Covered bike parking spots in Magnolia?

September 19th, 2012 · 15 Comments

MV reader Layla writes

I work in Magnolia and frequently use my bike to or from work or school. I have noticed that there are no covered bike parking spaces. This concerns me as I bike regularly, and would like to be able to use this method rain or shine. Unfortunately, rain is incredibly detrimental to bike parts, and I would rather that my bike did not succumb to rust. Who could I talk to to see about getting a covered bike rack placed somewhere in Magnolia Village?

Thanks for your email- we are are on the case. Readers, would you utilize covered bike parking? If yes, where in Magnolia would you like to see it?

Tags: Uncategorized

ThurmanThug

come on…….
magmom

You got to be kidding!
Philip

If you are riding your bike on rain-soaked streets, it is not the falling rain that is rusting your bike. Maybe you should be requesting a ride-through bike wash-and-dry instead of covered storage.
scooter

Let’s start with a getting a few businesses in the village good enough to ride to in the rain.
Magnolia Mom

I’m a year-round bike commuter, and I have no interest in covered bike parking. My bike also doesn’t rust from the rain – if you grease your chain occasionally that’s all you need to protect your bike from water. If Layla really wants a dry bike I suggest she carry a small tarp while riding and cover her parked bike with it.
Clmag

Layla told a very funny joke today!
halpern

Sounds like a K-Mart blue light special bike you got girl !
imaw

Curious, Layla, what funds would be used to purchase and support this idea? Tax dollars? Maybe funds from my licensed auto that won’t use the covered bike rack?

biker

Your auto license fee doesn’t even cover a fraction of the cost of the roads you drive, so no, they don’t produce a surplus.

Shanon

You know, I don’t think we need covered bike racks, but honestly do people have to be so rude about it. Also, I on a side note, I really hate when people say that the businesses in the village are not very good? Why do you continue to stay in our neighborhood and bring it down?
http://twitter.com/abzolutly Alison Bazeley

I probably wouldn’t utilize covered bike parking, but if it were to be installed, I would suggest somewhere near Blaine and the community center. It’s close to the village and bus lines. This could also encourage students to ride their bikes to school without worrying that they will be soaked during the day while they are in class.
Amanda F

Sure, that would be helpful. How about somewhere central in the Village?
Magtony

Wow, so many nasty comments. What’s wrong with Layla making a suggestion?
guest

Rain is incredibly detrimental to bike parts? Does Layla only ride when it is not raining and the streets are dry? Sorry, she has earned the ridicule…
anominus

Covered bike parking would likely encourage bikers to come by for the 3/4 of the year that the rain is on and off all day, would it not? It could be something as simple as something like a bus shelter. If we Magnolia residents could manage to keep the good businesses around we might get some businesses interested in investing in covered bike parking. I have had a bike rust from simply sitting outside under some stairs for a few weeks, so I don’t think that the issue is riding in the rain so much as repeated exposure to water that sits on the bike. I have a nice road bike and I, too, am concerned about leaving my bike out in the rain. I wouldn’t want to have to carry around a drenched tarp for most of the days of the year, and I honestly just stop riding my bike on the rainy days because there’s nowhere to park it so it’ll be dry when I get back on it.

Does anyone know how much a covered bike rack would cost? I’m not finding any immediate results… does anyone else know?