NYC - New Bike Rack design finalists
EDIT: After seeing the racks in person, I've posted my revised thoughts on the finalists and have updated my top 3 picks. Follow this link to read my updates.
The 10 finalists in NYC's CityRacks bike rack design competition are on view at Astor Place. I haven't had a chance to see them in person yet, but as an artist and a cyclist I figure I'm qualified to offer my $0.02 on the designs.
Below is an image of each rack, followed by my commentary. Be sure to check out the excerpts from the designers' original submissions on the CityRack design website.
Andrew Lang and Harry Dobbs
This is my favorite of the 10 finalists. I think the standard inverted "U" rack is already a pretty good design, and this basically improved upon it with 2 important features:
First, although it can still only accommodate two bikes at a time, it is wider than the inverted "U" so that any type of bike can be locked in a variety of places. This also allows for easily securing the frame and the wheels and prevents the bike from falling over while locked up.
Second, the rack is designed from rectangular triangular tubing which forms a closed loop instead of open ended pipe. This makes the rack more resistant to being broken and if it were somehow knocked out of the ground, the bike still could not be removed because of the closed loop.
Also, it's a nice touch that it can be powder-coated in a variety of colors and inserted into the I *heart* NY logo.
Baroni Valeriani architetti
This rack sucks so bad that the cyclist preferred to lock up to a sign post. If you lock up to this rack, you can expect to come back only to find everything gone but your wheel, since it's not tall enough to lock up the frame. Pedestrians will probably trip over this thing also.
Ian Mahaffy and Maarten De Greeve
Functionally, this is not bad. The horizontal cross bar prevents your lock from sliding down to the ground where it is more vulnerable to attack. However, the single point of contact with the ground looks weak. Also, it doesn't really look like it fits in with NYC street furniture -- too sleek and round. Perhaps a different color or patina would help. I like this brown, rusty look better.
Federico Otero
This rack looks like it could do the job. And you could probably squeeze 3 bikes on this rack, unlike the others so far, which can only handle 2 bikes. My only complaint would be the round tubing could be vulnerable to pipe cutters, but this design wouldn't look as good made from a rectangular bar. Maybe it's a bit too boring?
Francis Anthony Bitonti (FADarch)
WTF is this crap? Is that a bike rack or a model for some generic public sculpture? Besides being ugly, it looks like it could be difficult or impossible to use a U-lock with this rack. Also, apparently this particular rack is no longer on display -- according to a comment I read on Gothamist, that's because it was made out of some sort of foam and it broke. Booo!
Ignacio Ciocchini
This rack looks like it belongs on a NYC street. Something about the green paint and the bare metal reminds me of the scaffolding structures that are constantly set up over the sidewalks. But it's much better to lock your bike to this than to scaffolding. I like it -- thumbs up.
Jeff Miller & Andrea Ruggiero
This rack appears to be made out of plastic. PLASTIC. I don't care what it looks like or how "high-density polypro" they claim it is, I'm not locking my bike up to a plastic rack.
CORRECTION: Apparently I was wrong. This rack is cast iron, not plastic. The green part is plastic, attached to the iron rack. I'm still not a big fan of the design, but this makes it MUCH better than I originally thought, and now my primary objection is aesthetics. It looks too much like those free newspaper dispensers cluttering the sidewalk.
Also, the version of this rack in the original proposal has space for advertising, and we don't need any more damn advertisments.
Next Phase Studios
This rack is made of a thick, flexible, metal cable. Not as bad as plastic, I suppose, but WHY? Next...
Stephan Jaklitsch Architects PC
This is an OK design, but really not that exciting visually. There might be some trouble with getting a U-lock around the thicker sections of the lower portion of the rack. Once again, I like the green color (seems appropriate for NYC), but I like that this design allows for different colors and bare aluminum.
Open Thread Design
Besides the Andrew Lang/Harry Dobbs design which I already stated was my favorite, this is the only other rack that I'm strongly in favor of. In addition to the sturdy rectangular barstock, the main advantage of this rack is that it can easily accommodate 4 bikes, more than any of the other racks in the competition. 
That's probably also it's biggest disadvantage -- this rack takes up way too much space to be used throughout the city. But that may not be such a big problem, since the Open Thread Design team also came up with a 2 bike version that can also function as sign post.
Maybe we can have 2 winners?
The 10 finalists in NYC's CityRacks bike rack design competition are on view at Astor Place. I haven't had a chance to see them in person yet, but as an artist and a cyclist I figure I'm qualified to offer my $0.02 on the designs.
Below is an image of each rack, followed by my commentary. Be sure to check out the excerpts from the designers' original submissions on the CityRack design website.
Andrew Lang and Harry Dobbs
This is my favorite of the 10 finalists. I think the standard inverted "U" rack is already a pretty good design, and this basically improved upon it with 2 important features:First, although it can still only accommodate two bikes at a time, it is wider than the inverted "U" so that any type of bike can be locked in a variety of places. This also allows for easily securing the frame and the wheels and prevents the bike from falling over while locked up.
Second, the rack is designed from Also, it's a nice touch that it can be powder-coated in a variety of colors and inserted into the I *heart* NY logo.
Baroni Valeriani architetti
This rack sucks so bad that the cyclist preferred to lock up to a sign post. If you lock up to this rack, you can expect to come back only to find everything gone but your wheel, since it's not tall enough to lock up the frame. Pedestrians will probably trip over this thing also.Ian Mahaffy and Maarten De Greeve
Functionally, this is not bad. The horizontal cross bar prevents your lock from sliding down to the ground where it is more vulnerable to attack. However, the single point of contact with the ground looks weak. Also, it doesn't really look like it fits in with NYC street furniture -- too sleek and round. Perhaps a different color or patina would help. I like this brown, rusty look better.Federico Otero
This rack looks like it could do the job. And you could probably squeeze 3 bikes on this rack, unlike the others so far, which can only handle 2 bikes. My only complaint would be the round tubing could be vulnerable to pipe cutters, but this design wouldn't look as good made from a rectangular bar. Maybe it's a bit too boring?Francis Anthony Bitonti (FADarch)
WTF is this crap? Is that a bike rack or a model for some generic public sculpture? Besides being ugly, it looks like it could be difficult or impossible to use a U-lock with this rack. Also, apparently this particular rack is no longer on display -- according to a comment I read on Gothamist, that's because it was made out of some sort of foam and it broke. Booo!Ignacio Ciocchini
This rack looks like it belongs on a NYC street. Something about the green paint and the bare metal reminds me of the scaffolding structures that are constantly set up over the sidewalks. But it's much better to lock your bike to this than to scaffolding. I like it -- thumbs up.Jeff Miller & Andrea Ruggiero
This rack appears to be made out of plastic. PLASTIC. I don't care what it looks like or how "high-density polypro" they claim it is, I'm not locking my bike up to a plastic rack. CORRECTION: Apparently I was wrong. This rack is cast iron, not plastic. The green part is plastic, attached to the iron rack. I'm still not a big fan of the design, but this makes it MUCH better than I originally thought, and now my primary objection is aesthetics. It looks too much like those free newspaper dispensers cluttering the sidewalk.
Also, the version of this rack in the original proposal has space for advertising, and we don't need any more damn advertisments.
Next Phase Studios
This rack is made of a thick, flexible, metal cable. Not as bad as plastic, I suppose, but WHY? Next...Stephan Jaklitsch Architects PC
This is an OK design, but really not that exciting visually. There might be some trouble with getting a U-lock around the thicker sections of the lower portion of the rack. Once again, I like the green color (seems appropriate for NYC), but I like that this design allows for different colors and bare aluminum.Open Thread Design
Besides the Andrew Lang/Harry Dobbs design which I already stated was my favorite, this is the only other rack that I'm strongly in favor of. In addition to the sturdy rectangular barstock, the main advantage of this rack is that it can easily accommodate 4 bikes, more than any of the other racks in the competition. 
That's probably also it's biggest disadvantage -- this rack takes up way too much space to be used throughout the city. But that may not be such a big problem, since the Open Thread Design team also came up with a 2 bike version that can also function as sign post.Maybe we can have 2 winners?
Labels: bicycle, bike racks, design, New York City
posted by Mike at
2:14 PM
15 Comments:
The Miller/Ruggiero one is made out of cast iron, it just has a plastic rim for aesthetic effect.
Ah...ok. The proposal did say it was a cast piece, but because of the way the proposal was worded, I thought they were casting plastic. I corrected the entry.
The Y rack is nice, but the diamond-shaped rack by miller and ruggiero (which is indestructible as it is made of ductile cast iron) has a plastic rim which actually keeps your bike from getting scratched -- NOT just for the aesthetics. The red blob thing is whatever it is...
Is there a build of the Open Thread signpost rack? I'm sure you researched it, but I'd definitely like to see it. Lang/Dobbs is definitely my favorite, too - especially in that yellow.
The Y rack is made out of triangular tubing not rectangular. The design is perfect for skateboarders and bikers to jump on it and slide on the top, I don't think the nice color will last very long. I prefer the ring type bikeracks that still allow bikers to lock the wheels and the frames of the bike.
I think that the bike rack from Ignacio Ciocchini is the most suitable for New York city streets. The green color matches the new NYC bike paths. It's easy to attach the bike on it, and it looks very solid. It stands out from the rest of the bike racks, and it has a New York feeling.
Based on some of the comments, I looked a bit closer at the Miller/Ruggiero diamond design, and it's starting to grow on me a bit. I'll put it in my top 3. If Open Thread produces the signpost rack, that could bump the diamond design down to #4 for me.
The Lang Dobbs Y-rack is still my favorite aesthetically & I think the shape is best for a 2-bike rack, but as a commentor pointed out, the aesthetics will eventually be compromised as the paint scratches off.
I'm starting to favor the Ciocchini circle rack, because it really is just as functional as any other 2-bike rack, but it really looks like it belongs.
I also think the design from Ignacio Ciocchini is the winner. When you think about which rack might stand the test of time, this seems to be it. It's elegant, durable, functional, attractive.
The Ciocchini racks is solid but looks more suited for a city like Vancouver!
The Y rack is much too wide for a typical NYC sidewalk: Do you really think that is going to work in Greenwich Village?! Are you kidding?!
Agree with the Y-rack vote- strong looks - the only one with real potential to by a NYC icon and answers my main criteria- can lock my bike frame & wheels easily in two places. Also saw people using it as a seat- not sure if this was intentional but its good it offers something to pedestrians as well. Might be good to see it in Stainless- this would look smart! Like the yellow but paint will always have a harder time I guess.
The Y is an exercise machine for SCATEBOARDERS!!! If they install this they will be gone really fast. I was just at Astor Place this weekend and there where 10 of them jumping all over it. A big no no.
The Y-rack is not my favorite anymore, but I still don't think skateboarding is an issue. I was just there last night, and there was a bike locked up. Skaters can't ride on the rack if there are bikes on it. And if there are no bikes at the moment, who cares if they want to skate on the rack?
You have to care about skateboarding because in time they will loosen up the mounting plate of the bikerack to the point of making it unsafe or unusable.
Enough of the skate-hate and fear that it might be used as a seat!! Its beginning to sound as bad as car drivers who complain that cyclists are a pain beacause they take up room on the road. The Y-stand should be applauded for reminding us that our streets are for us all to share and enjoy- pedestrians, cyclists, cars, and yes, even skaters- This is what makes interesting streets and a great city.
As a devout cyclist I find it totally wierd to hear cyclists complain that a cycle stand may be used by pedestrians to take a rest on, or by skaters when it is not in use to lock a bike. The streets are for us all- and a cycle rack design that actively acknowledges this should be celebrated!!!
The Y design is cool, one of my faves, but the big problem (I actually tried to lock my bike to it in Astor place and it was pretty awkward) is that the top of it is completely worn off -- skaters are clearly using it as a ramp. I think the idea that people can sit on it, too, is dicey. I don't want someone sitting on my rack when I'm locking/ unlocking. I'm digging the pretty basic inverted U one, not sure who designed it which maybe looks like an elegant version of the current rack, but actually is the most functional of the bunch.
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