Where are the frickin' bike parks?

[Krayy]

Good. SWMBO is off to her parents place for a couple of nights and I'll ride out there on Saturday to meet her. Alien Vs Predator hit the cinemas today, and I KNOW she won't want to see it, come to think of it, I'm not even sure I want to see it myself! So we're off to St Lukes cineplex on my trusty steed.

Now here I am cruising through the carpark looking for a place to park it up. I'm mentally making a list of what I need. has to brightly lit. Has to have people traffic so no bastards going to be able to cut the lock without being noticed. Has to be under cover in case of rain (don't mind riding in it, but I do mind dressing in it). Hmmm. Oooookay. I wonder if theres such a thing as a bike parking bay round this joint? Nope. Bugger.

So using my mental list, I rode up to level 2 and (very) casually slotted myself between a couple of cars into the pedestrian space between the wall and the metal bars that stop cars from messing up the paint job (the walls, not the cars) and proceed to lock it up just to the side of the main entrance to the "amazed" look of some onlookers.

So the question is, what do you guys do? I mean, there's no bike specific parking, so I could take a whole car space if I wanted to. The way I see it, I'm doing the mall a favour parking there. Shoppers will think cool people who ride really nice bikes go there! Wonder if I could charge them an exhibition fee?

PS. The movie didn't suck as much as I thought it might. In fact, it was bordering on quite good, except for the fact that we were an hour in before any Aliens or Predators showed up.

[Madmax]

when i go there i just park on the ground level
push bike park and chain it up to that,
lots of people around so it is pretty safe

[erik]

Depends where I'm going. Sometimes I'll just take a whole car parking space, but if there is a bike parking space I'll use that. Or if there is a convenient space that the bike will fit I'll use that, but usually I'd just use a full car space.

[geoffm]

Depends where I'm going. Sometimes I'll just take a whole car parking space, but if there is a bike parking space I'll use that. Or if there is a convenient space that the bike will fit I'll use that, but usually I'd just use a full car space.

I have found that if you are going to park in a car space, take all of it some some lowlife doesn't try to park their Pajero in there as well. I take the POV that my bike is worth more than their car, so they can go away and walk...
Geoff

[MacD]

There are quite a few bike-size gaps between the pillars in the parking area on the ground floor near the entrance by Living and Giving or the Health Store (the door that leads to the National bank area). Taking up a whole carpark is just asking for some idiot to try and move your bike or even worse, drive into it without looking. The ground floor is pretty far from the cinemas so not ideal if you're going to a movie however. I'd also look around the area by the entrance to the food court (St Lukes road side - near $2 shop) as I think you could find quite a few areas to park out of the way of cars around there.

[Wenier]

if theres enough space up on the foot path in front of a shop which is covered, its generally a great parkin space.

[TwoSeven]

A new supermarket opened up recently where I live. At first they had no bike park. The entrance to the supermarket was a ramp with a bike rack at the top by the door.

So I just kept driving my bike up and leaving it outside the main door (opposite it). I mentioned to the car park attendant that there was no place for motorbikes and about 2 weeks later they converted a car park to a bike only park (not sure if it was just because of me)

So I thought that was quite good.

At tech there are no bike parks either, but everyone just parks next to the bike stands. Cant complain because parking is free and cars have to pay for theirs.

I always look for a bike park, if there is none i'll park on the footpath, but not in anyones way. I wont park in car places because apart from it being illegal in some countries (not sure if we can here either, I know cars cant park in bike places). I dont think its fair if we take up their places, then bitch when they park in ours.

Been a long time since I rode in auckland - even longer since I was at that movie place - but sometimes they dont know there is a bike parking problem til someone tells them - or asks where the bike parking place is.

[Coyote]

Do many of you get Vandilism to your bike? Also what kinda security measures do you do to keep your bike from being stolen. I'm getting my bike and my licence soon so I need to know this.

[dhunt]

Do many of you get Vandilism to your bike? Also what kinda security measures do you do to keep your bike from being stolen. I'm getting my bike and my licence soon so I need to know this.

I've never had any problems. But usually I put steering lock and disc lock on my bike. It's all a matter of covience verses security. I try to make it differcult for people to nick my bike but if they wanted to it could be done.

[Mr Skid]

Do many of you get Vandilism to your bike? Also what kinda security measures do you do to keep your bike from being stolen. I'm getting my bike and my licence soon so I need to know this.

The only vandalism I've experienced has been my own making. As for security I use a botty big 4.5kg magnum chain and padlock, and try to park next to expensive bikes.

Some people go for disc locks that fit in the brake disc, some people go for chains. A disc lock is going to be more compact to carry and store, and a chain has the benefit that you can loop it around something like a lamp post / railing / your mates bike and stop your bike being loaded into a van etc.

If someone really wants the bike that much, they could just leave a wheel behind, so it's more a deterent than anything..

[Firefight]

somewhere here is a good thread on this topic, not sure where, maybe one of the computer geeks can find it and post you a link.

F/F