The newly renovated bike room in the Waterstone building featuring UpLift bike docks
More people are riding bicycles today and if you want to impress residents at multifamily communities, one way to do that is by adding a stylish bike room with cool bike docks.
That's what RW Selby & Company accomplished recently at their Waterstone Metro apartment complex on Castle Heights in Los Angeles, CA.
Previously, the 130-unit apartment building had an older bike area with a used bike rack. According to project manager Skylar Perkins, this created an uninviting, "cluttered" appearance.
To give the bike area a facelift, they added 10 high-density UpLift bike docks from the Park and Facilities Catalog. The crew also added a bright epoxy finish to the floor and a bike fix station. With a giant graphic "Cycle" painted on the wall, the bike room now has a new, welcome appearance.
"They (bike racks) are a cool amenity and the UpLift racks look very high tech," said Perkins. "It's a great addition to the garage."
The first thing you notice when you see the Waterstone Metro bike room is the spaciousness. There is plenty of room for someone to wheel their bicycle up to the bike docks. In fact, two bicyclists can pass each other without any problem.
That is a major attribute of the UpLift Bike Dock. It is designed to provide high-density bicycling parking in bike rooms where space is tight. This bike rack has one of the lowest footprints for square footage in the industry. Perkins said that is the primary reason why they choose the UpLift for the Waterstone. In fact, he said the company plans to add more of the space-saving bike docks in other projects.
The innovative design, created by experts with years of experience in bicycle planning, provides unique rectangular wheel "troughs" for the tires. These troughs hold the bikes upright so they don't tip which can create a cluttered effect. In addition, this keeps the bicycles from coming in contact with other bicycles.
UpLift bike dock features unique wheel troughs which hold the bikes upright and steady, allowing for more bicycles to be stored per square foot and protecting the bicycles from banging into each other
Another innovation with the UpLift is that the wheel troughs are staggered in height, which prevents handlebar to handlebar conflict. This allows for more bicycles to be stored alongside each other in limited spaces, always a concern in multifamily communities where indoor space is at a premium.
More and more multifamily communities are adding bike rooms and indoor bike racks to meet the demand from bicyclists, especially the Millennial demographic which is the most active generation for cyclists.
In addition, because of the benefits of bike commuting in terms of sustainability, reduced congestion and pollution, many cities now require the addition of indoor bicycle parking spaces with any new construction or renovations. A set number of spaces must be provided per number of dwelling units. One way to accomplish this is with high-density floor bike docks or a space-saving vertical bike rack.
People who commute by bike are growing in numbers. According to the League of American Bicyclists, bicycle commuting has increased by leaps and bounds from 2000 to 2013, by as much as a whopping 105% in metro areas around the country that are designated as Bicycle Friendly Cities. In other communities, the increase in people bicycling to work is still significant - up 62%.
Bike rooms are just smart marketing as well. Many multifamily communities are now upgrading their bike room areas. One building in NYC, features a bike room on the 19th floor with a view.
"I think bike rooms are a popular amenity for sure," Perkins added.
The other advantage is that a bike room is certainly less expensive to add compared to a pool, gym or spa.
RW Selby & Co. is one of the major companies in the multifamily market in Southern California and Nevada. They develop, renovate and manage many apartment communities in prime locations throughout the area.
The Waterstone building features hardwood floors, 9-foot ceilings, a resort-style rooftop deck, pool and spa area, fitness center and panoramic views of the city.
With the renovation of their bike room, they now offer a new, exciting feature that is very appealing with today's renters.
For projects in the process of adding bike rooms, The Park and Facilities Catalog offers a Guide to Bike Rooms and will provide free layouts, CAD Files and Sketchup Files.