What to do about bike unfriendly businesses?

GoldenMotor.com

Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
55
48
Jacksonville, Florida
Went to Lowes for some screws and some nails on the motor bike. Got what I wanted, but NO PLACE TO PARK the bike!

WTF! Too NASCAR friendly I guess!

Maybe we should start some petitions.




It's all about selling gasoline. LOTS and LOTS of gasoline.....


.we.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
there's usually good bike parking in southern california at most big places, with the exception of the huge Bella Terra shopping mall in huntington beach.

it's a sprawling, outdoor mall and they have those stupid art deco bike racks that look fancy, but you can only lock up 4 bikes, except some jackass always parks sideways across it.

there's only a few of the racks scattered around the place, but there's plenty of light posts.

but if you lock your bike to one of them, they give you a fake ticket, claiming they have a description of your bike and they'll confiscate it if it's locked to a post again.

i got one of those and called the security office and asked them what they meant by "confiscating."

the guy had no real answer, so i continued to badger and heckle him. "does that mean you're stealing my bike? is that legal? is it like impound and i have to pay to get it back? are you saying the bella terra mall is anti-bike? does that mean you're anti-green, anti-environment..."

i went on as long as i could keep the guy on the phone.

another funny part of it is that this neatly printed "ticket" (in spanish on the back even) had multiple spelling errors. i'm not talking typos, i mean a blatant disregard for proper grammar.

so i pointed that out to the poor guy, too. "you're not just anti-bike, anti-health, and enviro-unfriendly, you're anti-literacy..."

nothing's changed, but it made me laugh. needless to say, i don't park my bike there anymore, or shop there.
 

fishyfish777

New Member
Sep 2, 2010
42
0
0
Ann Arbor, MI
Where I live, there are usually a bunch of small trees around in the immediate vicinity which I just lock my bike to for 15 minutes while heading in a store. I don't think anyone minds.
 

Meccanica

New Member
Jul 21, 2012
17
1
0
Connecticut
I know this isn't really what you were referring to when making this post but I have noticed that not only do the local bike shops not offer any motorbike parts or accessories but they get downright snobby when I ask for something and they find out that it's for a motorized bike. I've had them roll their eyes and wave me off while saying "we don't deal in motorbikes". The funny thing is that I have been asking for BICYCLE parts when this happens. The bicycle purists seem to have cornered the market in my area. That's fine with me, I'll just spend my money elsewhere.
 

JonnyR

New Member
May 13, 2012
1,203
1
0
37
ronkonkoma, new york
i luckily have 2 shops run by good guys that think my bike is cool and dont care what i want stuff for as long as my money is real also they worked with me to pick out some nice tires for when im done with my current set along with a 3 peace crank setup and a few other nice parts
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
It's a bike. Park it anywhere there is a sign or something, and lock it up. Don't get upset about such little details. It's not a big deal, man...
Agreed.

I seriously doubt it's a "gasoline conspiracy" or even "bike unfriendly" as much as a commonplace simple oversight, after all how many stores have designated motorcycle parking?

Instead of a petition which is oft a hostile reaction to flat & repeated refusals - have you tried simply suggesting to the management that a bike rack would be a welcome customer courtesy? Does their competition provide one?

Are there even enough bicycles strewn about to warrant one? If there are, take pics & show them, which would be the most convincing point... if not, well... personal inconveniences aside, I'd say it doesn't really matter.
 

d_gizzle

Active Member
May 29, 2012
1,102
0
36
43
ARDMORE,OK
The post you are referring to tells it fully. There are bike racks,there isn't enough of them,and when he locks his bike to "anything" as you two guys suggest,fake tickets and empty threats get tossed around. I have spent close to 2 grand on my bike and if someone threatens to take it we going to have problem.
 
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Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
At my Lowes I walk right through the store with my bike by my side. Same for the 3 local grocery store's here I go to and Home Depot. Don't even think about Walmart. lol

The trick they all know me from my peddling days for the most part ''did the same thing'' Most importantly I keep my bike clean and meek in appearance so to speak.
 

CroMagnum

Member
Sep 2, 2011
148
1
16
Los Angeles
I'm a little puzzled because the all the Lowes near me have parking lots the size of football fields that are just full of places to park.

If you don't want to take up an actual parking space, there's all sorts of areas between rows with signposts to lock your bike to. Also, I see guys on motorcycles park up on the sidewalk near the doors and no one hassles them.

So in that giant sea of asphalt and concrete parking spaces and walkways, you can't find anyplace to park a bicycle? Truly odd.
 

Saddletramp1200

Custom MB Buiilder
May 7, 2008
1,451
83
48
Houston, Texas
I see people for what they are, Park my bike where it's safe to do so. Freaked them out when I bought a 20' piece of PVC and Used a Nylon rope with hooks to bow it up so it don't drag the ground. Put the rope over my shoulder. Rode home. They respect me now.
Or they think I'm crazy, So be it. (c)
 

LaLongueCarabine

New Member
Aug 15, 2011
59
0
0
United States
I know this isn't really what you were referring to when making this post but I have noticed that not only do the local bike shops not offer any motorbike parts or accessories but they get downright snobby when I ask for something and they find out that it's for a motorized bike. I've had them roll their eyes and wave me off while saying "we don't deal in motorbikes". The funny thing is that I have been asking for BICYCLE parts when this happens. The bicycle purists seem to have cornered the market in my area. That's fine with me, I'll just spend my money elsewhere.
They even give me bad advice. I wanted a seat post with suspension for my bike. It's for a steel frame G3 by MoBikes made for adding a motor and they told me they don't make them.

"Really, they don't make them in 1 inch?"

"No."

I see one over his shoulder, and I say, "You realize 25.4mm is 1 inch?"

"OK, I not sure it will work."

Well it did,,, What dic's!
xct2
 
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JonnyR

New Member
May 13, 2012
1,203
1
0
37
ronkonkoma, new york
I'm a little puzzled because the all the Lowes near me have parking lots the size of football fields that are just full of places to park.

If you don't want to take up an actual parking space, there's all sorts of areas between rows with signposts to lock your bike to. Also, I see guys on motorcycles park up on the sidewalk near the doors and no one hassles them.

So in that giant sea of asphalt and concrete parking spaces and walkways, you can't find anyplace to park a bicycle? Truly odd.
its not realy space its a place to put it where it will be safe from theft and damage zpt
 

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
And I thought the meth heads around here were a rough bunch...they steal everything. None are bold enough to steal a bike while on video I guess.
 

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
I see people for what they are, Park my bike where it's safe to do so. Freaked them out when I bought a 20' piece of PVC and Used a Nylon rope with hooks to bow it up so it don't drag the ground. Put the rope over my shoulder. Rode home. They respect me now.
Or they think I'm crazy, So be it. (c)
Yar, I can see it now...you riding a bike around with a 10' hula hoop strapped on your back.
 

littletinman

New Member
May 15, 2012
231
0
0
Gaithersburg, MD
Some county's actually have laws and bike rules to protect cyclists from not having places to park. In MoCo it says anywhere that is not a fire hydrant or against a yellow curb or handicap sign is perfectly legal. They actually recommend using parking lot posts as it's harder to steal from the middle of the parking lot.

I've noticed less office buildings in DC have bike lock areas. Fortunately, a lot of companies don't mind if you bring your bike up to the office (as long as it doesn't fume). I always lock my china girl bike to a parking pole on the sidewalk and have had no issues from management. In fact I usually bump into the management guy when i arrive at work in the mornings. He's never mentioned anything about where I park my bike.

They used to have bike racks at all the local grocery stores, but about 5 years ago they took them all away. Now people have to lock them to bushes, trash cans, and displays and it's kinda mess. I usually just walk to the store (live less than a mile).