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An Introduction To Cycle Shelters.

admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:37:27 +0000

Did you know that only 2% of children now cycle to school? That is such a small majority and it makes you wonder why?

Maybe it’s because schools are not supplying enough cycle storage or bike facilities for the pupils who attend?

Maybe if the children and parents were confident that their bikes would be safely stored throughout their school day, that very low amount of 2% would start to rise?

A cycle shelter is just one of the ways in which schools can encourage that percentage to become higher.

The structures themselves come in various designs and styles to suit each site and will be a great feature for any school or college.

They are made from galvanised steel and can be powder coated in certain colours to reflect the school colours or logo. They can even be made from wood which adds a certain earthy look to your site.

They do not usually require planning permission but obviously do check this first.

Cycle racks can be an added feature to the shelters and there are also other accessories and add-ons that you can purchase such as lockable doors which add another security feature to your shelter.

The shelters offer the children and their parents the knowledge that their bikes will be safe, dry and secure while they are at school and will promote fitness and a healthier lifestyle for those families because they will think more about cycling to school.

This article is a short introduction to the cycle shelter but I hope it has helped you to gain a little more understanding of this product that will give you and all in your school lots of benefits.

Check out Able Canopies website for full details on all Cycle Shelters or view case studies on their Bike Shelters Blog.

What To Look For In A Cycle Rack Project.

admin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:07:59 +0000

What should you look for in a cycle rack?

How do you know what style or design is best for you?

Which questions should you be asking the manufacturer of this product?

With these tips in this article, it should help you with these questions and ensure you enjoy your future project of having a cycle rack installed at your school or college for many years to come.

• Careful planning. Think carefully about the best positions for your cycle racks to go in. Maximising the usage of the product is very important so get this right and you will be on your way to providing a great source of storage for everyone.

• Material longevity. Make sure you research the product and what is it made of. You want to choose a good quality product that will last and that is preferably supplied with some sort of warranty or guarantee.

• Stylish or traditional. Choosing the right style of cycle rack is vital to how the finished look will be. Discuss designs with companies to ensure they can make it to suit the style of your school.

• Accessorise. Certain companies will supply different types of accessories for your rack so make sure you ask them if they have any and what benefits they will make to your installation.

• To stay or not to stay. Cycle racks can be supplied freestanding or fixed to a wall or the floor so think about whether you want this structure to be permanent or temporary. Will you be adding to the racks or fitting them into existing cycle shelters?

Well, that was just five of my tips to get you started.

Good luck with your new cycle rack, I’m sure it will bring you many benefits and be used and appreciated by your pupils.

Check out Able Canopies Cycle Storage website for full details on all Cycle Racks or click to view more Canopies.

Cycle Shelters – What Are The Benefits?

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:51:05 +0000

One of the most important benefits that having a cycle shelter within your school has got to be the fact that it will encourage more children to cycle to school making them live a healthier lifestyle by getting exercise.

Currently, there is a national statistic of only 2% of children who do cycle to school and this could be increased greatly if more schools were to make more cycle facilities readily available to the pupils attending their provision by providing cycle shelters.

Let me give you a few more examples of the benefits of cycle shelters.

Having the shelters provides the children with protection for their bikes and they know that when they come out of their classes at the end of the school day, they will not have to worry about their seats being wet for the journey home.
Promoting wellness and fitness among children is essential to their health. Children love to cycle and to be able to store their bikes conveniently, safely and in a much more organised way will help.
Theft of bicycles and their accessories are reduced because the bikes are not just leant against a wall or fence. They are stored within school grounds in a secure place.
They are a great selling feature for new children starting the school. Parents do look for the facilities that schools provide and this will help sell your school to new people moving to the area and having to choose a school.
Health and safety aspects and policies are adhered to because of the organisation of the bikes being stored. No more tripping over bikes when entering or leaving the school grounds.
An important benefit is the environment. More cycling to school means less traffic pollution on the roads. This is a major issue in the world today so by cutting it down and cycling to school will enhance a healthier outlook for us all.

There were just six of the main benefits I think you will get by having cycle shelters installed at your school site. I’m sure there are many more too.

You will be making the right decision by having a cycle shelter fitted at your site and there will be many people who will appreciate your decision too so why not go ahead with this project. There is funding out there for these types of projects so you will be sure to have this great idea installed and used for many years to come.

Good luck and happy cycling!

Check out Able Canopies website for full details on all Cycle Shelters or view case studies on their Bike Shelters Blog.

Bike Shelter Compounds – We’re the Experts!

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:10:33 +0000

Article by Able Canopies:

When it comes to spotting the best bike or cycle shelter compounds, I am the one to ask. I have seen so many schools, colleges and council offices in the Essex area that have cycle shelter compounds, I wanted to write about what important qualities people should look out for before they buy!!!

A cycle shelter or compound allows you to store bikes and offers protection from the weather. This can be a single bay shelter consisting of five or six toast racks or a cycle compound which has space for a hundred bikes.

Bike shelters have improved immensely over the past few years both in terms of how they are made and how they look. They now look so much better than they did and there are companies out there determined to find the best solutions for you for bikes.

I have seen some very old bike shelters whilst looking around Essex which were mostly made out of wood. The newest and you can certainly see the difference mostly by the materials which are used.

Companies providing a cycle compound should be able to provide lockable toast racks for any desired number of bikes and should have clear visibility so that you can see through them.

The best type of bike compounds are covered with a clear P.E.T covering. Some compounds are covered with sheeting that you can’t see through. This can be dangerous and people can lurk behind them and hide. In a school situation it would be better to have clear sheeting so that children can’t hide behind them and also outsiders. Also Ideally you should look for a shelter which has a P.E.T covering that protects against the suns UV rays as this can be an additional benefit to the shelter.

One excellent feature some shelters have is to use a whole sheet that goes from the top to the bottom, so that it is curved in a smooth line. Also it is important for the shelter to come out far enough to cover the bikes. This is where many shelters fall, because they are not made long enough to provide suitable cover.

There are a vast number of colours out there that cycle compound can be found in. The idea is for the colours to match that of the organisation or the colour of existing buildings. If it is a school or college, the colour and construction can add an attractive feature to the grounds.

Not only this but by introducing cycle compounds you may even encourage those to bring their bikes in. Cycling is something which is encouraged a lot now by local councils to reduce traffic congestion and also to increase fitness. This is something which the BPSA, the Bike Parking and Security Association really encourages. They have ambitious targets to meet with regards to the number of people using bikes.

More info > Able Canopies