Tesco unicycle stands

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stork
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Tesco unicycle stands

Post by stork »

Spotted these Sheffield stands outside a local Tesco shop -- it's one of those petrol station ones. I've seen some lads riding unicycles nearby, and its heartening to see a big supermarket company like this catering specifically for non-standard cycles rather than just conforming to some arbitrary 'standard' for the length of a parking space.
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Psamathe
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by Psamathe »

My local Tesco has the same style stands; and not a unicycle in sight.

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gaz
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by gaz »

Installed under the "Build it and they will come" principle? :wink:
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profpointy
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by profpointy »

stork wrote:Spotted these Sheffield stands outside a local Tesco shop -- it's one of those petrol station ones. I've seen some lads riding unicycles nearby, and its heartening to see a big supermarket company like this catering specifically for non-standard cycles rather than just conforming to some arbitrary 'standard' for the length of a parking space.


I'm missing something -so long as you can get the bike between the stands, and chain it up, what's the beef exactly?
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661-Pete
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by 661-Pete »

Shopping by unicycle? Now there's a thought. It's impressive, the loads that some unicyclists can manage:
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Elizabethsdad
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by Elizabethsdad »

Our local main branch of Tesco has a set of three Oxford stands. Quite often when I roll up they are full or nearly full and I end up locking my bike to the fence of the nearby trolley parking bay. Now I have the Bakfiets long John I don't think I can put it anywhere else. The stands are also helpfully sited right out side the fire exits - meaning you can rescue your precious steed from the ensuing inferno on your way out ;-)
stork
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by stork »

profpointy wrote:I'm missing something -so long as you can get the bike between the stands, and chain it up, what's the beef exactly?


The point is that, for most people, the stand supports the bike. If the stands are too close to the wall, then they will not support the bike properly and the bike will be likely to fall over. All the guidance for installing Sheffield stands makes this clear, requiring a minimum distance between the wall and the stand. Different standards specify different distances, but I'm not aware of any which recommend anything less than 50cm when the stand is at right angles to the wall.

There are a couple of examples of the inadequacy of this arrangement on page 3 of the following document:

http://www.gmcc.org.uk/wp-content/uploa ... afford.pdf

Is it just a coincidence that the same supermarket is implicated in those ones too? I visited another Tesco in my area today, and again the stands were up against the wall. Luckily the trolley park provides an unintentional Sheffield-style stand which is far more useful.
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by mjr »

Is that Tesco Wootton Road (petrol station) and Reffley Lane?

Tesco do seem to be a repeat offender. The new fancy-looking bike racks at Hardwick, King's Lynn, are |\-shaped and too short to support bikes, but would be good for unicycles. Happily there are some n-shape racks too, plus the trolley park edges.

For completeness: Sainsburys, Morrisons and Aldi seem quite good; Waitrose about the same mix as Tesco; The Co-ops (East of England and Central England), Asda and Lidl still use wheel-benders AFAIK; I think M+S and Spar blindly accept whatever the landlords provide (or don't).
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Psamathe
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by Psamathe »

mjr wrote:Is that Tesco Wootton Road (petrol station) and Reffley Lane?

Tesco do seem to be a repeat offender. The new fancy-looking bike racks at Hardwick, King's Lynn, are |\-shaped and too short to support bikes, but would be good for unicycles. Happily there are some n-shape racks too, plus the trolley park edges.

For completeness: Sainsburys, Morrisons and Aldi seem quite good; Waitrose about the same mix as Tesco; The Co-ops (East of England and Central England), Asda and Lidl still use wheel-benders AFAIK; I think M+S and Spar blindly accept whatever the landlords provide (or don't).

Yes, too short (my local Tesco has them as well). Would work better if installed the other way round (higher end away from the wall) and further out from the wall. I can't see the advantage of the "Tesco stand" over the more traditional style.

Waitrose is a disaster (or at least some stores are, others are OK). One of my local Waitrose stores has a poor imitation of traditional stand but made with scaffold tube requiring only an allen key and a few seconds to dismantle - and hidden away from view from the store as well. But as they are invariably full and bikes locked to the various trolley things around the place ... they also have a few "wheel benders" bolted to a wall, but not surprisingly nobody ever uses them.

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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by bikerwaser »

it's better than my Lidl's with no cycle stands at all. i've emailed them 3 times and make a point of speaking to the store manager on every visit.
the same site has a car park larger than the actual building which ,based on the cost of land where i live , should make it more expensive for them to put 10 car parking spaces there then 10 cycle stands.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Just walk the bike round the store - makes it easy not to overload the panniers as well...
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simonineaston
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by simonineaston »

bikerwaser wrote:it's better than my Lidl's with no cycle stands at all. i've emailed them 3 times and make a point of speaking to the store manager on every visit.
the same site has a car park larger than the actual building which ,based on the cost of land where i live , should make it more expensive for them to put 10 car parking spaces there then 10 cycle stands.

Must be a local thing - the Lidl's in Cowley (Oxford) has roomy covered bike storage...
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niggle
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by niggle »

mjr wrote:Tesco do seem to be a repeat offender. The new fancy-looking bike racks at Hardwick, King's Lynn, are |\-shaped and too short to support bikes, but would be good for unicycles.

Same shape racks at Tesco Extra in Pool, Cornwall, backed tight against the building. What is good though is that they are right up against the floor to ceiling window of the cafe so your bike is in clear view of all the cafe patrons.

Aldi in Truro have their racks miles away from the entrance as do Sainsbury but at least those are plentiful and covered.
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by PRL »

Psamathe wrote:
mjr wrote:Tesco do seem to be a repeat offender. The new fancy-looking bike racks at Hardwick, King's Lynn, are |\-shaped and too short to support bikes, but would be good for unicycles. Happily there are some n-shape racks too, plus the trolley park edges.
.

Would work better if installed the other way round (higher end away from the wall) and further out from the wall. I can't see the advantage of the "Tesco stand" over the more traditional style.
Ian


I have wondered about a midnight visit to the Tesco in Teddington - same daft shape - and turning the stands round. I can only imagine that someone "thinks" that they look less in the way like that :?
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Re: Tesco unicycle stands

Post by PRL »

Aldi in Feltham have about a dozen proper Sheffield stands at an angle to the wall so there is space for your front wheel. If one supermarket can get it right ....
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