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Bicycle parking in apartment and office buildings is now one of the hottest new trends in the construction industry.

However, finding enough space to park a large number of bikes is a challenge, especially when that space is at a premium.

The Park and Facilities Catalog has the solution - high-density DoubleUp vertical bike racks designed by Sustainable Sites that take up less space and at the same time prevent bicycles from scratching each other or getting stolen.

"Just about every multi-family community or apartment complex now must address the increasing demand from bike commuters for long-term bicycle parking," said Chris Luyet, VP of Sales and Marketing. "To keep all those bicycles organized in a tight space requires a bicycle parking rack that is the most efficient in terms of square footage and security."

The DoubleUp meets that demand. Experts with years of experience in bicycle parking at Sustainable Sites worked for months to come up with a vertical bike rack design that could provide as much capacity as possible for bikes in a small area, but at the same time keep the bikes organized and protected from damage.

Options include wall-mounted bike racks, single sided or double-sided for highest capacity; with or without locking arms.

Bike rooms are the rage now. For many years, apartment complexes would relegate a small dingy corner in a basement for tenants who rode bicycles. But that is all changing.

In addition, many cities have now adopted ordinances requiring a certain number of bicycle storage spaces per residential unit. Cities are getting heavily involved in sustainability programs and finding ways to encourage people to use alternative modes of transportation.

In addition, more Americans are riding their bicycles today than ever before. According to the League for American Bicyclists, bike commuting is up 67% across the country. More and more cities continue to improve their biking infrastructure by adding more bike lanes and bicycle racks.

Millenials in particular love to bicycle. Many who live in urban areas don't even own cars. For a bicyclist living in a bike-friendly city, why own one?

People are also recognizing the enormous health benefits of bicycling. Don't think that Americans don't notice how fit their counterparts are in places like Copenhagen where it is estimated that 50% of city dwellers bike to work.

DoubleUp vertical bike racks offer high-density bike room parking

DoubleUp vertical bike racks are perfect for marketing to cyclists

Recognizing this new interest in bike commuting and bicycling in general, architects are now showcasing bike rooms to attract tenants and residents to multi-family communities.

At the City Tower in Brooklyn the bike room is not located in the parking garage or basement, but on the 19th floor with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.

In Chicago, the NEXT apartments not only have a bike room, but offer a "bicycle kitchen" complete with bike repair tools and bike pumps. (The Park Catalog also provides bike repair stations).

Some developers provide their own bike-sharing programs like CitiBikes where customers can pick up a bicycle in the lobby and ride around town.

At the luxury condo Nine52 in Manhattan, the building owners even gave away high-end Joulvert bicycles to their first 25 buyers.

It's obvious, developers are hopping on the bicycle wagon when it comes to marketing to consumers today.

Small investment in vertical bike racks yields high return in bike rooms

DoubleUp vertical bike racks keep bikes indexed and straigh

Hopefully, developers see the silver lining in this fervor for quality bicycle storage. Building a bike room is certainly much easier than building a car garage, indoor gym or pool.

Because the expense is so low, why not deck out a bike room to make it as appealing as possible? This is where the DoubleUp vertical bike rack can be a real asset.

For one, the DoubleUp gives users a great sense of security. This is critical today. More and more people are buying expensive bicycles, especially those made with lightweight materials such as the Cannondale Quick Carbon 2 that retails for $1,500.

The DoubleUp vertical bike rack comes with a sturdy locking arm. This arm allows a cyclist to wrap a high-security U-lock bar around the bike frame, front wheel and locking arm. Three points of security. That is the amount recommended by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycles Professionals.

Another issue is bike protection. When you spend $400 for a Trek Triton Commuter Bike, you certainly don't want another bicycle banging into it. With the DoubleUp the wheel hooks are vertically staggered, so there is no bicycle to bicycle conflict. Handlebars are offset so they don't rub together.

The wheel hooks are also designed to "index" the bikes correctly, so they hang straight and evenly. That indexing feature is a critical benefit of the DoubleUp. Because the bicycles are positioned for maximum efficiency, the spatial footprint required for bike storage is much smaller.

For example, 10 bikes would take up only 108 inches in space. That means a builder can store more bikes per square footage than with other less efficient bike parking racks.

Safe passageways are also important. Some racks allow bicycles to tip to the side, thereby blocking access for people walking by. You certainly don't want tenants on their way back from a club tripping over a bike wheel at 10 p.m. The DoubleUp uses gravity to keep bikes upright and straight.

Loading a bicycle into the DoubleUp takes very little effort. You just tilt the bicycle upward and position the front wheel over the rack hook. Then you push the U-lock through the locking arm, the bike frame and the front wheel to secure the bike. Very simple, safe and easy.

The DoubleUp vertical bike rack has three points of locking contact

These vertical bike racks are specifically designed for the bicycle commuter and the types of bicycles they ride - road bikes, city bikes, comfort bikes, etc.

When you consider all the other costs involved in the construction of apartment buildings, condos and offices, the investment for a DoubleUp bike rack is tiny in comparison. But the rewards can be enormous. When a bicycle enthusiast sees there is a clean, well-lit bike storage area with this highly-efficient and secure vertical bike rack in place, they will be impressed.

Bicycle riders are passionate about their bikes. There's something satisfying about getting to work under your own muscle-power, breathing in the fresh air and not worrying about traffic.

Builders and developers would be smart to create bike rooms with the right kind of vertical bike racks to address that passion.