You Moved and Damaged My Bike to Park Yours (Loop - LaSalle Street)

I'm stunned that you would twist my bike (parked perpendicular to the rack) around in such a manner as to damage it, in order to park yours parallel. If you did not want to also park yours perpendicular to the rack, you could have easily gone to another rack. You deeply scratched my down tube and fork, bent my front fender, and also damaged my front wheel (which thanks to you now makes noise with every rotation). You, with the white road bike with drop bars and clipless pedals. You, who felt it necessary to shove my bike out at a forty-five degree angle and damage it, so you could lock each wheel of yours parallel to the rack, one with a U lock and one with a heavy chain. Yes, YOU.

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Permalink Reply by dav on October 2, 2018 at 11:43pm

People are the worst and should be avoided at all costs.

Permalink Reply by Gage B. on October 3, 2018 at 1:31am

That sucks and an asshole move but they were not designed to be parked perpendicular to them. Although you will see it all the time and I myself do it sometimes depending of how they are installed.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on October 3, 2018 at 5:23am

I prefer perpendicular on the inverted-U racks. It prevents interference between handlebars/cables or between handlebars and seats/back-rack-crates.  Plus it allows for the possibility of a third bike to straddle the top bar.

And if its a wave-type rack, then perpendicular is a must.

If you need to lock both wheels, carry a cable that can be looped through.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on October 4, 2018 at 2:56am

^Agreed, though in some scenarios it makes more sense to park parallel based on how wide the sidewalk is. But yes, agreed.

Permalink Reply by Gage B. on October 4, 2018 at 4:20am

Regardless of your preference, it’s not how it was intended to be used. If Bob locked it parallel to the rack, this post never would have been written. Also how do we know that the cyclist that you think damaged your bike actually was the culprit? It could have been a pedestrian or a different cyclist before that guy even locked up to it. This is like complaining that your car was damaged because you parked perpendicular to the parking spot.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on October 4, 2018 at 10:16am

It's also entirely possible the bike just fell because it wasn't as stable locked at the end of the rack like that.

It sucks that your bike got messed up and it really sucks if that happened because somebody moved it but it also kinda sucks you park in a way that makes it difficult for those of us who wish to use the racks as intended.

Permalink Reply by Matt Talbert on October 5, 2018 at 6:58am

Well, now I am confused. He said he parked perpendicular, which if I understand correctly, would allow space for others. Can the OP clarify?

Permalink Reply by Shawn Evans on October 5, 2018 at 8:28am

"Use the racks as intended". That's rich. Those inverted U racks were designed for 2 Ulocks, 1 securing the front wheel & frame to the rack, and the other Ulock securing the back wheel and frame to the rack. See attached.

But who locks their bike like that? I challenge you to find any that are. It was probably the idea of rich bike geeks who wanted to protect their expensive road bikes when they ran in the store for some Gatorade and didn't want to leave their precious cycle protected by only one lock.

They're rack hogs, too. When someone locks their bike parallel to the rack, the bike is right next to the rack and in your way when you try to lock your bike to the other side.

As for the idea that locking perpendicular to the rack 'blocks the sidewalk', that's a lame rationalization and totally untrue since it's CDOT's policy to ONLY install bike racks on extra wide sidewalks. Are people walking 5 abreast blocked? Yes. So? They don't have a legal right to do that. Is a wheelchair blocked? No. The sidewalk isn't blocked by how you lock the bike.

Permalink Reply by Matt Talbert on October 5, 2018 at 8:45am

As someone who owns an expensive road bike (and I am by no means rich), I resent the condescending tone. No need to marginalize other kinds of cyclists or paint general pictures of them. There is nothing to gain in doing so. On that, I would never use my nice road bike on an outdoor rack. I have a clunker for errand running and kiddie trailer pulling that I am okay leaving outside for a while.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on October 5, 2018 at 11:30am

I lock like that, parallel but with one lock with EVERY bike I own.

I do it because it makes it less likely your bike will fall if disturbed because it has at least one additional point of contact with the rack.

It is also how the rack is intended to be used.

Honestly no matter how you park there is no good way to stably lock more than 2 bikes to a rack like that.


Also, way to be a giant a-hole who needs to talk spicy on people who choose to spend a lot on a bike.  How made you the arbitrator of who should spend how much on a bike?  Nice bikes cost money and I like nice things, how does that hurt you?  

Permalink Reply by ad on October 5, 2018 at 12:02pm

"But who locks their bike like that? I challenge you to find any that are."

Seriously? Have you ever taken a walk in the loop?  What a ridiculous statement.  

Permalink Reply by David Henri on October 6, 2018 at 2:34pm

Oh for crying out loud!  I lock parallel to the racks all the time, with another bike on the other  side. also locked parallel.  No problem.  Been doing this for years.  That's how they were designed to be used.

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