Central Coast Bike Racks
Santa Barbara’s a big city these days; I always remember it as the smaller, less sophisticated seaside ‘burb it was when I was in my 20′s. Santa Barbara’s grown up and so have I. On this past weekend’s getaway I saw lots of bike racks, many well utilized.
Let’s start with the glass half-full: I liked what I’m calling the mini-ring rack. It’s well suited for the busy sidewalks because when bikes aren’t attached pedestrians can easily slip by. Yes, I know it doesn’t offer the benefit of two points of contact for the bike, but it seems to fit the crowded urban landscape well. Best of all, they were everywhere I needed one; we often locked 2 or 3 bikes to one side of the rack, so the bikes supported themselves. Plentiful because they’re inexpensive? That might be one reason; they look cost effective.
Glass half-empty: Let’s give Santa Barbara the benefit of the doubt and assume they were just experimenting when they poured all this cement. Yikes, what a waste of space and money! The slot only accommodates the front wheel, the derailleur got crunched when my son first tried to place the rear wheel in; that’s where the weight of the bike needs support. No wonder this bike rack monstrosity was empty.
Contrast the yield from this San Luis Obispo bike corral. I walked by it every day; it was conveniently located outside a coffee shop. It was always jammed with bikes. In very little city space many bikes are accommodated.
