Creating bike storage for the condo HOA

[Katsplaying]

I moved to a condo 2 months ago and have already found an ally on the HOA board to pursue proper bike storage here on the property for those who don't have an outside storage unit (like me).

HOA rules are pretty awful for adding/changing anything in existing structures but there is a large, mostly empty building at the rear of the complex that would totally work. It is currently housing some random junk and the HOA prez told me there was lots of room. My thought was basically lockers big enough to roll a bike into, close the door, slap a padlock on it, and be done. Friend of mine suggested a pod-type unit that would store the bikes vertically, again with a door & padlock.

Having read some threads about bike theft, I see a real need to have the bikes totally secured so seats or wheels or whatever don't get cannibalized. This is a large complex (228 living units) with a wide variety of residents. I doubt they're all perfect little angels.

The rep from the management company that handles our contractors told me they'd helped another complex do this and it took 5 YEARS but they're finally ready to install. That HOA chose to utilize part of a basement laundry facility & use racks. I think that would not work as well for my complex. (read: I am too paranoid to leave my bike locked on a rack.)

So I am soliciting suggestions that abide by those few requirements. I haven't even considered security monitoring (we do have night patrols) or access issues but I am certain one of you brilliant Mustachians can get me headed the right direction.

Thanks in advance!

[jac941]

I don't have any real world advice or experience, but I'm interested in other responses.

You could look into a service like BikeLink -- not endorsing this one specifically, it's just the only one I'm familiar with. My experience with bureaucratic groups is that ongoing management is a bigger barrier than initial installation. So using a service that takes care of payment, maintenance, security, etc. may make it more likely to succeed / pass your HOA. It'll also result in a higher cost for you though.

Good luck!

[2300]

You're right to be cautious.  We had a bike stolen from storage and I recall reading after the fact that apt/condo storage areas are a very common place to have a bike stolen from.  We keep our bikes in our unit now...takes up more space, but I sleep better.  Now I just keep junk that I'm debating getting rid of anyways in storage so if it gets stolen then I don't have to worry about making that decision anymore (trying to declutter anyways).

[FiveSigmas]

You're right to be cautious.  We had a bike stolen from storage and I recall reading after the fact that apt/condo storage areas are a very common place to have a bike stolen from.  We keep our bikes in our unit now...takes up more space, but I sleep better.  Now I just keep junk that I'm debating getting rid of anyways in storage so if it gets stolen then I don't have to worry about making that decision anymore (trying to declutter anyways).

I'm curious if complexes that are predominantly owner-occupied have lower rates of theft than regular apartment buildings? I would like to think that folks that have an economic stake the in the community are less likely to steal stuff.

FWIW, I live in a large condo building (although a sizable minority of the owners actually rent out), and we have a (locked) community bike storage room. It offers a mix of standing and hanging racks and also cubby-style lockers for odds-and-ends. We did have one incident last year where bikes were stolen, but we're pretty sure it was an outside job. That said, I love having the room (especially since it provides a bit of space to do bike maintenance). I'm a bit paranoid about leaving my bike outdoors (certainly more so than Pete), but I'm totally comfortable with U-locking my bike in the bike room.

[frugaliknowit]

My only advise is make sure the bike storage areas have cameras.  My building had someone arrested for stealing a bike some time ago.

[mskyle]

Sort of the converse of bike theft - you will also need a policy for abandoned bikes... can people just leave their bikes in there to rot forever? Do they need to get some kind of sticker or register their bike in some way that allows you to trace the bike back to them? What about bikes that get forgotten when people move?

(This post brought to you by my recent visit to my city's annual abandoned bike sale...)

[Katsplaying]

I have gotten some rough numbers from several companies who make bike lockers and they are alarming. Poly lockers are lowest but still in the $2k range for a locker that holds 2 separate bikes and the metal ones-woowee!

I am continuing to solicit advice and experiences. The camera idea is great and we already have night-time security patrols.

Thanks all!

[jac941]

Yikes! That is expensive.

We live in a high bike theft area - there are people who are career bike theives here and know quality components when they see them. These theives will cut through the bike frame for the components. So a real problem.

At work we have a bike room / building with bike racks that requires badge access -- this type of access makes it possible to know what individuals access the room when. Inside people lock their bikes and there is a security camera. This has been sufficient to deter theft at that location. Might be cheaper than the bike lockers. We're also getting Bike Link using a county incentive - so free to the company and the user pays $0.05 / hour. My husbands office has privately owned bike lockers to rent for $15 / month and people are happy to pay that too.

Surely your HOA has spent money on less useful stuff? If people are willing to kick in a monthly rental fee the HOA might be willing to absorb the initial cost.