by Tim Schaefer, Sunnyside Resident
Hillhurst Sunnyside is a great neighbourhood to get around on your bicycle, but to use a bike as a means of transportation you need good bike parking. To make the experience of parking a bicycle at Sunnyside School a bit easier and a whole lot more secure, the racks were upgraded in May 2023.
The two racks that were at the school were the old wheel-bender style, that are sadly very common in Calgary. This style of rack is intended to hold the bike upright by one of the bike’s wheels, usually the front. Unfortunately, using this type of rack brings the risk of bending the wheel, hence the name “wheel bender”.
The bigger issue with Sunnyside school’s bike racks was that they simply didn’t fit bikes properly. Bicycles have evolved over the years and most of the bikes that kids and adults ride these days, like mountain bikes, simply didn’t fit in the old racks. The openings between uprights were just too narrow.
To remedy the situation, the bike racks were modified by having most of the uprights removed and replaced with metal hoops. Those new hoops are spaced further apart to fit today’s bikes. Using a hoop instead of an upright provides a locking point that is close to the bike frame, thus making bike parking more secure in the modified rack.
If you are a student, parent, or volunteer, you can now rest assured that you have a more secure way to lock your bicycle when visiting Sunnyside School.
A big thank you to the Sunnyside School Council, the Parent Society, and Principal Krista Schmitt for supporting active mobility in the community! Special thanks to Stacy Cockwill and Christie Hurrell for their hard work in making this happen.
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