Secure Bike Parking.?
 

I have been commuting to work year round for over two years. My office will
be moving soon. Presently, I lock my bike to some racks outside of my
building. However, as a result of the moving process, I only just now
learned that we've always had some secure parking available in bike lockers
in an underground garage and that they will be moving those lockers to one
garage at our new office location and also building a bike room in another
of the new above ground garages. So I'm considering using the secure
parking, although free use of outside racks will still be availabe at the
new building also. It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which I find to be a
reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website that I can't
remember now. So a couple of questions for anyone who has used secure
parking or bike lockers.

First, do lockers make it okay to leave your light system on your bike? In
the past I've taken the light in and left the battery or taken the battery
in and left the light. But when leaving the battery out during some of the
coldest winter days, I believe that may have been bad for the condition of
the battery or the contacts, so I've taken to always bringing the battery
and the light inside with me, especially since I'm now using a light system
that costs more than my bike. I'm in the Washington, DC metro area, so I'm
wondering if a bike locker in an above ground garage would be adequate for
protecting the battery from the elements. If I didn't have to take the
light system off my bike, it would save me a few minutes and I wouldn't have
to worry about lugging it around in my bag.

Second, might the bike locker help protect the bike from the elements? If
parking inside might save some wear on my bike, then that might speed my
decision to shed $50/yr.

I did mention a bike room, but that won't be available for a while and it
will be a SHARED room, so I'd prefer to use the bike lockers if I decide to
use the secured parking, and that's why questions are about the bike
lockers. But if anyone's had good experience with or know of some
advantages to using a bike room that might not be obvious, I'd be interested
in hearing about it. Thanks in advance for any answers.

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

On Sat, 03 Jan 2004 05:23:46 GMT, "M. Barbee"
wrote:

It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which I find to be a
reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website that I can't
remember now.

I'm curious- do auto parkers at your company have to pay for their
parking spaces, rent them on a yearly basis? Or does the company pick
up this cost?

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

In article , mbarbee_no_spam_
says...
I have been commuting to work year round for over two years. My office will
be moving soon. Presently, I lock my bike to some racks outside of my
building. However, as a result of the moving process, I only just now
learned that we've always had some secure parking available in bike lockers
in an underground garage and that they will be moving those lockers to one
garage at our new office location and also building a bike room in another
of the new above ground garages. So I'm considering using the secure
parking, although free use of outside racks will still be availabe at the
new building also. It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which I find to be a

That is *very* cool that you have choices for bike parking!


reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website that I can't
remember now. So a couple of questions for anyone who has used secure
parking or bike lockers.

First, do lockers make it okay to leave your light system on your bike? In
the past I've taken the light in and left the battery or taken the battery
in and left the light. But when leaving the battery out during some of the
coldest winter days, I believe that may have been bad for the condition of
the battery or the contacts, so I've taken to always bringing the battery

The battery getting cold will reduce its usable capacity while cold but
should not do any permanent damage; it should be back to normal when it
warms up. Taking it in will help lengthen your charge cycle on the way
home.

.....


--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

Dan Daniel

wrote:

It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which I find to be a
reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website that I can't
remember now.

I'm curious- do auto parkers at your company have to pay for their
parking spaces, rent them on a yearly basis? Or does the company pick
up this cost?

No company "picks up the cost" for any employee benefit. Those benefits are
part of the employee's compensation. If the OP's employer rents parking spaces
for their employees to use but one of their employees elects not to use their
space, that employee doesn't receive a pay increase do they?
My health insurance through my employer automatically covers my spouse but if I
were single my paycheck wouldn't be one penny larger (although I *would* have
more disposable income g) despite the lower cost to my employer.
Sorry Dan... there's nitpicking and then there's outrageous nitpicking. Your
implied criticism falls in the second category. Of course, if you weren't
implying that it's unfair to charge employees for bike lockers while not
directly charging them for a parking place then I'll retract my reply.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

"Dan Daniel" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 03 Jan 2004 05:23:46 GMT, "M. Barbee"
wrote:

It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which I find to be a
reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website that I can't
remember now.

I'm curious- do auto parkers at your company have to pay for their
parking spaces, rent them on a yearly basis? Or does the company pick
up this cost?

Auto drivers have to pay 100/mo. reserved or $10 a day for daily unreserved
parking as available. I can understand that question. It would be nice to
make secure bike parking available on a monthly basis since most people
don't bike year round. But I think the present options are fair.

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

"David Kerber" wrote in message
...
In article ,
mbarbee_no_spam_
says...
in an underground garage and that they will be moving those
lockers to one
garage at our new office location and also building a bike
room in another
of the new above ground garages. So I'm considering using the
secure
parking, although free use of outside racks will still be
availabe at the
new building also. It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which
I find to be a

That is *very* cool that you have choices for bike parking!

Wish I had choice. If you ride a beater and remove everything
valuable and have a $50 lock then you can use the free outside
rack. The more secure, the better, more enjoyable bike you can
ride and the more you can leave on the bike for a faster getaway
on those nights where the temperature fell way low and the wind
sprang way up. That's worth $50 per year on its own. Same for not
having to carry a 2 pound lock.

reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for
bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website
that I can't
remember now. So a couple of questions for anyone who has
used secure
parking or bike lockers.

First, do lockers make it okay to leave your light system on
your bike? In
the past I've taken the light in and left the battery or taken
the battery
in and left the light. But when leaving the battery out
during some of the
coldest winter days, I believe that may have been bad for the
condition of
the battery or the contacts, so I've taken to always bringing
the battery

The battery getting cold will reduce its usable capacity while
cold but
should not do any permanent damage; it should be back to normal
when it
warms up. Taking it in will help lengthen your charge cycle on
the way
home.

Could cold cause increased crystalization in some battery types?

Right now I have a pretty secure outside bike rack. I always take
the battery in because I recharge it. I take incandescents with
non rechargables inside because I want to see on the way home.
With LEDs I take the easy-to-remove ones in because I want to have
them for the ride home. When my company moves downtown and I'm
stuck with an outside non secure rack, I'll ride the crappiest
bike that will work and leave nothing on it. Bike thieves steal
anything and vandalize the rest.

Doug
For email, a sense of wonder.

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

In article ,
says...
Dan Daniel

wrote:

It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which I find to be a
reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website that I can't
remember now.

I'm curious- do auto parkers at your company have to pay for their
parking spaces, rent them on a yearly basis? Or does the company pick
up this cost?

No company "picks up the cost" for any employee benefit. Those benefits are
part of the employee's compensation. If the OP's employer rents parking spaces
for their employees to use but one of their employees elects not to use their
space, that employee doesn't receive a pay increase do they?
My health insurance through my employer automatically covers my spouse but if I
were single my paycheck wouldn't be one penny larger (although I *would* have
more disposable income g) despite the lower cost to my employer.
Sorry Dan... there's nitpicking and then there's outrageous nitpicking. Your
implied criticism falls in the second category. Of course, if you weren't
implying that it's unfair to charge employees for bike lockers while not
directly charging them for a parking place then I'll retract my reply.

Keep in mind that lockers are a lot more secure for bikes than an open
parking lot is to cars, and therefore aren't really equivalent. Bike
racks would be a better comparison to a parking lot.

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

In article q5_Jb.139686$INs.82548
@twister01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com, says...
"David Kerber" wrote in message
...
In article ,
mbarbee_no_spam_
says...
in an underground garage and that they will be moving those
lockers to one
garage at our new office location and also building a bike
room in another
of the new above ground garages. So I'm considering using the
secure
parking, although free use of outside racks will still be
availabe at the
new building also. It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which
I find to be a

That is *very* cool that you have choices for bike parking!

Wish I had choice. If you ride a beater and remove everything
valuable and have a $50 lock then you can use the free outside
rack. The more secure, the better, more enjoyable bike you can
ride and the more you can leave on the bike for a faster getaway
on those nights where the temperature fell way low and the wind
sprang way up. That's worth $50 per year on its own. Same for not
having to carry a 2 pound lock.

reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for
bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website
that I can't
remember now. So a couple of questions for anyone who has
used secure
parking or bike lockers.

First, do lockers make it okay to leave your light system on
your bike? In
the past I've taken the light in and left the battery or taken
the battery
in and left the light. But when leaving the battery out
during some of the
coldest winter days, I believe that may have been bad for the
condition of
the battery or the contacts, so I've taken to always bringing
the battery

The battery getting cold will reduce its usable capacity while
cold but
should not do any permanent damage; it should be back to normal
when it
warms up. Taking it in will help lengthen your charge cycle on
the way
home.

Could cold cause increased crystalization in some battery types?

I've never heard of such a thing, but then that's not my area of
expertise and I'm not a chemist.


--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

David Kerber wrote:
: Keep in mind that lockers are a lot more secure for bikes than an open
: parking lot is to cars, and therefore aren't really equivalent. Bike
: racks would be a better comparison to a parking lot.

perhaps but i'd feel a lot more comfortable parking a $30,000 car (not that i
have one, mind you) in a parking lot than i would a $3,000 bike in a bike rack.
can't imagine many people feel differently.
--
david reuteler

Secure Bike Parking.?
 

On 04 Jan 2004 08:59:24 GMT, (Hunrobe) wrote:

Dan Daniel

wrote:

It's $50/yr for the secure parking, which I find to be a
reasonable and comparable price after looking at a survey for bike locker
rental fees in different places that I found on some website that I can't
remember now.

I'm curious- do auto parkers at your company have to pay for their
parking spaces, rent them on a yearly basis? Or does the company pick
up this cost?

No company "picks up the cost" for any employee benefit. Those benefits are
part of the employee's compensation. If the OP's employer rents parking spaces
for their employees to use but one of their employees elects not to use their
space, that employee doesn't receive a pay increase do they?
My health insurance through my employer automatically covers my spouse but if I
were single my paycheck wouldn't be one penny larger (although I *would* have
more disposable income g) despite the lower cost to my employer.
Sorry Dan... there's nitpicking and then there's outrageous nitpicking. Your
implied criticism falls in the second category. Of course, if you weren't
implying that it's unfair to charge employees for bike lockers while not
directly charging them for a parking place then I'll retract my reply.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Sorry, Bob... to make clear how much concern I have over you
retracting your reply, pay close attention to how much effort I put
into explaining my post to you.