"New" Waterloo cycle parking

[SaTTaN]

Does anyone use the new-ish cycle parking at Waterloo that this article discusses?

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/4576

Wondering if there is capacity in the morning or if it's crime-central, seems a bit too good to be true?

I am working on a contract with a couple of days in Winnersh so thinking I may cycle to Waterloo from home (Orpington) and then just get on the SW trains jalopy down to the office and get changed/showered there.

It looks like I can't take bike on SW trains in the morning but my client's office is next to the station anyway so not worried about that.

This is all part of my post-L2B fitness re-engineering plan, I commuted into central London a couple of days a week last year and it worked well (22 miles each way) waterloo is about 15 miles door-door on my bike.

Thanks

[Kermit power]

I would imagine it's only as secure as your lock, but it's generally absolutely rammed with bikes any time I go past, which would, I assume, suggest that most people are comfortable that their bike isn't going to get nicked.

[anonymous-user]

Regardless of the facilities, make sure the bike is fully insured. It will get stolen at some point if left in London (3 in 10 years here, always fully locked etc etc).

[louiebaby]

For a more secure solution, look at "On Your Bike" at London Bridge. Not used them myself, but have seen people letting themselves in with a key card when dropping off wheels at their service centre...

[BMWBen]

Jimboka said:

Regardless of the facilities, make sure the bike is fully insured. It will get stolen at some point if left in London (3 in 10 years here, always fully locked etc etc).

Jimboka speaks the truth. However, check you insurance terms for things like "abandonment", which on my policy is leaving it anywhere public for more than 12 hours...

[SaTTaN]

Thanks all - will check it out, my plan is to do it on my older hybrid rather than my shiny black+white road-bike so hopefully it will be low-key and less heartbreaking if it does go missing - will only be there from say 7.30am - 5pm so will see how I get on + report back

Going to try and find a good chain type lock and steel wire thing tomorrow and try it out on Thursday, will prob do it once or twice a week until I build up again.

from a quick look at the map it seems to be by the main entrance and have cctv etc. but I'm sure that's of little consequence - hopefully mine will look less theft-worthy than the rest in the racks

[BMWBen]

SaTTaN said:

Thanks all - will check it out, my plan is to do it on my older hybrid rather than my shiny black+white road-bike so hopefully it will be low-key and less heartbreaking if it does go missing - will only be there from say 7.30am - 5pm so will see how I get on + report back

Going to try and find a good chain type lock and steel wire thing tomorrow and try it out on Thursday, will prob do it once or twice a week until I build up again.

from a quick look at the map it seems to be by the main entrance and have cctv etc. but I'm sure that's of little consequence - hopefully mine will look less theft-worthy than the rest in the racks

If you're able to leave the lock there, then get one of these:
http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=onguard...

As you can see... it's pretty tough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ArSWkXW4kc

Takes an angle grinder to cut it.

[SaTTaN]

Just a quick update, have done this twice now and it's working out quite well - the racks are very busy when I get there about 7-7.30 but I assume that's as most people do it the other way round, i.e leave their bikes there overnight rather than just during the day so it would be emptier after 9am

There was some poor unfortunate with the 1000-yard stare this morning who had lost his bike over the weekend dunno how well he had it locked or what it was.

Racks themselves are pretty good - although they could do with the same number again and moving the smokers on, you could get a 20 a day habbit just locking your bike up.

Also not sure why they have a chain over the end of each row as it stops you cycling into the rack where you want to park your bike, weird.

I went for an Abus chain lock and a steel-wire loop affair in the end - it's damned heavy but hopefully it will do the job, although I'm realistic - twice a week, 500 bikes, 9-5 office hours only hopefully the statistics will be on my side (fingers crossed)