A bicycle rack is a device to which a bicycle can be securely attached to prevent theft. The rack is in turn anchored to the ground or a solid structure such as a building wall.
Early models tend to offer a means of securing one wheel: these can be a grooved piece of concrete in the ground, or a forked piece of metal into which a wheel of the bicycle is pushed. These are not very effective, since a thief need only detach the wheel in question from the bicycle to free the rest of the bicycle. They also do not offer much support, and a row of bicycles in this type of rack are susceptible to all being toppled in a domino effect. These types of rack are known as "wheel benders" among cyclists.
The more modern version is known as the "Sheffield rack", after Sheffield in England where they were pioneered. These consist of a thick metal bar shaped like a square arch. The top part is about level with the top bar of the bicycle frame, and thus supports the bicycle and allows the frame to be secured.
A bicycle rack is also a device attached to an automobile for transporting a bicycle.
a Dutch utility bicycle with a bicycle rack attached over the rear wheel
Also, a bicycle rack may refer to a device attached to the bicycle to which cargo or panniers can be attached. This is popular with utility bicycles and touring bicycles.
The first bikeracks were installed on a select few of the former Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Metro Transit) buses in the late 1970s.
This bikerack was initially purchased from a company in California and was quite expensive (around $1,000) for the time.
The commercial bikerack the transit system purchased in the late 1970s was actually a set design, but Metro employees made improvements to suit their needs.
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