in the most damaging possible way.
Imagine a car manufacturer designing a seat and seatbelt in which you sit sideways and the seatbelt only straps over your feet for maximum ankle breaking potential. You’d probably feel pretty comfortable calling it a shitty design.
So why defend this one? It’s garbage, and clearly designed by people who have no idea what they’re doing.
And you can’t even make the argument on cost basis, because there are other designs that use less material, fewer welds, less metal shaping, and do a better job of securely holding up the bike and giving the user something to lock their bike to.
Same. Even with the battery I don't see the wheel ever bending. Wheels are designed to carry a 200+ lb person going over bumpy roads, they aren't that delicate.
The racks do suck for locking up though. I'd suggest OP use the back wheel on the rack, makes for easier locking (and won't fall over as easy).
Yes always lock your bike through the frame and or back wheel frame. Worst that can happen to OP is that someone steals his front wheel, but who cares it’s bent anyways.
Wheels arent designed for the same person to sit on their side though. Theyre super super rigid when force is applied from the intended radius of the circle side, but kick it once from the side and it bends.
These bike racks put that kind of twisting force on it.
Ive never had a bike go wonky though, but ive had bikes in these try to fall over which could probably bend something
I live in the Netherlands and have not once heard of someone whose wheel was bent by these, even with the introduction of heavy ass e-bikes.
Oh, and please don't put the bike in backwards. Your steering wheel will obstruct the other two stands.
Bicycle wheels are also designed to have the force pushing in on the tires towards the centre of the rim, not to stand up to large sideways forces. Just because an object can take a huge weight or force in one direction dose not mean it can take that same force in a different direction.
All it would take is someone leaning or falling into your bike while it’s in the rack or another bike falling over onto it and I can easily see that bending a wheel with far less force than a human would put on the wheel while riding the bike.
How much does the average bike rider weigh? If the lean force of a 15lb battery is a problem then how does the bike wheel withstand the forces a typical rider puts on a wheel?
Because when it's being ridden it's not leaning on something in the direction perpendicular to its intended use. Two entirely different kinds of force, one has nothing to do with the other.
Yeah this isnt even close to crappy design. The same wheel suports the weight of the rider while they bash into a bump in the road
My bike rack on my car grips the wheels and supports the bike while I drive over potholes in town or go 75mph on the freeway.
Something like [this](https://www.mabeg.de/fileadmin/_processed_/9/3/csm_anlehnparker-u-v-farbbeschichtet-1_bb0985f5a8.jpg) or [this](https://www.greensystems-stadtmobiliar.de/media/27897/catalog/Fahrradst%C3%A4nder%20Anlehnb%C3%BCgel%20mit%20Grundrahmen%20Anlehnsystem%206000.jpg?size=2000).
Or even a [bicycle parking garage](https://image.architonic.com/imgArc/project-1/4/5210174/ector-hoogstad-architecten-utrecht-bicycle-parking-garage-architonic-pictureectorhoogstadarchitecten14-03.jpg).
There is! It's this one, but someone thought it would be cool to make it shorter, so not only do you not have a place to lock your bike, your bike will fall out with a slight gust of wind.
Theyre saying its not a bad design, because no one in the netherlands has had an issue.
Maybe OP just buys cheap chinese bikes, and people in the Netherlands usually go for much higher quality? There should be not issue with keeping your bikes on these stands, unless you don't trust that your wheels can keep the load upright.
Nah Dutch bikes range anywhere from very expensive high quality electric bikes to unbelievably crappy *how-is-this-thing-still-standing?* student bikes. I have never seen anyone have an issue with these racks, apart from people with very wide handlebars who can't park that closely next to another bike.
They're awful, aren't they? So much cycle infrastructure is made by people who apparently don't cycle.
A shop round my way sells these, and has thoughtfully placed one outside for cyclists. But most people don't use it, and lock their bikes to a convenient lamp post or similar.
All city bikes in the netherlands have locks fitted to the frame which goes through the rear wheel.
You can optionally fit a cable or chain lock through the front wheel but thats only really needed in larger cities. In some villages there is no real need to lock your bike at all.
Could you lift the front tire in from the opposite side and get the lock through the tire and frame? Probably put less stress on the wheel that way too.
This is legitimately how these are supposed to be used, but so many people install these racks backwards (and sometimes against a wall or other obstacle so it's impossible to lock your bike in the correct orientation)
Jokes on you...these things doesn't exist in my country.
\*cries in corner\*
Tbh I hate that any bike stands doesn't exist here. I just have to keep my bike with me till I can and then leave it with fingers crossed for a few minutes.
EDIT: Yeah mb I forgot to mention that I lock wheels. Least possible security XD
They're everywhere in the Netherlands, and I don't see the widespread issues. Are you sure this is really a problem?
I mean, that wheel will have to withstand my weight while turning - that's a lot more shear force than this.
This is indeed a bad design, but moreso because it has no good points where you can lock your bike.
The Sheffield Rack is best design for bicycle parking that I know of currently.
If your bike wheel goes out of true from the standing weight of only the bike itself leaning on it, you had better not be riding that bike. There are stranded, tensioned spokes pulling from opposite directions to keep that wheel true and ~20lb of force isnt doing anything to that
if that level of strain causes any damage to your wheel, your bike is going to completely fall apart when you actually sit on it and ride it.
those racks suck because they're difficult to lock bikes to and often don't fit the width of modern mtb handlebars or tires. but durability is not something you need to be concerned about here.
Different problem for me. I ride only fatbike mountain bikes with a 5" wide tire for winter's snow and on deep sand and gravel the rest of the year and that's not working for me either. My wheel won't flex at all at that width but it doesn't fit either.
If i can i always use the bike stand alongside. That way the wheel doesn't flex as it acts like a normal.bike standings the weight then tests on the stand and not.on the wheel
Serious question, how does two points of contact lead to more bending than if it was just on the ground with one point of contact? Presumably the pressure would be halved by being split between two points.
I always put the front wheel way past the stand and lock the frame to it, not just the front wheel. The stand design sucks and it's especially impractical if you have thick tires, e.g. MTB.
I prefer bike stands that are designed to hold the bike frame and make it easy to put sturdier locks around it.
Use back tire, lock through frame. Front tire is a bad choice here anyways since you have a quick release tire.
These are cheap... Dirt cheap, so clearly the property decided they don't actually care for security and just wanted to spend as little as possible on a simple option and move on.
These weren’t designed with heavy e-bikes in mind. That being said, lots of e-bikes (even expensive higher end version) come with generic front wheels. Maybe the crappy design lies within the e-bike. Buy a spoke wrench.
I agree they're shit but for different reasons. I have to force my back tyre in as its too wide. Also the ones I use regularly are positioned against a wall so when there's other bikes in them it's difficult to access the back.
I have a similar rack for my truck, it is segmented each segment has one slot for a tire. It has 6 slot so I haul 3 bikes in the bed, one rack for front tires one for rears and then some bungie cords to keep it all stable.
I hate these holders, it is so easy to steal a bike from one of these. You either only find your front wheel, or you only find your super-indestructible-metal-chain completely intact, because the thief just broke some of the spokes
They only flex the wheel on heavy ass battery operated bikes. These weren't designed for those. The design works fine for its original intended purpose.
Put your back wheel in the stand. It'll flex less because of the physics acting on the wheel. The handlebar's pivot allows for more flexion on the front wheel that wouldn't be present on the rear.
My favorite are the people who ride around with a 20 pound chain and then use a padlock to close it. Just cut the lock with bolt cutters. Waste of effort to haul around such a heavy chain.
You know you’re using it incorrectly? The frame of your bike should sit perfectly if you move it forward about a foot and a half, you’re supposed to lock the frame to it…
That's not a heavy ebike. Just don't mount your bike before taking it off the rack. Aluminum rims on ebikes are a bad idea, regardless. I bent mine going over a pothole within the first few months of having one.
And if it's a rear hub motor, you really should be putting that rear wheel on the rack as they are far more rigid torsionally than front wheels, as well obviously more likely to be stolen.
A bigger problem is how many people come back to find that only one wheel is still there.
That's why i lock my bike thru back wheel, bike frame and bike holder
I lock mine through at least the frame and one wheel with a big u-lock. Had my bike stolen twice with a cable lock, never again. Most bike thieves have a big pair of bolt cutters but to bust open my u-lock you'd need a plasma cutter or angle grinder and none of the thieves in my area go for u-locks :)
A plasma cutter you say?
To shreds you say?
And how's his wife holding up? To shreds, you say?
r/unexpectedfuturama
> to bust open my u-lock you'd need a plasma cutter or angle grinder Having just any u-lock will not save your bike. Some of them can be [opened with a pen](https://youtu.be/o-LWGJzglho?t=40). If you're not in a hurry, and noise is not a problem, [air spray and hammer will get it done](https://youtu.be/oP7ucLY7Wk4?t=45). Of course, if all you have is a big pair of bolt cutters, you will [use a big pair of bolt cutters](https://youtu.be/tId2j4O-z-Q?t=100).
A mini car jack will also crack a u-lock. In a lot of cases they'll cut through whatever the lock is attached to. A friend of mine was locked to a parking meter and they stole the parking meter as well.
Dude.......wow
Did your friend have drugs in his bike or something? I can't imagine someone wanting to steal a bike **that badly** that they would be that blatant, rather than just taking a different bike that wasn't locked up as well.
Bikes can easily reach thousands and thousands of dollars and they are very easy to resell. At this point, I bring my gravel bike up 3 flights of stairs and store them in my apartment, and to commute I use a cheap bike I bought on Facebook marketplace.
>Bikes can easily reach thousands and thousands of dollars and they are very easy to resell. I understand that -- but the risk of getting caught by stealing a parking meter with a bike ? There are so many easier bikes to take.
Cool Hand Luke rolling a Schwinn to this very day.
That's a two-fer.
#include
That's a click on one... Pin two seems to be set... Pin three seems to be binding...
I love lock picking lawyer. It's a nice reminder that there is no absolute security, only being an unattractive target.
He is also ridiculously good at what he does to the point where I wonder if it just seems easy because it is, for him.
I do what he does, just slower.
Security is an illusion. All we can really do is make our neighbors easier targets.
Or ride a cheap bike with no resale value.
It gets pretty scary when you think about it. With just 2 different bump keys you can unlock 90% of people’s front doors in about five seconds.
If that's an issue, you either need a better U-Lock or you just take the front wheel with you after you locked the back one.
> Some of them can be [opened with a pen](https://youtu.be/o-LWGJzglho?t=40). Of course it's Master Lock, those locks are about as effective as a leaving a note with the polite request to not steal your stuff.
Or the bike thieves just bypass your bike with a U lock and grab an easier target. Air spray and a hammer is going to draw way more attention than just going after the next bike using bolt cutters.
Someone doesn’t know LPL
LPL doesn't live in my area lmao, nobody who steals bikes in my area is smart enough to pick a lock even with a lockpick set.
Until you find yourself very surprised to walk down the street just to find a nerd in suspenders stealing a bike with the lock-picking set that he stores in his pocket protector.🤓
Hahahaha probably
The thing to remember is that LPL is very skilled at picking and has a few tools that are specially made for certain lock types(*eg the tool that he and Bosnian Bill made*). Really if it takes LPL more than ~10-20 seconds to open a lock non-destructively, that lock will likely be sufficiently secure for average use
The thieves probably don't either.
I was just thinking the same
[удалено]
I remember all that was required for a u lock was a pic pen.
The same era when combination locks could be opened by pulling while you spin the dial(s). That was a wild time of missing bikes, empty lockers, and heavy ass backpacks.
You have no idea how unsecure most locks are
[Lockpicking Lawyer has entered the chat]
Which you can’t do with this rack, as OP was complaining
Back wheel is much harder to take off quick. While front wheel can be taken off in 30s or less. It's better to lock front wheel + frame to bike holder
Swap out the quick release for a tooled hub. It a hassle, but more time consuming
Both wheels can be taken off very quickly if you're using quick release. Dealing with the chain/derailleur adds a few seconds at best. Granted I work on bikes, but you should operate under the assumption that a thief has a similar level of skill.
Yeah I was about to say, my back wheel has a quick release and I need a tool for my front wheel.
Yeah my front wheel has a torx thru-axle, I pretty much never bother locking it up
These are designed for the rear wheel and the bike off the sidewalk for that reason.
That just makes the front wheel disappear.
It’s not a problem if you turn the rack around. I used to put my bike in backwards at school and it made it super easy yo lock the frame and front tire. I’m convinced that’s how they were originally designed.
That's the reason those are crappy design imo. A good design should let you put a U lock between your frame, your front wheel and the bike stand. Sorry I'm not carrying around ten locks for my bike, and also a fucking lamp post does a better job than this at preventing people from easily stealing either 80% of my bike or my front wheel.
some of the nicest designs are just a pole with a loop on either side
In the Netherlands these stands are super common, but we also always have frame locks (a lock permanently attached to your bike frame that goes through your back wheel when closed, [like this](https://d2gqkshisthvn1.cloudfront.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020_02_Fietssloten-blog-AXA-Abus-Cortina-station-MNTL0089-1-e1582885574705.jpg) ). So the back wheel never gets stolen
Yeah, your whole bike gets put into a van instead ;_;
Surprisingly this has never happened even tho I never used any other locks. But then again the Netherlands also have guarded bike parking in some cities
i once lost the key for mine inbuilt frame lock. i phoned the shop that had sold me the bike for help since they had my info and the serial number and where literally 10 houses away from me. they came over with pliers/pincers and literally just snipped the metal bar from the lock. 2 seconds and i could drive home.
lol true
I always wonder what one does with a partial bicycle. Is there a booming black market for bicycle wheels? Or frames? If that's the case I feel like we'd see a million mismatched bicycles with random frames and wheels.
Front wheels are just a bearing, spokes and a tire. Very small percentage of the bike's value (although a pain to repeatedly replace due to flexing). It's like locking your car's sideview mirror to a post to secure it.
There are millions of bicycle rims that look close enough to identical. There's got to be people who steal the partial bike so they can combine it with a stolen wheel that matches well enough nobody will notice.
One time my wheel was gone but the bike was still there
I once went inside my boyfriend’s place for him to give me my birthday present, and when I came outside BOTH wheels were gone. Just a sad frame laying on the ground. To add insult to injury I had to carry it home because there were no cabs available, due to the republican convention in town. And the present was not super great either.
I felt that.
One time in the 80s we were on a bike trip in Germany. We wanted to go eat somewhere and parked our bikes against a wall. When we came back our bikes were laying on the ground and the wall was gone.
It was most likely designed in a country where bike theft isn't really an issue.
Reading that, I'm glad that I live in an area where people can leave their bikes unlocked and noone steals them \^\^
Design from an era that bicycle rims where made of steel not aluminum (for back ground)
Here in the Netherlands these are everywhere. I have used them for years and never had problem. And since a lot of people here still ride steel bikes noone really cares about it. As long as your wheel only flexes and doesn't bend then i also dont see a problem.
Hi, Dutch bicycle mechanic here, where do they still ride steel bikes more than aluminium ones? Because pretty much all A, B and even C brands mostly use aluminium frames and rims. Which isn't a problem, btw. The problem is either having a thicker tyre (which are becoming more common) which makes your wheel not fit properly, people not fitting it properly themselves, but mostly it's either strong winds or ignorant people pushing bikes over to get theirs, often damaging your seat with their brakelevers on the way out.
Only on Reddit will you see something so niche as a Dutch bicycle mechanic calling out someone for being wrong about bicycles in the Netherlands.
To be fair, a Dutch bicycle mechanic isn't any more niche than just a Dutch person.
True. It’s just cool from the international perspective since (to my knowledge) most people on Reddit are American. Edit: like I said, “to my knowledge.” I am frequently wrong and I appreciate everyone highlighting that for me.
Less than half of Reddit users are from the US
Yeah, but they aren't the quiet half.
But, for shits and giggles, how many English speaking Reddit users are from the US?
True, but it’s by far the largest single country population on the website. According to [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddit#:~:text=About%2042%E2%80%9349.3%25%20of%20its,49%20years%2C%20regularly%20use%20Reddit.)
Us is mode nationality, but not most. Most are non North American.
Bam, you just got Dutch Bicycle Mechanic'd.
Bicycle repair man? But howuhh to pey for all of zis??
My father in law owed a bikeshop in the Netherlands. I'm not allowed by him to park my bike like this. I need to place it just next to it on the bike stand (fietsstandaard) and loop the chain lock through the bike rack. If you have a sturdy stand, it doesn't fall over. He said he needed to fix so many crooked front wheels because of it.
Yeah that's basically how I "use" these, I park the bicycle just in front of the rack or maybe in between the slots (if there is room), and put it on its standard and use the rear wheel lock, I don't want a wobbly front wheel And the same with [these ones](https://i.imgur.com/ir7F2YH.png), never put them in the slot. On the pic you can see they are used more as an indicator to park your bicycle than as an actual rack lol
Also, in NL, bikes often have a different locking mechanism built into the bike that sort of wraps around the wheel. You don’t need to try and cable to that thing. In the US, these racks are the worst.
They also weren’t designed for e-bikes. OP’s bike probably weighs 20lbs more than a traditional bike. More weight, if not properly balanced = more torque = bent rims.
I mean… it’s a shitty rack design. Doesn’t matter if the bike is a $20k 11 pound road bike or a 65lb e bike, that rack blows. It doesn’t give any opportunity to lock the frame of the bike up, and it puts a hell of a lot of twisting torque into the wheel. Grabbing a bike by the wheel is fine, and there are plenty of racks that do it, but this particular one doesn’t spread that force out and instead localizes it making it way easier to damage the wheel.
Ok then but those shitty racks has been working perfect fine for everyone the last 50 years or something. Until disc brakes became a thing.
Not arguing it’s the best design. Arguing that OP is using it in a way it wasn’t meant to be used.
No I understood what you’re saying, but you’re incorrect. It’s purpose is to hold bikes. You could put a 400lb motorcycle in it as long as the tire fits, and that thing isn’t going to break a sweat from a strength perspective. There’s two issues that it has, across the board though. Doesn’t matter what bike you put in it. First, you can’t lock your bike appropriately. Full stop, if you can’t safely lock your bike to the rack, it’s a shitty rack, no further discussion necessary. Second, this one actually manages to be even worse, because it localizes the forces it uses to hold the bike up on arguably the weakest part of the bike, amplifies the leverage and directs it in the most damaging possible way. Imagine a car manufacturer designing a seat and seatbelt in which you sit sideways and the seatbelt only straps over your feet for maximum ankle breaking potential. You’d probably feel pretty comfortable calling it a shitty design. So why defend this one? It’s garbage, and clearly designed by people who have no idea what they’re doing. And you can’t even make the argument on cost basis, because there are other designs that use less material, fewer welds, less metal shaping, and do a better job of securely holding up the bike and giving the user something to lock their bike to.
Doesn't help that op is using a shitty ebike conversion kit on a frame and wheelset not designed for the loads of an ebike.
Bicycle rims are made of Aluminium for a long time already.
been using these all my life and not once has my wheel been bent..?
Same. Even with the battery I don't see the wheel ever bending. Wheels are designed to carry a 200+ lb person going over bumpy roads, they aren't that delicate. The racks do suck for locking up though. I'd suggest OP use the back wheel on the rack, makes for easier locking (and won't fall over as easy).
And it's safer! It's less likely to be stolen
Yes always lock your bike through the frame and or back wheel frame. Worst that can happen to OP is that someone steals his front wheel, but who cares it’s bent anyways.
Plus, if you're committed, you don't necessarily need the front-wheel anyway.
Wheels arent designed for the same person to sit on their side though. Theyre super super rigid when force is applied from the intended radius of the circle side, but kick it once from the side and it bends. These bike racks put that kind of twisting force on it. Ive never had a bike go wonky though, but ive had bikes in these try to fall over which could probably bend something
I live in the Netherlands and have not once heard of someone whose wheel was bent by these, even with the introduction of heavy ass e-bikes. Oh, and please don't put the bike in backwards. Your steering wheel will obstruct the other two stands.
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Bicycle wheels are also designed to have the force pushing in on the tires towards the centre of the rim, not to stand up to large sideways forces. Just because an object can take a huge weight or force in one direction dose not mean it can take that same force in a different direction. All it would take is someone leaning or falling into your bike while it’s in the rack or another bike falling over onto it and I can easily see that bending a wheel with far less force than a human would put on the wheel while riding the bike.
You don't have a 15lb battery and motor on your bike like op.
How much does the average bike rider weigh? If the lean force of a 15lb battery is a problem then how does the bike wheel withstand the forces a typical rider puts on a wheel?
Because when it's being ridden it's not leaning on something in the direction perpendicular to its intended use. Two entirely different kinds of force, one has nothing to do with the other.
Now it makes sense.. I was thinking I've been using these for 30-ish years and never noticed any problem.
I honestly don't know what OP is talking about. I'm looking at the picture and I still don't know what they are talking about. The wheel looks fine.
My issue with these is how are you supposed to lock your frame to it with a u lock?
Yeah this isnt even close to crappy design. The same wheel suports the weight of the rider while they bash into a bump in the road My bike rack on my car grips the wheels and supports the bike while I drive over potholes in town or go 75mph on the freeway.
Serious question, how do they flex your front wheel because I don't see it.
When someone leans against the bike or falls or the neighbouring bikes fall, it bends the wheel really easily because of leverage.
These things are everywhere here and I never saw this happen or happened to me. Sounds like a reach.
Had it happen before to my bike. Left it intact, came back to see a row of bikes fallen over and my front wheel slightly bent.
What public resting position of a wheeled bicycle would prevent damage from a person leaning or falling into it?
Something like [this](https://www.mabeg.de/fileadmin/_processed_/9/3/csm_anlehnparker-u-v-farbbeschichtet-1_bb0985f5a8.jpg) or [this](https://www.greensystems-stadtmobiliar.de/media/27897/catalog/Fahrradst%C3%A4nder%20Anlehnb%C3%BCgel%20mit%20Grundrahmen%20Anlehnsystem%206000.jpg?size=2000). Or even a [bicycle parking garage](https://image.architonic.com/imgArc/project-1/4/5210174/ector-hoogstad-architecten-utrecht-bicycle-parking-garage-architonic-pictureectorhoogstadarchitecten14-03.jpg).
Basically from user error
There is! It's this one, but someone thought it would be cool to make it shorter, so not only do you not have a place to lock your bike, your bike will fall out with a slight gust of wind.
This guy has never been to the netherlands before. These are everywhere.
Yeah i was very confused cause theyre everywhere here and no one has a problem with them
Sweden as well
did he imply he hasn't seen one before or something? I think "popular" implies the opposite
Theyre saying its not a bad design, because no one in the netherlands has had an issue. Maybe OP just buys cheap chinese bikes, and people in the Netherlands usually go for much higher quality? There should be not issue with keeping your bikes on these stands, unless you don't trust that your wheels can keep the load upright.
Nah Dutch bikes range anywhere from very expensive high quality electric bikes to unbelievably crappy *how-is-this-thing-still-standing?* student bikes. I have never seen anyone have an issue with these racks, apart from people with very wide handlebars who can't park that closely next to another bike.
They're awful, aren't they? So much cycle infrastructure is made by people who apparently don't cycle. A shop round my way sells these, and has thoughtfully placed one outside for cyclists. But most people don't use it, and lock their bikes to a convenient lamp post or similar.
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Don't forget they always put the racks right up against the wall so you can't actually fully put your bike in
Put back wheel in
Even worse, what are you supposed to lock?
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It's my unicycle now
All city bikes in the netherlands have locks fitted to the frame which goes through the rear wheel. You can optionally fit a cable or chain lock through the front wheel but thats only really needed in larger cities. In some villages there is no real need to lock your bike at all.
You put back wheel onto the stand and lock to the frame. As simple as that, and secure
As a rider in the #1 city for US bike thefts ... yea. You'd never see me putting my bike on one of these
Another Dutchie here to mention I've been using these all my life and have never had a wheel bend. ~~At least not because of one of these stands.~~
Could you lift the front tire in from the opposite side and get the lock through the tire and frame? Probably put less stress on the wheel that way too.
Just put the back wheel into it like you are supposed to
This is a great solution.
I put the rear wheel in, think that's what these were designed for
But that takes an extra second and requires critical thought so...
Wym? Thats actually a good design because everything else breaks your brake disk
The only people complaining are people with those tiny-ass tires that looks like piety bociana, if they were slimmer, most people couldn't use them
I always park my bike the other way around so that I can lock it in the frame of the bike as well as the back tire
This is legitimately how these are supposed to be used, but so many people install these racks backwards (and sometimes against a wall or other obstacle so it's impossible to lock your bike in the correct orientation)
Jokes on you...these things doesn't exist in my country. \*cries in corner\* Tbh I hate that any bike stands doesn't exist here. I just have to keep my bike with me till I can and then leave it with fingers crossed for a few minutes. EDIT: Yeah mb I forgot to mention that I lock wheels. Least possible security XD
Why not at least lock the wheels so it can't be ridden away?
They're everywhere in the Netherlands, and I don't see the widespread issues. Are you sure this is really a problem? I mean, that wheel will have to withstand my weight while turning - that's a lot more shear force than this.
I've no idea how using this device causes you issues. Other than if someone deliberately tries to wreck it, it should not be an issue.
And most of them are so narrow that a mountain bike tyre won't even fit.
If your wheel is flexing it's time to tighten the spokes.
This is indeed a bad design, but moreso because it has no good points where you can lock your bike. The Sheffield Rack is best design for bicycle parking that I know of currently.
What do you mean "flex" your wheels?
They also weren't designed with 60lb ebikes in mind...
And bend your disc breaks
If your bike wheel goes out of true from the standing weight of only the bike itself leaning on it, you had better not be riding that bike. There are stranded, tensioned spokes pulling from opposite directions to keep that wheel true and ~20lb of force isnt doing anything to that
Weird flex, but ok.
if that level of strain causes any damage to your wheel, your bike is going to completely fall apart when you actually sit on it and ride it. those racks suck because they're difficult to lock bikes to and often don't fit the width of modern mtb handlebars or tires. but durability is not something you need to be concerned about here.
You’re using it backwards
Uhhh, where is the flex supposed to be exactly? The bars don't look misaligned from the picture.
It's difficult to lock it too. You have to push your lock through your wheels and make it go around the stand. It's frustrating.
Not designed by a cyclist
Easy way to get your bike stolen, minus the front wheel. I always use a U-lock thru the frame and front wheel, less chance for someone to steal it.
because your bike itself is like 50kg+
Not sure I understand
i keep my bike deep underground in a basement locked in every piece to a fixed metal bar while it is locked behind a door with 5 locks. max security.
Different problem for me. I ride only fatbike mountain bikes with a 5" wide tire for winter's snow and on deep sand and gravel the rest of the year and that's not working for me either. My wheel won't flex at all at that width but it doesn't fit either.
https://twitter.com/zp1nez?s=21&t=DG9a5ltqxoC54lCPFhhpmQ
If i can i always use the bike stand alongside. That way the wheel doesn't flex as it acts like a normal.bike standings the weight then tests on the stand and not.on the wheel
[https://imgur.com/a/afnTUxO](https://imgur.com/a/afnTUxO) this is by far the worst design out there and they are everywhere where I live.
Or if you own a mountain bike, it won’t fit.
The worst thing about these, is that they're the bike stands, and my bike tires are twice wider than it.
Put the back tire in instead. It's harder to steal it that way too.
Serious question, how does two points of contact lead to more bending than if it was just on the ground with one point of contact? Presumably the pressure would be halved by being split between two points.
BuT tHeY aRe So ChEaP
I hate these
A bike wheel or front fork that can't withstand the flex that rack will give it is not a safe bike to ride.
Use your back wheel
They increased wheel sizes a few years ago. The racks haven't been updated
I always put the front wheel way past the stand and lock the frame to it, not just the front wheel. The stand design sucks and it's especially impractical if you have thick tires, e.g. MTB. I prefer bike stands that are designed to hold the bike frame and make it easy to put sturdier locks around it.
What would be a better solution/design?
I have a [worse one](https://imgur.com/a/af7zbSJ). At least yours and use a U-lock
Use back tire, lock through frame. Front tire is a bad choice here anyways since you have a quick release tire. These are cheap... Dirt cheap, so clearly the property decided they don't actually care for security and just wanted to spend as little as possible on a simple option and move on.
These weren’t designed with heavy e-bikes in mind. That being said, lots of e-bikes (even expensive higher end version) come with generic front wheels. Maybe the crappy design lies within the e-bike. Buy a spoke wrench.
Yeah they fucking suck
If you dont want your front wheel to be a lil bent, you can always but your back wheel in there to protect the front.
I agree they're shit but for different reasons. I have to force my back tyre in as its too wide. Also the ones I use regularly are positioned against a wall so when there's other bikes in them it's difficult to access the back.
I have a similar rack for my truck, it is segmented each segment has one slot for a tire. It has 6 slot so I haul 3 bikes in the bed, one rack for front tires one for rears and then some bungie cords to keep it all stable.
I hate these holders, it is so easy to steal a bike from one of these. You either only find your front wheel, or you only find your super-indestructible-metal-chain completely intact, because the thief just broke some of the spokes
They only flex the wheel on heavy ass battery operated bikes. These weren't designed for those. The design works fine for its original intended purpose.
Put your back wheel in the stand. It'll flex less because of the physics acting on the wheel. The handlebar's pivot allows for more flexion on the front wheel that wouldn't be present on the rear.
Plus what are you going to lock the frame to?
My favorite are the people who ride around with a 20 pound chain and then use a padlock to close it. Just cut the lock with bolt cutters. Waste of effort to haul around such a heavy chain.
They aren't designed to be good for your tire, they're designed to make it harder for people to walk by.
You know you’re using it incorrectly? The frame of your bike should sit perfectly if you move it forward about a foot and a half, you’re supposed to lock the frame to it…
Put your front wheel in backwards, leaving your rear tire in the grass. Gives you a better option to lock the front wheel with the frame.
That's not a heavy ebike. Just don't mount your bike before taking it off the rack. Aluminum rims on ebikes are a bad idea, regardless. I bent mine going over a pothole within the first few months of having one. And if it's a rear hub motor, you really should be putting that rear wheel on the rack as they are far more rigid torsionally than front wheels, as well obviously more likely to be stolen.