We sat down with Alex Gent to find out how Bellsure turns cycle parking ideas into layouts that actually work on site.
Alex: I’m the Computer Aided Design Manager – part of a team that’s responsible for turning briefs into workable drawings and models. On the 3D side I’m working on things like sheet metal parts, frames, weldments, assemblies and mesh panels. On the 2D side I’m planning out cycle stores – things like where the racks go, how shelters fit, or whether door widths and aisles work in practice.
Alex: At one end of the spectrum we’ll have architects approaching us very early, sometimes before the scheme designs have been submitted – and at the other end, we might get the call when the main contractor is live on site and there’s a problem.
Alex: There’s sometimes an assumption that cycle storage is an easy package – and it can be, if the store works. When it doesn’t, we do a lot of work to make it fit. A classic example is overhead services like ducts and cabling that didn’t appear in the drawings – then our installers will be calling from the site saying, “there’s a duct here we didn’t know about”, and we’ll need to quickly redesign the store around it so the scheme still works.
Alex: We take the architect’s plan and make sure the layout works for our products and the people using the space. So that’s the right mix of stand and racks, with the right aisle widths and clearances and making sure the space is accessible – all in line with the standards they need to meet.
And then we’re creating the actual drawings and models that everyone else uses – so that’s 2D plans in AutoCAD, 3D models in Inventor, and BIM-ready content in Revit where needed. We supply CAD blocks and spec sheets so architects can plan their early layouts more accurately. The more we can give them up front, the more likely it is that the store they’ve sketched will work in reality when it gets to us.
Alex: It varies. Architects will usually come to us early for guidance – they’ll be thinking about compliance, capacity and how the store ties in with their overall scheme. We also do a lot of work with technical coordinators and design managers on the contractor side, helping them to solve very practical problems quickly, so the programme doesn’t slip.
But the common thread is that they need us to translate numbers and standards into a layout that works on site, not just on paper.
Alex: Ideally, we’ll get a DWG drawing of the store, but sometimes it’s a PDF or another editable file format. We’ll also get information on the planning context. For example, we might be told that the scheme needs to comply with a specific council’s cycle parking requirements, or with London Cycle Design Standards.
Sometimes we’ll also get a spreadsheet showing how many spaces are required per block, or a marked-up plan with different stores highlighted for different parts of the development. All of that helps us make sure each layout delivers what’s needed for that specific building.
Alex: Most of the time, it’s a PDF drawing of the store in plan view, showing the room outline and surrounding context, rack types and positions, aisle widths and clearances, and quantities by rack type and store. Essentially it gives something concrete for the client to approve – the layout, the colour, the number of spaces. It’s a big part of how we avoid confusion later.
On simpler jobs, we can turn a layout around in a day. Others involve a lot more back-and-forth, 3D modelling and discussion. It really depends on the complexity.
Alex: Changes happen, but we always find solutions. We recently planned two-tier racks for a store, but when we surveyed the site, it turned out all the overhead services were below our 2.4m minimum – which meant two-tier was a non-starter.
We redesigned the store with semi-vertical racks instead, not ideal but far better than installing something that simply wouldn’t work. Our client could then have a sensible conversation with their planning officer backed up by a clear drawing of the revised, workable layout.
Alex: If we’re not working to a named standard, we always work to our own tried and tested minimums. For example, from years and years of experience, we know that ideally you need 2.6m clear height over a two-tier system to cater for tall bikes, and that 2.4m is the absolute minimum workable height. Below that height, two-tier racks are not an option.
Alex: We’ve got the experience to look at a drawing and understand whether the product will work in the planned configuration. Will it actually fit? At the end of the day, because we design, supply and also install cycle parking systems, we’re fully invested in making sure the layout we agree is one that can be built and used effectively.
Alex: I’d say think about a real bike being wheeled through the door, turning in the space and being loaded onto the rack – then taken down again and wheeled back out.
Think about handlebars and saddle height. Taller people have taller bikes – it sounds obvious but it’s important to remember! If you visualise the bike rather than just the spacing on a drawing, you’re much more likely to end up with a store that people can actually use in practice.
And it’s worth saying we’re always happy to get involved early. The more we can help shape the store up front, the less stress there is when the building is close to handover.
If you want to be sure your cycle storage will work in practice, share your plans with us today.
If you’re planning a new scheme, send us your drawings and let us do the rest. Our in-house CAD team will sense-check the space, optimise the layout and make sure it works for real bikes, real people and real site conditions.
