How to protect your bike? Episode 1: bike lockers
Protecting your bike or e-scooter has become an everyday concern for many cyclists, especially in urban areas. With the rise of active mobility and the often significant price of bikes, it’s essential to have secure and practical parking solutions. In this series of articles, we explore different solutions for parking your bike with peace of mind. For this first episode, we’re shining a light on bike lockers, a solution that’s growing quickly in French and European cities.
What is a bike locker?
A bike locker is an enclosed, secure space designed to hold several bikes in a single unit, usually accessible after prior registration or with a subscription. These installations go beyond a simple bike rack: they are genuine parking lockers, often set up on the street or near transport hubs.
These lockers are generally of moderate size (often 8 spaces per locker on the street), accessible with a badge or access card, and let you leave your bike safely for several hours, or even the whole day.
source: https://www.grandlyon.com/actualite/des-box-pour-stationner-son-velo-en-securite
How do bike lockers work?
In most cases, you get access to bike lockers after registering with the local operator. In Lyon or Villeurbanne, for example, these lockers are managed by urban mobility operators and accessible with a transport card or a personal badge. The subscription is often annual and gives you an assigned space in the locker.
This system offers several advantages:
- Controlled access (by badge or card).
- Protection from the weather and prying eyes.
- The ability to leave your bike with confidence for an extended period.
source: https://www.tcl.fr/se-deplacer/les-velos-sur-le-reseau-tcl/les-box-velos-securises
Examples of bike lockers in France and Europe
Lyon and Villeurbanne
The Lyon metropolitan area has started a significant rollout of secure bike lockers as part of its mobility strategy. These installations can hold several bikes and are accessible to anyone registered with the local operator.
The lockers are generally made by specialist companies and built into the urban fabric so that they’re accessible near business hubs or residential neighborhoods.
Luxembourg: the Bikeboxes
In some nearby regions, such as Luxembourg, services called bikebox give cyclists the option of parking their bike safely next to public transport. Access is available 24/7 through a personal key system provided after registration.
https://blogcfl.lu/fr/developpement-durable/les-cfl-posent-les-jalons-de-la-mobilite-durable
Other examples in Europe
Similar solutions also exist in other European cities. In some cities in northern Italy, bike lockers integrated into multimodal mobility services make it possible to combine public transport and secure parking.
Advantages of bike lockers
Bike lockers offer several benefits for users:
- Enhanced security: being in an enclosed space with controlled access, bikes are less exposed to theft or vandalism.
- Protection from the weather: bikes are sheltered from the elements, which extends their lifespan.
- Urban integration: these installations often blend into public space next to points of interest or transport.
- Encouraging bike use: having a safe place to leave your bike makes it easier to adopt for daily journeys.
Conclusion
Bike lockers are now a concrete solution to the growing need for secure parking for urban cyclists. They combine security, convenience and accessibility, and make it possible to consider daily bike journeys without worrying about your bike. In the next episodes of this series, we’ll keep exploring other solutions for parking your bike with complete peace of mind.
Marie-Charlotte Prudent: Co-founder SafeKeeper
List of resources if you’d like to find out more
- Grand Lyon – locations of secure bike lockers
https://www.grandlyon.com/actualite/des-box-pour-stationner-son-velo-en-securite.html - Geovelo – map of secure bike parking
https://www.geovelo.fr/ - CFL Bikebox
https://www.cfl.lu/en-gb/withoutbarrier/detail/bikebox - According to the FUB (Fédération des Usagers de la Bicyclette), more than 30% of bike thefts take place in unsecured urban parking.
Source: https://www.fub.fr/ - Véligo offers secure-access bike parking around Paris: https://www.veligo.paris/
- DIWIO solution: https://diwio.com/accueil
- La Ruche à Vélos solution: https://larucheavelos.fr/