From Blueprint to Bike Room: A Comprehensive Design Approach
We’re passionate about assisting planners and designers craft a bike room that is aesthetically pleasing and provides seamless functionality for cyclists. Our team guides clients through the entire process – from initial design conceptualization to a fully functioning space that can meet unique requirements, supply a long-term, easy to use, easy to maintain, and durable solution.
Regardless of the specifications, required bike capacity, or intricacies involved, we are well-equipped to bring the unique bike rooms our clients envision to life – whether it's serving a residential community, university, retail, office, or commercial space.
So, how do we transform the initial design into a thriving and purposeful bicycle space?
The first step begins with a consultation and requirements gathering. This initial step – which can be as simple as an emailed “wish list” for your project – is crucial as it sets the foundation for the design, considering the most important aspects for your bike room. Is maximum density the goal? Is budget a prime consideration, or are you seeking a luxury bike room? By sending us your layout or simply room dimensions, our team can take structural considerations into account, plan around HVAC, plumbing, windows, and pillars, and ensure that door placement, restrooms, lockers, and other room structures maintain good access and flow.
Our design process always prioritizes high capacity in bike parking while maintaining sufficient space for safe and comfortable movement while using the racks. Bicycles come in all sorts of styles, shapes, and sizes, just like cyclists themselves are unique. For this reason, it is important for our designers to understand if the room is expected to store cargo or specialty bikes. With this information, our knowledge of APBP standards, and regional code requirements, we will design the bike room to offer innovative and secure solutions that cater to the specific needs of your cyclists.
The typical road bicycle is 36”- 48” tall and 65”-71” long, while mountain bikes are usually the same height, but longer at 71”-82”. There’s also Cargo bicycles, which are becoming increasingly popular and vary greatly in dimension. While they are compatible with most Sportworks racks, many long tail cargo bikes are ~80” long and front-loader styles may be more than 100” long. During the design process, special consideration is made to accommodate every size of bicycle that may require additional spacing. We increase accessibility for cyclists by incorporating both horizontal and vertical parking options and recommend other features your cyclists may find helpful, like a bicycle repair stand and pump.
The rendering below shows our recommended spacing for some of our popular bike parking room solutions. Designing your room with our recommended spacing allows for high density and a safe, stress-free environment.
Sportworks’ Recommended Spacing
Prioritizes safety, accessibility, and flexibility.
Visit our website for a complimentary planning consultation and bike parking layout!
Once the floor plan is established, we leverage cutting-edge design software to bring your bike room to life. To facilitate the decision-making process, we provide clients with detailed layouts that illustrate the maximum capacity of the bike room, along with a proposal to ensure transparency and mutual understanding between our teams in the planning phase. Sometimes the first layout is perfect and can be finalized. Other times, we will need to iterate and supply a few alternative options. Either way, it’s important to us that your bike room exceeds expectations and is just right for the space, so we are happy to go back to the drawing board whenever it’s needed.
With the room dimensions, our skilled team can recommend a customized solution. Alternately, using the files and guidelines available on our website and CAD Details, clients have the option to take the reins and design their own bike room, perhaps bouncing it back to us for review.
To showcase a real-world example, take a virtual tour of the Orenda Bike Room at Othello Square in Seattle, WA.
The Orenda bike room design strikes a great balance between density and a spacious aesthetic. It seamlessly integrates high-density 2-tier racks featuring lift assist with open areas to accommodate a diverse range of bicycles, including cargo bikes and e-bikes. This intentional design caters to the distinct needs of every type of rider, ensuring a well-rounded and adaptable space that resonates with the practicalities of modern cycling.
The carefully planned spacing between racks is critical, guaranteeing that cyclists can access their bikes with ease, without the concern of damaging others. Our thoughtful approach ensures that pass-throughs are integrated seamlessly, offering a comfortable and unobstructed environment for all.
View the full original layout, here.
Our VelopA EasyLift Premium two-tier lift-assist bike racks are a perfect fit for Orenda, featuring lightweight aluminum upper trays with gas springs that require very limited lifting for cyclists. The inclusion of a damping system ensures a controlled and hands-free descent, enhancing both user convenience and safety. Property management can rest assured of the reliability and low-maintenance nature of these racks, designed for continuous use, indoors and out.
For horizontal parking, we incorporated one of our most popular racks – the Tofino™ No Scratch®. The cane-detectable version of our iconic Tofino is ADA Compliant, ensuring accessibility for individuals with visual impairments and promoting inclusivity in public spaces. It’s set apart by its No Scratch bumper, protecting bicycles and the rack from scratches and dents. For added security and convenience, we incorporated bike lockers into the room, along with the Deluxe Public Work Stand that provides cyclists with all the tools they need in a simple-to-use package.
At Sportworks, the journey from bike room design to a functional space is a testament to our expertise, dedication to quality, and commitment to client satisfaction. Our innovative designs not only incorporate industry and building code standards but also elevate the cycling experience for users. For more, check out our blog post on .