Proposal for Open Bike-Repair Stands in Cambridge

• Precedents; others who've done it
• Facilities; what to do
• Products and Materials; how it might be done
• Locations and Implementation; who does it, and where

Bikes sometimes break down, especially with less than perfect preventative maintenance. This can not only mean a long walk home in the rain, at night; it can mean that a cyclist becomes a motorist, perhaps just until they get around to fixing their bike...

Neglected bikes are dangerous: maladjusted brakes or loose handlebars can be lethal. Less critical tasks, like topping up tires weekly, reduce breakdowns and make riding easier and more pleasant, encouraging cycling.

Ideally, maintenance would be easy, fixing unexpected breakdowns would be minimally inconvenient, and everyone would know how to do both.

We therefore propose that fixed bike tools and pumps be installed around Cambridge, in public places that are open around the clock, to everyone, including new arrivals, visitors, and the poor, who may lack basic bike tools. This would encourage new cyclists, encourage people to continue cycling, and make cycling safer for cyclists and those around them.

Precedents

Recently, cycle pumps designed as street furniture have come on the market. Several universities and cities have installed them, including a pilot project in London. They are extremely resistant to weather, heavy use, and vandalism. Public bike pumps have been have been well-received, and even have their own Facebook page.

Public bike repair stands have often been installed alongside them. Apart from the support for the bike, these typically have eight to ten tools, firmly tethered. These suffice for most repair and preventative maintenance. Some pumps and repair stands are located under cover, especially in colder and wetter climates.

Wolfson College, Cambridge, has purchased a bike repair stand and pump. They are being installed inside a bus shelter to allow easier use in bad weather.

Experiences

• "We have four stations around campus and they are really popular... The Science Center Plaza and Blackstone repair stations were installed this Summer. The i-lab station was done in Summer 2012 and the Pound Hall station in 2011. We're hoping to install several more this year. We find that they're cost and space effective and highly useful for students, faculty and staff." - Ben Hammer, Program Coordinator, CommuterChoice, Harvard
• "...very well received by the campus community, and seem to be well utilized. One station at the edge of campus was vandalized (most of the tools were cut off their cables); other stations are fine. As a side note, Stanford and UC Davis, which have about a dozen each, have had no such issues as far as I know. UC Berkeley is, however, a much more urban campus with higher crime rates. The pump heads on the models we have failed, and we have had to perform a DIY fix to them, which seems to be working well." - Greg Haet, Chair, University of California at Berkeley Bicycle Committee

Facilities

The most important facility would be a pump capable of pumping road tires to full pressure (varies with the tire, but up to 1 MPa / 10atm / 10bar / 150psi should be adequate), with a built-in pressure gauge. The gauge should ideally have both metric and pounds per square inch calibrations. It should handle both presta and schraeder valves, ideally with one head, and definately without using removable (and loseable) adaptors. Air-filled gauges tend to fog and become unreadable, especially in damp climates, so an oil-filled one is preferable.

The bike stand itself should ideally clamp around a tube of the frame, not just offer a slot to hang the bike by its saddle, since the bike should be rigidly held. The clamp should be padded. Readily detachable parts are undesirable. It should be positioned so one can pump up a tire while the bike is on the stand.

Smaller tools should include a 15mm spanner, an adjustable spanner, a set of metric hex keys, a pair of tire levers, straight-slot and Phillips cross-head screwdrivers, a valve tool, needle-nose pliers with a cable cutter, and a 13/15mm cone spanner. A chain tool, ruler, locking/vise-grip adjustable spanner, small mallet and/or ball peen hammer, a length of 15mm pipe to act as a breaker bar, and jeweller's screwdrivers for fixing lights might also be handy, as might a nearby surface with some dimples to hold small parts.

A layout that secures the tools in a way that would let them be replaced and augmented would be good.

The repair station should be obvious, and obviously open to the public. Some signs on how to use the equipment would probably reduce wear and tear and increase use. It might also be a good place for bike safety messages, such as a notices on lights or helmet adjustment.

A roof and walls, as used at Wolfson, would lengthen the lifespan of the tools, allow the use of less weather-resistant and therefore cheaper tools, and make life much more pleasant for anyone changing a tyre in the driving rain. In some locations, existing shelters might be used.

The space should be well-lit (for instance, under a streetlight, not between them). It should be big enough to work in (at least 3m by 1.5m). Any floor covering should not spontaneously combust if oil is spilt on it.

Products and materials

Purpose-designed public pumps and repair stands

Note that Bikefixstation and Dero are US companies; ordering directly from them, the shipping is prohibitive. They do have the most detailed information about their products, though. Cyclehoop are Bikefixstation's local distributor, and NSA are Deros' distributor. I am not sure whether Cycleracks buy from NSA or elsewhere. Cyclehoop also offer discounts on sales of more than ten pumps. Local manufacture might be cheaper; we are looking into the costs of getting them made locally. Prices to not include VAT or installation, and were quoted in October and November 2013; conversion to pounds was done by the WCBMS.

Non-purpose-designed materials

• £20-£30 Decent indoor floor pump
• £10-£20 Decent indoor foot pump
• £30-£40 Decent indoor floor repair stand

• ~£150 Homemade repair stand:
  • ~£50 tools
  • ~£50 fixing tools to wall
  • ~£50 suitable wall mount for bike

None of these prices include VAT, installation, or maintenance (which Cyclehoop contracts for at £60 a trip).

While the DIY tool stand shown here is a bit kludgy-looking, there is nothing to stop a homemade tool stand from looking as neat or neater than a commercial one. We have volunteers who have expressed and interest in building these.

Shelter

This could obviously vary tremendously with construction method. We estimated a covered ~3m x 1.5m bus/smoking-style shelter, as used at Wolfson, at ~£1,000.

Locations and Implementation

Suggested locations include Market Square, the train station(s), bike parking areas on Mill Road, and the Science Park. We have an extensive list of possible sites, which would need to be integrated with plans for other cycle facilities.

We are applying for funding from the University of Cambridge to put in facilities in West Cambridge. ARU are willing to fund facilities on their campus.

We suspect, subject to correction, that the city would be happier if we didn't do any installation that requires drilling holes in the public pavement. We should also agree beforehand on how to share maintenance duties.