A new secure bike-parking facility with a remote work space and café is set to open in Cardiff. Founded by Tom Overton, 50, the Bike Lock is set to open on Monday October 31 on Windsor Place. The Bike Lock has secure storage for up to 50 bikes as well as e-bike charging points, showers, lockers, work space, and coffee. Tom wanted the Bike Lock to be in a city centre location to make it accessible to people.
The Bike Lock, just off Queen Street, is set up as a social enterprise, with the drive behind the business being to encourage people to be more active. Some of the profit generated will be invested in helping people across Cardiff, from providing bikes for local schools and communities to free meeting space for local groups.
Tom, who has a background in working in sport and physical activity, has been bike riding his whole life and has been commuting into Cardiff for 20 years. "I've had bikes stolen, I've had road rage from people who don't seem to want me on a bike on the road alongside them," he said.
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"With the advent of Covid and the investment in all the infrastructure in cycle lines across Cardiff, it just became more and more important to me that, if we're providing cycle lanes and we're encouraging people to be more active then we need to provide the infrastructure to enable and make it easy for people to be active in their travel."
A regular coffee-drinker who is passionate about good customer service, Tom wants the coffee shop to provide ethically produced, good coffee to the Bike Lock's customers. "I think post-Covid there's this more flexible approach to working," Tom said.
"We're not just all sitting in offices, we're not just all wanting to sit at home anymore. I just put those things together: How can I develop a space where people can securely lock their bikes up in the city centre and how can I provide a good remote work space for people who want to travel in by train or by bike?"
About 15 of the bike hangers will be installed within the café itself so customers are able to enjoy a coffee without worrying about where they left their bike. "I've stopped for coffees before, for 10 minutes, and I've come bike and my bike's gone, or I've been told my bike's gone," Tom said.
It's an experience Tom has had often when he's been cycling in the city centre, as well as many other people. Tom said he was visited at the Bike Lock by someone from a local charity who had her bike stolen after later going to a meeting in the city centre. He said: "I've had two bikes stolen. More recently, at the bottom of Queen Street, I left my bike for about 20 minutes and I came back and the seat, the seat post, the mud guards had all been taken. I speak to a number of people who've had similar experiences.
Nearly four bikes were being stolen every day in Cardiff and more than 6,000 thefts of cycles were reported in the four years leading up to 2020. Last year, Nextbike suspended its scheme in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan due to incidents of theft and vandalism to the bikes, with 300 being stolen since the company's launch in Cardiff in 2018 - 130 of those were taken between August and November 2021.
"Although crime in Cardiff is relatively low compared to many UK cities, bike crime is extremely high. You put together high levels of pollution in Cardiff city centre, high levels of bike crime, but quite a big investment in cycling infrastructure and the fact that it's a fairly small and flat city, it lends itself to it. If anywhere can be a cycling city, Cardiff can - it's a small footprint, it's flat. You can't just keep putting cars, cars, cars into the city centre," said Tom.
He hopes that the Bike Lock can normalise cycling around the city. "Quite a lot of the cycling cafes or shop are very cycling focussed - by that I mean there are a lot of people who quite enjoy riding bides or have an old, cheap bike, but it's equally important for them to feel comfortable and safe to use their bike as it is for someone who wears all the lycra and has a bike that might cost thousands of pounds.
"It's not about new shiny expensive bikes, it's about people developing the habit. It's easier, it's quicker, it's healthier, it's more environmental, it's cheaper to get into that habit of just cycling into town." Tom says he wants to take the hassle out of commuting by bike through providing somewhere where people can safely store their bikes in the city centre and shower afterwards. Even for those who don't have a bike, Tom hopes the space can be accessible for those commuting by public transport or those exercising nearby.
Private meeting spaces are also bookable at the Bike Lock, and there is WiFi and charging points for remote working. Disabled facilities are also available, as well as parking for e-bikes, cargo bikes, and recumbent bikes. The facility is the first of its kind in Wales and has been funded by the Welsh Government's Burns Commission Active Travel grant, as well as the Community Lottery Fund and Cwmpas Cymru. "My big message is give cycling a go. We've got the infrastructure now, you can cycle in from many places around Cardiff without having to go on a road," Tom said.
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