
This bike rack at the Jewel grocery store on Desplaines Street in Chicago is holding its maximum of two bikes. The designers of this “grid” rack intended that it would park one bike per slot, but this is only mildly useful for locations where there is no risk of theft. That’s because you shouldn’t lock the front wheel, only. You need to be able to lock the frame to the rack, and that’s why these two bikes are parked like this. Later, after this photo was taken, Jewel added a second “grid” rack, which increased the number of parking spaces by 0 because the second grid rick adjoins the first, and thus you can only park at either end.
- Introducing Grocery Store Bike Parking Ratings
- Finally justice for bike shoppers in Bridgeport
- Keeping score: Portland, one million and Chicago, zero
- Open letter to Blair Kamin about Safeway and Dominick’s
3 rules of Simple Bike Parking
- Right Rack – The user must be able to lock their bike frame to it.
- Right Location – Within 50 feet of the entrance, in a sight line between the street, or where bicyclists would approach the destination, and the entrance.
- Right Orientation – Place it at least three feet away from all other walls, curbs, obstacles, and other bike racks. Six feet away from trees and fire hydrants.
If you need to hold more than two bicycle racks, there’s rarely a better situation than installing multiple U-racks parallel to each other.

This bike rack is placed so close to the wall that it’s impossible to use a standard size lock to attach the bike frame to the rack. Bike racks should be three feet from all obstacles.
Additional resources
- Ding Ding Let’s Ride
- Bike parking inventory of Chicago grocery and convenience stores (includes many Hall of Shame members)
- Bikenomics: The Economic Case for On-Street Bike Parking