Building Cycling Into the Future

Table of Contents:

• Why Secure Bike Storage is Essential Infrastructure
• Case Study
• Why Secure Bike Storage Matters
• Bike Theft Impact
• Planning, Policy and the Push for Active Travel
• Designing for Security and Inclusion

Why Secure Bike Storage is Essential Infrastructure

As cities and communities work to reduce carbon emissions, ease congestion and promote healthier lifestyles, cycling is increasingly seen as part of the solution. Active travel strategies are now common in planning frameworks, with national and local policy aligning to make cycling safer, more accessible and more appealing.

Cycle lanes and route planning often take centre stage with secure storage solutions left as an afterthought. While policy frameworks increasingly recognise its importance, practical delivery on the ground continues to fall short, particularly in housing developments and retrofitted sites. Without somewhere safe and accessible to store bikes, huge barriers to cycling remain. Secure cycle parking must be recognised as central to the long-term success of any development.

Case Study

At Dominic Court, a residential block in Dulwich, South East London, residents had been securing their bikes to railings outside the property. Insecure and inconvenient, this model created clutter and detracted from the visual appearance of the site.

Working with In House Refurbishment, urbanspec delivered a simple and effective upgrade with eight L-Series Bike Lockers installed in the property’s rear car park. Designed for discreet residential use, these units offer an integrated wheel channel to keep bikes upright and easy to load. Each locker provides secure, individually lockable storage, constructed from robust steel and fitted with latch and Euro cylinder locks, offering strong resistance to tampering and forced entry. The lockers reduce visual impact while giving residents convenient, private access to their bikes; a meaningful upgrade.

Why Secure Bike Storage Matters

Fear of theft remains one of the biggest deterrents to cycling:

• A Savanta study found that 1 in 6 Londoners who do not cycle regularly, cite the risk of bike theft as a barrier, underlining how significant the concern is in urban areas. 
•  ‘Bike Theft Statistics in the UK (2024)’ reported that in England and Wales, 77,148 bikes were reported stolen. That’s one roughly every seven minutes. 
• Surveys indicate that 56 to 71% of thefts go unreported, so the true figure is likely at least double the reported number of bike thefts. 
• Of reported cases, 90% were closed with no suspect and only 1.7% led to a charge; just 11 to 20% of victims were reunited with their bike. 
• Nearly half of thefts happen at or near the home, underlining the need for secure residential storage. 

Bike Theft Impact

The behavioural impact of bike theft in these numbers is striking: two-thirds of bike theft victims cycle less after the incident and a quarter of victims stop cycling altogether.

Theft also erodes trust in the system. A YouGov poll revealed that 77% of UK respondents believe the police would not investigate bike theft properly. Without confidence that their bike will be safe, many people will not ride at all. This is even more pertinent following the recent announcement made by the British Transport Police, which informed the public that most bike thefts from stations would no longer be actively investigated if the bike had been left for more than two hours or was valued under £200, prompting widespread concern about deterrence and fairness.

Research from the University of Oxford’s Transport Studies Unit reinforces concerns around trust and safety. Dr Zakiyya Adam highlights that cycling policy often assumes individuals already own a bike, feel confident riding it and have somewhere secure to store it, assumptions that exclude many, particularly those from lower-income households. 

Secure storage is, therefore, an essential step in making cycling viable and inclusive.

Planning, Policy and the Push for Active Travel

Although cycle parking has not always received the same attention as route planning, its importance is increasingly being recognised within planning and sustainability frameworks:

• The Department for Transport’s LTN 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance states that cycle parking must be “convenient, well-located, secure and easy to use”. 
• In London, the London Cycle Design Standards (LCDS) require all new developments to provide high-quality, long-stay and short-stay cycle parking that meets strict criteria on security, access and usability.
• Environmental rating schemes such as BREEAM also reward developments that encourage active travel through well-specified storage, facilities and infrastructure.

Designing for Security and Inclusion

Removing barriers to cycling means recognising the wide range of needs that riders bring. Secure storage is a fundamental part of making cycling viable for everyone, particularly those without garages, sheds or the financial means to replace a stolen bike. Good infrastructure must also work for non-standard and adaptive cycles, cargo bikes and users with limited mobility. The Wheels for Wellbeing Guide to Inclusive Cycling stresses that storage must be designed with these requirements in mind, ensuring access for all abilities.

Security standards also play a vital role in delivering confidence and reliability. urbanspec products are tested and certified by Sold Secure, administered by the Master Locksmiths Association and meet the Police Preferred Specification under the Secured by Design (SBD) initiative. Products achieving Sold Secure Bronze, Silver or Gold ratings are rigorously tested against tool-based attack times, with higher gradings providing greater protection against forced entry. Maintaining these standards requires ongoing re-testing and annual inspection by a UKAS-accredited body to ensure quality and performance.

Secure storage is equally important at the other end of the journey. Cycle hubs and dedicated parking facilities at stations, workplaces and transport interchanges give riders increased confidence that their bikes will remain safe while they travel, providing the infrastructure is sufficient. Controlled access and clear sightlines create a strong first line of defence and remain desirable qualities in cycle storage options.

At Dominic Court, the use of individual bike lockers with ground-level access and easy-reach locking demonstrates how secure cycle storage can meet these wider needs. For housing providers and developers aiming to deliver equity, safety and sustainability goals, inclusive storage is a necessary part of active travel infrastructure.

You can find out more about urbanspec’s full range of cycle storage solutions here.