Hot take: I used to think bike valet services were just a gimmick

I was at the farmers market in Santa Monica last weekend. They had a free bike valet. I watched them work for about 20 minutes. They used a simple two-sided rack and zip-tied claim tags to every seat post. Not a single bike was just leaned against a pole. It clicked for me. That's real public service, preventing theft and damage. How many shops here have helped set up something like that for an event?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.jessica1mo ago

Wait, they used zip ties? That's actually genius. I would have assumed they needed some fancy lock system or something.

sarahsullivan2mo ago

Ever wonder why more places don't do this? It seems so simple but makes a huge difference. I've passed on biking to busy spots just because I didn't want to deal with locking up and worrying. Having a safe spot changes everything. More events should offer this.

nathanbennett2mo ago

Right? I've done the same thing, @sarahsullivan. There's a weekly market I'd love to bike to, but the thought of finding a signpost to lock to just stops me. A simple bike corral would fix it.