Yesterday I cycled into town to call at the Rohan shop in George Street. I looked in vain for any bike parking near the shop. In the end I was able to squeeze the bike in between a car and the end of one of the sections of railing used for the motorbike parking down the centre of the street. For future reference, please can anyone advise me of the whereabouts of more suitable bike parking in the vicinity ?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Bike parking in George Street
(45 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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You might want to use the attached map from the Council, that can show cycle parking facilities.
http://edinburgh.cdmf.info/public/map/map.htm
You have to click on the "More options" button at the top of the map window and then click on the green bike icon - this calls up the location of bike parking. I can't guarantee the accuracy of the info. but it seems okay.
Posted 11 years ago # -
If that map is correct, then it shows two spots in the same block (one at corner of Hanover street, one nearer Frederick St), and nothing for the rest of George Street.
My attempt at navigating googlemaps streetview shows one - maybe 2 - bike parking zones in the middle of george street. With quite a lot more similar spaces for motorcycles. And of course, tonnes of space for cars.
Posted 11 years ago # -
GM Morningsider, thanks for the map, that looks most useful. Unfortunately it confirms that there is no cycle parking within the immediate vicinity of Rohan :-(
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thanks SRD, just followed your link, apologies I hadn't notice that thread earlier
Posted 11 years ago # -
new threads good!
Posted 11 years ago # -
I naively assume that the cooncil would have installed 1 space for every 10 car parking, to help them meet their modal share targets.
Posted 11 years ago # -
That map appears to be inaccurate, unfortunately. However, the good news is that there is plenty of bicycle parking (Sheffield Steels) along Rose Street, typically at the junction of each street (Castle St, Frederick St, Hanover St etc). These are a 30 second walk to George St.
George St itself is almost useless; I have only found one single bicycle park on it, and I've looked really quite hard all the way along it.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I normally encroach on the motorcycle parking, as there's something there to lock the bike to. I'm still worried that someone will door the bike though, as the car spaces are crammed tightly against it.
Posted 11 years ago # -
One word: railings.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I go railings some near waterstones on the other side. Rohan have let me take the bike in before. If you go when the shops are quiet, they mostly seem OK about this.
Posted 11 years ago # -
OpenCycleMap is always worth checking, too, for the little blue squares.
Not guaranteed to be totally up to date, as I recently discovered some more cycle racks at the Western General that weren't marked. Car park 9, in case you were wondering.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I hate to be in the position of always defending the council, especially as I totally agree that bike parking in Princes St and George St is hopeless, but as there are so many Mr/Ms glass-half-empties I feel the need to be Mr glass-half-full sometimes.
OK, George St is ridiculous in the light of the council 2020 bike use target. But have a look at Forrest Road. On that basis the council seems to be aiming for well over 100% of all trips to be by bike before too long! As others have mentioned, Rose St is not too badly provided - just look round the city and you'll find great variety between different places, as such things usually happen incrementally. There are definitely a lot of racks going in each year - many of them apparently on the basis of where the council receives the most suggestions [email cycling@edinburgh.gov.uk], e.g. the big set of installations dotted round Marchmont a year or two ago.
Returning to Princes/George St, just a few years ago the council was talking increasingly loudly about big people-friendly improvements (of which I imagine bike parking would have been an element), then as the tram development turned to farce the council basically lost courage to do anything in that area till the tram was sorted. There are vague signs that they might return to this before long, and they could be encouraged by people asking about small easy things like bike parking or bigger things like making Princes St traffic-free either one or both directions (as senior officials were talking about just a few years ago). There's a bit about the history at the end of this article.
Continuing on the potentially 'glass half-full' and parking/storage themes, it might be interesting to check out the '10% rule' on the council's requirements for parking at new developments. NB - spokes is currently trying to gather examples of where the rules have not been implemented adequately in recent developments.
Also, we may be on the way to a change of heart and modernisation in how the Planning Dept's ancient rules effectively banned domestic bike storage for people whose only option was in a front garden, and the 10% target has been a very useful weapon in pushing this [ably used by Cllrs Gavin Corbett and Melanie Main].
Sorry, I'm straying off George St parking a bit, but you anyway can't park in George St if you can't own a bike in the first place!
Posted 11 years ago # -
it might be interesting to check out the '10% rule' on the council's requirements for parking at new developments
It's not really a new development, strictly speaking, but I happened to sneak through the Scottish Executive grounds on Friday during a secret mid-morning shopping excursion, and was amazed at the number of Sheffield Steels that have been installed outside the main entrance. There were loads of them free, too, but I think that's more to do with the fact that there looked to be literally dozens of the things, with plenty of bikes huddled around one section, and another set of Steels remarkably empty.
There's also a ludicrous number outside Ocean Terminal, although I'm not sure whether that's due to the council, or whoever owns OT itself.
I like your glass-half-full style, DdF. May I raise my glass (sic) to you.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I openly admit I'm in the "glass half (or largely) empty" camp. I'm not that close to planning matters or the good intentions or noises made from the council - my main source of information from which I form my opinions of matters is what I see on the ground, and from that source of information, it's very hard to form a positive opinion, with more than 1/2 of the glass full.
Of course I'm hopeful and optimistic, but George Street ain't nothing but a big car park, and it would take a very skilful debater to convince me otherwise.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Glass half full? It's like being in the pub with one of those people who says they like a beer but they drink really slowly and it's their round and you're down to your last mouthful. You want to think they'll get their round in before they b off home but their track record isn't that good.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Hey! I only do that with colleagues who have significantly bigger wallets than me ;)
Posted 11 years ago # -
I like the way "the system" automatically edits your mild profanities.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Instography I like the way "the system" automatically edits your mild profanities.
Presumably you refer to the George Street b parking!
Posted 11 years ago # -
@gembo actually hits the spot - the issue can be sorted substantially by the retailers themselves, and given that an outdoor clothing (& related items) store like Rohan is likely to see cyclists as a key customer, their willingness to allow a bike inside the store outside the really busy periods is a way forward.
With the Brompton I never carry a lock, and almost every place I shop regularly accepts me wheeling in the bike and parking it up (at Lidl I go in with the trailer and leave it at the loading area by the check-outs) Because of this I can manage to visit 4-5 shops in under an hour , and a weekly stocking up on basics at Lidl is usually completed between 21.40 and when it closes at 22.00.
I've had a serious falling out with a new manager at the Sainsburys Local - where I used to leave the bike visible through the front window (and got on very well with the former manager), but the new guy seems to have a reputation - practically assaulting a neighbour who absent mindedly walked on to the forecourt whilst using a mobile phone.
With the increasing competition to deliver the 'local' convenience store and the burgeoning number of Tesco Metro and Sainsburys Local I still find that the Co-op (and linked Alldays local stores) along with Aldi, Lidl, Spar and Nisa are all far more welcoming to cycle users, many allowing you to place the bike just inside the store, or even wheel it round if the place is quiet.
Basically, scoring-wise for me, Tescos are the pits - I was taken to task at the 24 hour store in Crewe for wheeling the bike in at 23.30 when the staff on the check outs outnumbered the customer (me) and the only person with a problem was the man in the uniform! Some Sainsburys have been OK but most have no parking provision in sensible places - ie visible and close to the store. However it isn't just the corporates, as I changed the veg shop from one where the doorway was blocked up by boxes (surely against DDA compliance) and a 'hostile' atmosphere emanated when I tried to leave the bike visible or even fold it and carry it into the shop - well the new place is bike friendly guys, and I won't be shopping with you any more.
Basically if they can't accommodate the bike I have plenty of choice for places to take my business. I compare this to a brilliant manager we had on a Sustrans site who basically gave the suppliers a choice - deliver to my sites or I'll find a supplier who will, and this meant he could run a 90 person project with just one 12-seat minibus.
Obviously with the growing use of cycles around Edinburgh, the business which doesn't just ignore cycle users but is practically cycle hostile is likely to lose out big time, especially as the word develops on where it is easier and more pleasant to shop by bike. Remember too that some 'local' independent shops are actually cheaper - Sainsburys milk - more expensive than local shop, likewise bars of chocolate, Hardware store - lights in cardboard boxes, a third of price for blister pack at B&Q, and screws etc sold individually instead of cartons of far more than you really need.
Perhaps a straw-poll/review of shops and suppliers who provide the best cycle-user oriented services? Rohan sounds a good one for a start.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Good post, Tulyar.
There are a couple of sign posts outside Rohan. There's one further along (outside Barclay's) on the central island but nice and defensive, tucked behind some electrical boxes, for longer stops.
I'd have sheffield racks all the way along G Street, parallel to the kerb, one foot in, one every 20m. It's less than the drivers get.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yes good post Tulyar.
The folks in Bob the Barber's at Tollcross always encourage me to take my bike right in to the shop, and it's not a big shop.Posted 11 years ago # -
Scenarios very variable, even in the same shop dependent on personnel. Sometimes perhaps there is an interpretation of regs such that the bike is an obstacle. I have noticed that my favoured shop Scotmid used to let me leave the bike inside the door, if I had forgotten my lock but now they might say you are not supposed to do that. I went into an Asda a while back, had one item they sold that I needed, forgot lock. I asked the security guy if I could push the bike round the shop, he said no. I then asked if he would look after my bike and he said yes. My radical way forward in 2013 is just to be convivial about it and if that gets me nowhere, just head off to another shop. Jim the barber at hay market lets me bring the bike in, if he isn't busy.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Two more mentions of barber's shops and we'll have a quartet.
Posted 11 years ago # -
bernie the barber at newington must be gone to the great scalping shed in the sky? He looked like a most lugubrious clown prince of barbers did bernie.
Charlie barbers at longstone opens early but quality might depend on who you get shaving your locks?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Posted 11 years ago #
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My barbers in Glasgow (originally Eli Sabbah on W Nile St, now Hanif on Woodlands Road) are OK with the bike. Farmfoods also generally OK in all stores, although the Cambridge Street store prefers the bike left by check-outs rather than wheeled round.
How are Farmfoods in Edinburgh? Could they be a first for the cycle-friendly supermarket award, or maybe the Co-op (I wonder if any of their PR folk read this?)
Of course the irony is that Tesco PR folk found no problem in having a naturists' shopping night, where the store was given over to naturists for shopping but cannot get their heads around a cyclists' shopping session* (which would not require closing the store to other customers and blanking out the windows) *Pick a quiet time of day for the store, and allow cycles inside, either (for a large store with wide aisles) going around the store, or in a managed way by the check-outs/entrance.
So that's another mention of barbers (if Glasgow counts) and we shouldn't forget the Linlithgow barber who also was a bike shop (may still be). < Clears throat and starts voice training>
Posted 11 years ago # -
The Linlithgow b/arber/ike shop is now hair only, but there's a new bike shop, Elevation Cycles. Please use them if you are in the area, as the local market is not huge and it would be good if they can make a go of the new shop.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Spotted today in town. Prize if anyone knows where it is. For the (I imagine) small sum of money an installation like this costs (and doesn't need to be bolted to pavement) I'm surprised I've never seen others like this in town.
Posted 11 years ago #
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