A bicycle tree or ''cycle tree'' or ''bike tree'' is a
bicycle parking
Bicycle parking typically requires a degree of security to prevent theft. The context for bike parking requires proper infrastructure and equipment ( bike racks, bicycle locks etc.) for secure and convenient storage. Parking facilities include l ...
system that resembles a tree in shape. There are a few types that have been developed.
Some are manual, some use mechanical means to move the bike, assisting the bike by raising into a particular spot, they can handle between 5–20 bicycles depending on size. They are made by various companies in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. Still others, like the one made by JFE Steel of
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, are fully automated and computerized and can handle and locate some 9,400 bicycles for example, underneath a major train station or university.
Manual
Various companies have developed simple bike trees, including ones for sale at a hardware store, such as Harbor Freight Tools, that have hooks to hang 5 bicycles.
Mechanical assisted
A Swiss company, Bike Tree International, designed a system whereby a bicycle can be hoisted into a tree-shaped device after lifting the front of the bike and connecting the wheel to a hook by rope. There were plans to deploy this machine in
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
. It can handle one or two dozen bicycles.
Automated storage and retrieval system
A similar but much larger device, an
automated storage and retrieval system
An automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS or AS/RS) consists of a variety of computer-controlled systems for automatically placing and retrieving loads from defined storage locations. Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are ty ...
, has been developed by JFE Engineering, a unit of
JFE Holdings
is a corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It was formed in 2002 by the merger of and and owns JFE Steel, JFE Engineering and Japan Marine United. JFE is from Japan, Fe (the chemical element symbol of iron) and Engineering. In 2020, it ...
of Japan. The first bike tree of this type became available for public use in 2006, storing 1,476 bicycles using an
integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or "chip") of semiconductor material, usually silicon. Large numbers of tiny ...
based tag system, cleanly stored away above ground in an urban office-like building.
Mechanical units have been expanded to hold some 6,480 bicycles, for which retrieval time is 23 seconds,
such as in this 15 meter deep underground storage facility. Various municipalities in the
Greater Tokyo
The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...
area run the system or are planning to install them, charging 1800 yen per month for storage or a one time fee of 100 yen. As of February 2013, some 85 systems of this manufacturer and type in use can hold 17,323 bicycles, all in Japan.
See also
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Bicycle locker
A bicycle locker or bike box is a locker or box in which up to 2 bicycles can be placed and locked. They are usually provided at places where numerous cyclists need bike parking for extended times (such as during the working day), yet where t ...
*
Bicycle stand
A bicycle parking rack, usually shortened to bike rack and also called a bicycle stand, is a device to which bicycles can be securely attached for Bicycle parking, parking purposes. A bike rack may be free standing or it may be securely attache ...
References
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Bicycle parking
Machines