It is no surprise that I love the Bike Corral. They are such an interesting piece of street furniture, and so functional. It is just amazing we don't see more of them yet. They are functional, on street parking for many bikes that are usaully in the place of one ex-car spot.
There is one in Yarraville, in Melbourne. It is a twisting pipe of steel tube with a number of right angled bends to form a Corral snake of gray and silver. For the most part, these can look interesting but - lets face it - ugly.
When you look on Google maps at Jave Cafe in Yarraville, you would be asking why? Why put that there when no one is using it?
But a look around the net shows it does get used:
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My favorite Bike Corral was at Fifeteen Pounds. Again, just twisted metal, and yet so useful.
Here we are sitting outside n a Saturday morning, in Autumn, taking in the rays before it started to rain again.
Hard to believe that this next photo was taken by John (the owner) during Melbournes winter. How many bikes are there in total?
A normal week day only means the bikes are more organised, but still, if this was car, it could have as few as one person in it.
The sad thing about this corral, is it is but a memory, as the council have removed it because of a turf war between all the neighbours.
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But the Corral doesn't have to look like twisted metal, and all over the world we are seeing some amazing designs coming through, so let me leave you with tis thought...
As fuel becomes more expensive, and the cost of living rises. How will you enjoy your weekend? how will you get yourself and your family out of the house for some fun and enjoyment?
How far you used to go by car is no longer an issue, it is all about finding all the new things closer to home. And there is no better way to do that than from the bike saddle.
