Safe options for storing your bike
Ideas for bike storage from two dynanmic entrepreneurs
Not every home in the Cambridge area is equipped with a secure garage, covered by a hi-tech alarm system.
A few weeks ago we looked at some of the options for keeping bikes secure at homes where the only choice is to leave it out in the open and hope it’s still there in the morning.
Now we’re back with another two options, courtesy of Cyclechic.co.uk and Caveinnovations.com.
Caz Nicklin is the founder/director of Cyclechic.co.uk and wrote a book called The Girl’s Bicycle Handbook.
“I set up the business eight years ago after a frustrating search for a stylish bike helmet,” she explains.
“I’d started cycling in London and loved it, but felt the image of cycling was outdated and unappealing to fashion-conscious women. So I started blogging about ‘cycle chic’, offering women tips and advice on how to look good on their bikes.
“My next step was to find helmets that looked good. I began to sell them from my flat in west London and Cyclechic.co.uk was born.”
One of her offerings is the Cyclehoop Bikeshelf, a hook made from 5mm thick steel on which to hang your bike. You can lock your bike to it so it can be kept in a communal area. It comes in three colours: dark grey, white and orange.
“The Cyclehoop Bikeshelf is very popular as it is both a problem-solver and a stylish addition to your home,” said Caz.
“Many people struggle to store their bikes at home and the Bikeshelf helps you keep your bike safe. It’s also an extremely good price and very well made by a London-based company who, like us, are passionate about cycling.
“A lot of our customers are in London, but we do send a lot of orders to Cambridge. I love the vibrant cycling culture in Cambridge and am always delighted at how many people I see out on bikes when I visit.”
Caz added: “Cycling has had an image transformation in the last 10 years. It’s become cool and desirable, and this has helped hugely in enticing people into it. Commuting by bike is also a money-saver, time-saver and helps you stay healthy – and this appeals to a lot of people in today’s busy world.”
Cave Innovations stocks a product called the Bike Cave, essentially a lightweight and easily-transportable bike-sized tent made from hard-wearing nylon polyester. It is big enough for two adults’ bicycles and has a detachable front cover, so you don’t have to endlessly zip it up in the summer months.
“About 11 years ago I decided to set up my own product innovations business,” recalls company founder Rob McAlister. “My first invention was a new umbrella which I called the ‘Witch Umbrella’ because it looked a bit like a witch’s hat.
“I bought a bike to try to get fit and brought it home. But at home I really struggled to find somewhere suitable to store it. The shed was crammed and the garage had been converted into a granny annex several years prior. When I mentioned the problem to friends and relatives, I was surprised to hear that they too experienced the same problem.
“When I looked into available bike storage solutions, all I could find were wooden sheds, which were costly and difficult to erect. I felt there had to be a better way, a low-cost yet practical solution. Eventually I came up with the concept of a tent-type structure and, after a number of prototypes, settled on the simplest possible design – two arches stretched apart.”
Security in the tent comes from the ‘Anka Point’.
“The Anka Point is a simple steel bike security bracket which I designed to solve the obvious question of security when using a tent-type structure to store and shelter your bikes,” Rob said.
“We sell it as an optional extra. When fitted to the wall or fence through the flap in the rear panel of the Bike Cave, it creates a ‘permanent’ anchorage point to which you can secure your bikes with a good-quality cable lock – or padlock and chain. The only way to remove the Anka Point is to drill the heads off.”
cyclechic.co.uk
caveinnovations.com