“Bike to Tower, please come”

If parking space is tight, the third dimension is useful. This also applies for a winner of the mobility revolution already uncontested now, the bicycle. The Swabian manufacturer WÖHR is already making its leading know-how on automated car parking systems available to two-wheelers. With a fully automated system, which is storing up to 122 bikes in dry, safe, and architecturally appealing environment in a tower structure on a footprint of only approx. 45 m².

Cycling is not only good for your health and lifts your spirits. It also helps to reduce emissions, resource consumption, and traffic congestion. A sustainable transport policy can only be successful if the bike, whether classic or electric, becomes an accepted player. Long-distance cycle routes, more cycle lanes in towns and the option to take bikes on public transport are important steps. However, if you want to promote cycling, you also have to create appropriate parking facilities. In particular, in metropolitan areas space-saving, secure, and convenient solutions with 24/7 availability are in demand.

Another argument for high-quality parking space: Bicycles are becoming increasingly more valuable. A premium bike is easily as expensive as a second-hand car! The demand for bicycle parking spaces at railway stations, universities, business parks and residential areas is increasing - and rightly so. Unfortunately, neither bike sheds nor lockable bike boxes meet all requirements: Many parking spaces in a small space usually mean narrow, unprotected sheds and cumbersome handling with ice-cold hands in the dark. Lockable bike boxes, on the other hand, block valuable common space. A WÖHR Bikesafe does it better! Here, the bike is handed over at a transfer area and then stored quickly, securely, and fully automatically in a multi-storey, self-contained tower. Safe from weather, thieves, and vandalism.

The quick availability of the bicycle is a deciding factor in parking concepts. With the WÖHR Bikesafe, the waiting time until a stored bicycle is handed over is just around 16 seconds. Storing the bike is also quick and straightforward: Owners simply push their bike onto a wheel track in the transfer area. There, sensors check whether it can be stored, based on weight and dimension. If this is given, a sliding door opens and the bike can be pushed in up to the inner stop. The storage is authorised as standard via an RFID chip in the possession of the cyclist. For public Bikesafes, WÖHR is offering alternative solutions for authorisation and payment, e.g. with a local mobility card, debit card, credit card, or smartphone. After authorisation, the bicycle is fully automatically drawn into the shelving system inside the tower and stored in a free shelf space - well protected from the weather and access by third parties.

“With this, we have developed an extremely fast and efficient parking system for bicycles”, explains Ferhan Niepelt, Head of Marketing & Sales Bikesafe at WÖHR. “Everything is operating automatically, quickly and safely. A central systems technology deals with all sequences to move the bikes during storage and retrieval. One transfer terminal per Bikesafe is usually sufficient. In those places, where there may be peak times, two transfer cabins are also possible".

The WÖHR Bikesafe is the standard version designed for bikes up to 30 kg in weight, with a handlebar width of 76 cm and bicycle height of 125 cm. Because there are more and more expansive e-bikes, and mountain bikes also are constantly growing in width, WÖHR now also offers a Bikesafe for bikes with a handlebar width of up to 83 cm - without any loss of capacity. The WÖHR Bikesafe is available in a tower version, a shaft version, and a tower-shaft mix version, where the parking spaces are partially underground. Apart from a standard facade made of aluminium strips, WÖHR is also offering a glass facade. And that is not all: Appealing facades made of wood or Corten steel are also an option, as are advertising panels or lit facades. Green facades to improve the urban microclimate are feasible if desired. These are often even supported by the federal, regional, or local authorities. In total, the permissible façade weight may not exceed 50 kg/m². Also good to know: A WÖHR Bikesafe can optionally be supplemented with lockers and charging points for pedelec batteries, which are integrated into the facade. Each WÖHR Bikesafe can be extended by roof porches with additional lighting. These are protecting against weather and also create a friendly atmosphere in the dark, where people like to spend time.

“The Bikesafe technology is functioning smoothly”, says Ferhan Niepelt with pride. “Our system is built to last. In the exhibition hall at WÖHR, one model of the Bikesafe has already undergone more than three million parking operations in endurance tests since April 2016. This corresponds to a theoretic operating life of over 40 years!” The message to public and private property developers is clear: The Bikesafe concept promises outstanding suitability for everyday use and thus high security of investment. An important argument if you are planning the future of urban traffic.