Cycle Parking for Workplaces and Developments
At The Bike Storage Company, we provide secure, high-density cycle parking solutions for workplaces, designed and manufactured in Britain for office buildings, business parks and mixed-use developments. This covers:
- Office bike storage in basements on two-tier and vertical racks
- External shelters and enclosures where the footprint is outside
- Lockers and maintenance points that complete an end-of-trip facility
Below the range, find out how many spaces an office needs, which rack suits which store, and what we need from you to draw a layout and quote.
Cycle parking for offices and commercial developments
How many cycle parking spaces does an office need?
The number of cycle parking spaces required for an office comes from the local parking standard first (the London Plan in London), then from LTN 1/20 Table 11-1 when no local standard exists, and from BREEAM where the building is being certified. Cycle parking for offices counts staff and visitor spaces separately.
| Source | Long-stay (staff) | Short-stay (visitors) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| LTN 1/20 Table 11-1, office / finance | 1 per 200m² | 1 per 1,000m² | National fallback where no local standard applies (11.3.1) |
| London Plan 2021 Table 10.2, offices | 1 per 75m² GEA in the CAZ and Inner London opportunity areas; 1 per 150m² elsewhere | First 5,000m²: 1 per 500m²; thereafter 1 per 5,000m² | Policy T5; minimum two of each |
| BREEAM UK New Construction 2018, Tra 02 cycle storage | 1 per 10 building users where the building has up to 200; 1 per 15 for 201-300, 1 per 20 for 301-400 and 1 per 25 above 400; minimum four | Counted within the building-user figure | Round up (KBCN0445); 50% reduction where public transport access is high, never below four (KBCN0134). Check against the scheme version your project is registered under. |
Sources: LTN 1/20 Table 11-1; London Plan 2021 Table 10.2; BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 Tra 02 and Knowledge Base notes KBCN0445, KBCN0134.
Around 5% of spaces should suit non-standard cycles (LTN 1/20 11.3.2). Worked examples are in how many cycle parking spaces a development needs, standards in the LTN 1/20 cycle parking standards guide and certification in BREEAM cycle storage.
Choosing the right rack for the bike store
Basement and car-park stores
Two-tier racks double capacity in the same footprint. Our standard is 375mm centres and 2,500mm minimum headroom; LTN 1/20 requires at least 2.7m (11.4.11). Racks are hot-dip galvanised and powder coated. Specify two-tier cycle racks, or the gas assisted two tier rack where some users will find it hard to lift a bike onto the upper tier.
Low ceilings and awkward bays
Where headroom is under 2,500mm, semi-vertical racks at 305mm centres and wall-mounted vertical racks take the capacity instead. At Lanark Road, Maida Vale, ceiling heights varied, so more than 150 internal spaces went on a mix of two-tier, semi-vertical and Sheffield stands.
Folding bikes and premium fit-outs
City offices often see folding bikes in larger numbers for commuter efficiency: for example, our project at 30 Fenchurch Street has 33 folding bike lockers. Where the store is part of the arrival experience, premium vertical cycle racks come in a RAL colour to match the fit-out, as seen at our 20 Gracechurch Street and City Point projects.
External shelters and compounds
Business parks and sites without a basement usually take a gated enclosure: the 20-40 security cycle enclosure fits within two car parking spaces; the timber-clad Premium Amazon Eco enclosure suits sites where planners want a softer finish. The Impregnable cycle shelter is the only cycle shelter with Sold Secure Gold. You can view our full range of cycle enclosures and compounds here.
Securing the store
Long-stay bicycle parking has to be secure and ideally covered, with stands that lock the frame and both wheels (LTN 1/20 11.2.4, 11.4.2). For an office with bike storage in a shared basement, put the store behind security mesh partitioning, on a step-free route near the entrance, with controlled access by keypad, mechanical digi lock or key. Where staff and the public share a store, partition a high-security section, as at 1 Triton Square (532 two-tier spaces behind anti-climb mesh). Secured by Design is an optional upgrade on our two-tier racks.
Aisle widths, stand spacing and product footprints are in the cycle parking dimensions and spacing guide.
End-of-trip facilities
Lockers, towel and airing stations and maintenance points can be found on our end of trip facilities page; shower and locker ratios are in how to design an end-of-trip facility. At Bow Bells House, 150 two-tier spaces sit beside 154 locker compartments and a steaming station.
Drawings, layouts and quotes
To quote a project as accurately as possible, we require:
- The floor plan or site photos
- A headcount or floor area
- The ceiling height
- The access route
Our free, no-obligation design service draws the layout, bespoke where needed, and we install. If you are fitting out an office with bike racks already installed, send photos of the existing store. DWG files and PDF specification sheets are in our downloads library; PDF layout drawings on request.
Workplaces and developments we have worked with
Below are examples of our commercial projects:
- 2 Ruskin Square, Croydon: 503 internal spaces for the Home Office building, 434 on gas-assisted two-tier racks, plus 21 visitor Sheffield stands, semi-vertical racks and 21 folding bike lockers.
- 30 Fenchurch Street: 193 spaces in the car park on two-tier, vertical and free-standing vertical racks and Sheffield stands, with a maintenance stand and twin wire mesh partitioning behind two access-controlled gates.
- Cambridge Science Park: an external 48-space store in a composite-clad Amazon Eco enclosure, on 24 two-tier racks with 50 x 50mm mesh lining and Digi-lock gates.
Frequently asked questions
Can an existing office bike store be upgraded without taking more floor space?
Yes. Replacing Sheffield stands with two-tier racks doubles capacity in the same footprint, provided the store has 2,500mm of headroom. At the McLaren Technology Centre, replacing the old office bike storage added more than 165% to its spaces.
How much space does a 100-space two-tier store need?
Roughly 9.4m by 6.3m, around 59m². Twenty-five frames per row at 375mm centres is about 9.4m of run, and two facing rows of 1,900mm-deep racks either side of a 2.5m loading aisle (Bicycle Association / Secured by Design standard 5.3.2) is 6.3m. Our design team draws cycle parking for offices from your plan.
