Boulderspace

Given Boulder residents’ dedication to alternative transportation and the gorgeous weather we receive, it’s no surprise that cycling is so popular on the Front Range. In true dedication to its citizens’ passion, the Boulder City Government wants to step up their efforts and work with Boulderspace for bike commuting with better bike parking. As the City is working to provide locations to showcase the bike rack designs, the question becomes how should we facilitate a rack design and its allocation to our city streets?

The Bike Rack Design Competition is a great step that will foster a sense of belonging by taking into consideration the thoughts and ideas of our local community. The next consideration in our two wheeled cause is look at what we have done already. There are rare instances in our lifetimes when history does not hold the lessons of tomorrow and one of the principles of design, is has it been done before? Run a quick patent search on Google Patents and you’ll likely see that a variation of your design idea already exists. With that in mind, consider the following things as you begin creating the next Boulder Bike Rack:

• ONE] Think about a couple of things you don’t like about the places you currently lock your bike; either on the street, at school, or in the park. What didn’t work?
• TWO] Be as creative as possible as you sketch shapes, sizes, space, and materials. The sky is the limit here. Do this early so you can be unencumbered by any practical restraints.
• THREE] After you’ve got a few pages of drawings its time to be practical about your design. How many bikes will it hold? How easily will it be to lock your bike up to that rack? How does it attach to the ground?
• FOUR] Run through your designs and pick out your favorites, clean them up, and put them in an easily presentable form. Then submit!

The more entries that are submitted the better, so grab a pencil, pen, or crayon and set to putting your ideas to paper!

Tags: Bike Rack Design Competition, Boulder City Government