Lewes Cycle Hub was a full turnkey project for Cyclepods. We were involved in every step of the process from designing the initial Hub concept to carry out installation and fully equipping the Cycle Hub with state-of-the-art facilities. Our in-house design team produced the design for the hub based on our modular Cycle Hub idea. The structure for Lewes is made of steel with tempered glass walls and RigiSystem roofing. This design also allows for extending the Hub in the future, should the volume of cyclists to the station increase. The project included liaising with planning authorities and the local conservation. Site constraints also played a part in carrying out the build, it was necessary to keep clear of Network Rail Infrastructure and ensure the site was as contained and safe as possible throughout installation, whilst still allowing waste disposal lorries to access the site and minimise the amount of car parking spaces used. This Cycle Hub at Lewes Train Station is now the second of several Hubs we have completed with Southern Rail to work with their travel smartcard, the ‘Key’, as an access card to the Hub. The ‘Key’ doubles up as a travelcard and free Cycle Hub entry card for Southern Rail customers. We adapted our access technology to Southern’s specific requirements so that all entries and exits to Lewes Hub are logged using a remote software control system. This means Southern are able to identify when the Cycle Hub has been accessed and by who, giving a strong security measure as any theft or damage to bikes stored or the Hub itself can be checked against access data. Other security measures at the Hub include CCTV system and Security Lighting. To maximise bike storage capacity in the Hub we used our most space-efficient solution, the Easylift+ 2-tier, to provide 100 spaces. The Easylift+ is the only two-tier whose upper arm reaches all the way to the floor and is equipped with a gas-assisted lift. This make it as user-friendly as possible as users do not have to lift the full weight of the bike onto the arm, they can then lock their bike frame and wheel using the security loops on the frame of the Easylift+. With minimum effort required from the user to lightly pull the upper arm off the floor, the gas-assist does the rest of the work and the upper arm lifts up on its own and is pushed gently back into place. The Easylift+ mechanism has been tested over 18,000 times, with each time representing a loading and unloading of a bike, with no deterioration in the product’s performance, this roughly equates to it being used 4 times a day for 12 years so it is proved to be a long-lasting product! We have also included a Public Bike Pump and Repair Stand inside the Hub to provide tools for basic bike repairs. When building a Cycle Hub, we believe that it should contain all the facilities that the everyday cyclist may need to ensure that the Hub provides a self-sustainable and user-friendly environment for cyclists. The result is a fully equipped and cyclist friendly Cycle Hub facility in bespoke, modular construction which will increase cycle parking at the station to 100 spaces with the loss of just 8 car parking spaces!

• published: 15 Jun 2015
• views: 11725