Leaving a Bike at Work or the Station All Day

A bike left at the office rack or the station is on its own for eight or ten hours, in whatever the weather does. Three things decide what state it is in when you come back: where you leave it, how you lock it, and whether you keep the rain off.

Which BikeParka for your bike? Road, hybrid and commuter bikes: STASH or URBAN · Mountain bikes and wider handlebars: XL / MTB · Longtails: Longtail, or Longtail WS with child seats fitted · Front-loader cargo bikes: Cargo · Not sure? Compare all covers or Find Your Fit by make and model.

1. Pick the spot

Busy, well lit and overlooked beats quiet and hidden. Use a proper cycle stand fixed into the ground, not a signpost a bike can be lifted over. If your workplace or station has covered or access-controlled cycle parking, use it, and ask if you are not sure it exists.

2. Lock the frame, then the wheels

Put a D-lock through the frame and the back wheel and around the stand, with a second lock or cable for the front wheel. Fill the lock with bike so there is no room to lever it. Take your lights and computer with you, and the battery and display on an e-bike if they come off. It is also worth marking and registering the bike so it can be traced. There is more on locks in what actually stops overnight theft.

3. Keep the rain off

A day of rain means a wet saddle, wet grips and a wet chain for the ride home, five days a week. A cover that packs small solves it. The STASH and URBAN each stuff into their own Stuff Sac, small enough for a pannier or rucksack once you are riding.

For a public rack the URBAN is the one to look at. It has lock-through panels, so your lock passes through the cover and around the bike, and the cover is still there at home time. The STASH has no lock-through panels: you lock the bike as normal and fit the cover over it.

4. Does a cover put thieves off?

A cover is not a lock and we would not sell it as one. What it does is hide what is underneath, so nobody walking past can tell a new e-bike from an old runaround without stopping to look. Lock the bike as if the cover was not there.

5. Be a good neighbour at the rack

Pull the toggles in once the cover is on so it does not spill over the next stand or flap against someone else’s bike.

URBAN, with lock-through panels · Bike covers for outdoor storage · All bike covers

Bike parking at work and stations: common questions

Is it safe to leave a bike at a train station all day?

It can be, with a good D-lock through the frame and a fixed stand in a busy, well-lit spot. Take your lights and any removable e-bike battery with you, and register the bike so it can be traced.

How do I keep my bike dry at work?

Use covered cycle parking if there is any. If not, a packable waterproof cover keeps the saddle, grips and chain dry and goes in your bag when you ride.

Can I lock a bike cover to the bike?

On the BikeParka URBAN, yes. It has lock-through panels so the lock passes through the cover and around the bike. The STASH has none.

Does a bike cover deter thieves?

A cover is not a security device. It hides what the bike is, but the lock does the work.

Leaving a Bike at Work or the Station All Day: How to Keep It Safe and Dry