Usability Observation #4

usability_observation_4 A common problem when bike racks are scarce is figuring out where to lock one’s bicycle in a city. Some options: the ubiquitous sign post, parking meter, tree, garbage can, etc. Somehow though, this job seemed too perfect. The owner of this bike rested it on the curved lip of the garbage can, effectively making it into a bike stand as well.

usability_observation_4_2The thing about bike stands – when the objective is solely to lift both wheels off the ground and hold the bike in a stable position, all you need is two points. One interesting take on this is the Cycloc. Rather than placing the two points of support underneath, it places one below and one above – effectively, the point below acts as a pivot point, and the point above compresses from the top as the bike attempts to rotate.
usability_observation_4_3 Of course, there are plenty of D.I.Y. solutions available. I found this blog documenting several versions. May go without saying, but a strong clamp goes a long way for wrenching on the bike.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *