With the great restaurants, brewery, and almost nightly entertainment downtown, bicycle parking is in high demand along Curry Street. It’s not uncommon to see bikes locked to lamp posts, trash cans, and anything else solid people can find. To help alleviate the bike parking problem, Muscle Powered has installed a bike rack at Curry and Proctor Streets.

Muscle Powered Rack at Curry and Proctor Streets
Shawne Martinez prepares to install the bike rack

This rack had been previously installed on the other side of town, but sadly, the restaurant went out of business. Shawne Martinez lent Muscle Powered his expertise, and got the rack relocated for us.  This rack will accommodate at least a couple bikes on each side, while still leaving plenty of room for sidewalk users.

Muscle Powered Rack at Curry and Proctor Streets
Rack installed and ready for use

Muscle Powered has had requests for more bike racks around town, but all of the Muscle Powered racks are now in use. These racks were made locally several years ago, but due to their design, were quite expensive. There are similar designs available from national vendors that even have the option to include a company logo. But while the cost of the racks may be cheaper, shipping charges would drive the costs back up.

Muscle Powered
New bike rack throws a great evening shadow

One option may be to change the design of the racks, so that they can be made locally for cheaper. Another benefit of this option would be that we could better match a rack with it’s planned location and expected capacity. A simple inverted U-shaped rack may be all that is needed at some locations, while a rack that locks six bikes may work better somewhere else. Whatever decision is made, the racks would be modern, both in design and proper placement. The old style racks placed up against a wall that only hold a front wheel just aren’t adequate in most situations.
What do you think? What’s most important to you? Is there a rack shape that works best for you? Is style important, or would you just like to see more racks regardless of the design? Where in Carson City would you like to see a bike rack?