Eco Two Tier Cycle Shelter: Smarter Cycle Parking With a Greener Finish

Good cycle parking is safe, secure and user-friendly. But what if your bike parking can pull two weights at once? We thought it was not only possible, but quite necessary in today's market, to design something beautiful, functional and helpful for the environment – the Eco Two Tier Cycle Shelter.

This shelter was born from the need to make better use of available space while creating facilities people actually want to use and don't mind looking at. That means keeping bikes protected from the weather, making them easy to access, and, increasingly, ensuring the cycle parking fits the look and sustainability goals of the wider development.

Our Eco Two Tier Cycle Shelter combines a free-standing, single-sided structure with two-tier cycle parking, timber cladding and the option of a sedum green roof. The result is a cycle shelter that puts space efficiency first without looking like you let it tag along your building at the last moment.

Safe and Sound Bike Racks

We know you are probably thinking, "Wait? I thought we were going to start with the roof? The most interesting feature?" We get it, but we thought it best to start at the top of the user's worry pyramid: security.

The primary reason for bike parking is to keep bikes safe. This is also one of the biggest worries people have when they are planning their journeys – where they will be able to park and how safe the place is.

Our two-tier bike racks, which come with this shelter, get top marks for security. They are built from strong steel that's hard to tamper with. They let you chain both the frame and the wheel of the bike for maximum security. And they are sturdy and don't let bikes wobble or fall and get accidentally damaged.

Plus, the way we designed the shelter lets you add end panels and gates. This extra step adds another layer between any potential harm and a cyclist's bike.

Make better use of the space you already have

Another concern, this time for premises owners, is simple: bikes take up room. If you are working with a restricted site, particularly in an urban or commercial setting, adding more conventional ground-level spaces can quickly become tricky. The Eco Two Tier Cycle Shelter tackles that problem by using two-tier racks, allowing bikes to be stored above one another rather than spreading everything across a larger footprint.

For specifiers, this creates an opportunity to increase cycle parking provision without automatically increasing the amount of land allocated to it.

For cyclists, it means more cycle spaces from the same general area, which is good news for busy sites where people might otherwise struggle to get a spot.

The option of a sedum roof

Here we go – the roof, this shelter's most unique feature, which sets it apart from other conventional cycle shelters. Rather than simply providing a conventional roof, the sedum option introduces planted coverage to the structure.

For projects with sustainability targets or landscape requirements, this can be an interesting specification choice. This type of roof introduces greenery where there might be none, which helps improve local biodiversity by providing habitat for insects and pollinators. The sedum roof helps absorb rainwater and reduce the amount of water running directly into drainage systems. It also improves air quality and adds a touch of nature to what is likely a field of concrete.

Keep in mind, though, that the sedum roof is optional and you can have it with a simple corrugated steel roof. Projects can specify the version that makes sense for the site, budget and design requirements.

A cycle shelter at home in a designed environment

Cycle storage can sometimes be treated as a purely functional part of a project. Put a roof over the bikes, add some racks and move on. The Eco Two-Tier Cycle Shelter takes a different approach.

Its premium wood cladding gives the structure a more natural appearance, making it easier to integrate into landscaped areas, commercial developments and other projects where appearance matters. The timber finish also gives specifiers another material to work with when creating a more considered external environment.

This is particularly useful when cycle parking is visible from the main building, entrance areas or passers-by. A well-designed shelter can become part of the overall scheme instead of something that has been added at the end.

Designed with specification in mind

For architects, designers, and contractors, practical details matter as much as appearance.

The Eco Two Tier Cycle Shelter is free-standing and single-sided, with a frame made from 50mm mild steel box section. It measures 4100mm long by 2050mm deep, with a height of approximately 2500 to 2600mm.

There are also different installation options. The shelter can be supplied with a flanged arrangement for bolting down or a ragged arrangement for casting into the ground. This gives project teams more flexibility when considering existing ground conditions and the installation approach.

For design teams working through a project, CAD files are also available in IFC, RVT and DWG formats. That makes it easier to bring the shelter into the wider design process rather than leaving cycle parking until the final stages.

Built around the cyclist, not just the bike

There is a difference between storing bikes and providing good cycle parking. A rack might technically hold a bicycle and tick the box, but if it is awkward to use, difficult to access or uncomfortable for cyclists, people may simply choose not to use it.

That is why the gas strut system of our two-tier racks is worth a special mention. It is designed to reduce the effort required to lift bikes onto the upper tier. It requires minimal force, making it suitable for a wider range of cyclists.

That usability is worth considering during specification. A cycle parking area is ultimately a user facility, so ease of use should be part of the decision, not an afterthought.

Why specify the Eco Two Tier Cycle Shelter?

The strongest argument is really the combination of features.

You get space-efficient two-tier cycle parking, a gas-assisted lifting mechanism, weather protection, a steel frame, and a beautiful, eco-friendly sedum roof option. Add the timber cladding and the result is a product that addresses both the practical, visual and green sides of cycle parking.

It is also a solution that can make sense when space is limited. Instead of simply adding more ground-level cycle spaces and accepting the additional footprint, the two-tier arrangement makes better use of the available area.

The Eco Two Tier Cycle Shelter gives specifiers a way to do exactly that, while adding a more natural and sustainable finish to what is normally a very functional piece of infrastructure.

For projects where cycle parking needs to work hard without looking overly industrial, it is a winner.