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‘Cycle-in office’ has dedicated entrance ramp for cyclists

Alphabeta building aiming to attract tenants from Tech City and The City

The BBC reports how the recently-refurbished Alphabeta building is encouraging its tenants to cycle to work. Billed by the architect responsible as ‘the first cycle-in building in London,’ those on bikes enter the building via a dedicated entrance ramp which takes them directly to a 210-space cycle store.

The building – which is intended to connect Tech City with The City and attract workers from both areas – has been fitted out to the specifications of architect Dickon Hayward. Explaining the design, he said:

“This is the first cycle-in building in London. Cycling is really important to the tenants that we have here and what we think is the new way of getting around the city.

“We knew that cycling was going to be in the lower ground floor, so we considered different ways of getting cyclists in there – either a lift or stairs – but in the end we realised we had the space to create a ramp all the way down there.”

It has to be said that the ramp does look reasonably steep and is it our imagination or does the BBC reporter skid a bit as his Boris Bike rounds the corner? You also have to exit the building via the same ramp, which should get the heart-rate up at the start of your journey home.

The London Evening Standard previously reported that the ramp was going to be launched via a fixie race – make of that what you will. The same report also said that there would be a resident bike mechanic at the building, which would be a nice touch.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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20 comments

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northernrebel | 9 years ago
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I'm pretty lucky - a covered bike shed with the racks you wheel your bike into at a 45 degree slope in the middle of the car park and lockers and showers within 30 feet of my desk.
No drying room, but no-one takes offence at my towel & cycling clothes being left hanging in the shower area, although I do get that horrible damp shorts & socks moment at 5pm if it has really rained on the way in.
Sadly, despite this provision & Peak District divers generally being very good around cyclists, my bike is usually Billy no mates in the cycle shed.

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severs1966 | 9 years ago
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My workplace is at the top of a huge hill (inevitable, being a TV transmission station) and the bike storage is the usual small number of wheel benders.

On the positive side, the wheel benders are under a vestigial canopy, so the very worst weather is alleviated, but it could not be described as "inside".

The best bit is that there are several showers, of excellent quality, with attached changing room in one of them. No real storage space for my clobber but I hide it in an equipment room where very few people have access.

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brooksby | 9 years ago
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My building has a basement bike store. There's a door from the car park at the rear of the building- you have to open a security gate then the door then disable the burglar alarm to get access to a low barrel-ceilinged room. There are Sheffield stands set into the floor, but just a single lightbulb to provide light.

Once the bike is locked up I have to reset the alarm, lock the door and gate, and walk around the block to go into the building through the front door.

We have no showers, no 'drying room'. My washing facilities are baby wipes and spray deodorant and my drying room is the radiator in my office.

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Danger Dicko | 9 years ago
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I have to get changed in the gents toilet.
Zero showering facilities.

Thank god for Dry Shower.

My bike store is a clear space behind my desk.

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Scoob_84 | 9 years ago
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TfL's new office will have a snazzy bike ramp like this so you can ride your bike from street level up to the mezzanine bike store. No turns in that either..

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djgorey | 9 years ago
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My company has a ramp down to secure storage. You have to notify our facilities department to have your access modified to allow you entry to the storage. They even went and bought a track pump to put in there.

Our showers are great - hot clean and secure. The only thing lacking is a drying room, but all in all we have great facilities.

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Stef Marazzi | 9 years ago
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I would love to see road.cc do a series of articles on "show us the best/worst cycling facilities at your place of work". e.g. Showers/changing rooms/cycle storage etc. So many of us are commuters, we could then use these articles to show our companies what "world class" cycle facilities are like, which would increase standards, and get more people riding to work. Also it might shame some sub-standard companies into improving their facilities.

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morseykayak | 9 years ago
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Rolls out of work, pops a fakey nose manual down the ramp. Yada  103

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atgni | 9 years ago
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Double arnco barrier to the ramp is a bit OTT.

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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There must be hundreds of offices in London with cycle storage in the basement reached via a ramp. I've used a few! Fail to see why this is special, unique or new, but it's a good bit of cheeky PR.

Oh... it's in Hoxton! The special feature must be a ramp flat enough to get up and down without gears.

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bikewithnoname replied to bikebot | 9 years ago
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bikebot wrote:

Oh... it's in Hoxton! The special feature must be a ramp flat enough to get up and down without gears.

If people need gears to get up a ramp that short and shallow then they need to seriously reconsider their cake intake!

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bikebot replied to bikewithnoname | 9 years ago
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bikewithnoname wrote:
bikebot wrote:

Oh... it's in Hoxton! The special feature must be a ramp flat enough to get up and down without gears.

If people need gears to get up a ramp that short and shallow then they need to seriously reconsider their cake intake!

Specially built for riders in skinny jeans, who need to keep their legs muscle free and looking like pipe cleaners!

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HarrogateSpa | 9 years ago
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Is it fashionable to wear your cycle helmet at a jaunty angle?

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stenmeister replied to HarrogateSpa | 9 years ago
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HarrogateSpa wrote:

Is it fashionable to wear your cycle helmet at a jaunty angle?

I reckon it's because he's never worn one before or ridden a bike.

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thesaladdays | 9 years ago
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I don't get it, the building I work in also has a ramp (and with no turn to navigate) leading to subterranean cycle store. How is this different?  39

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brooksby replied to thesaladdays | 9 years ago
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thesaladdays wrote:

I don't get it, the building I work in also has a ramp (and with no turn to navigate) leading to subterranean cycle store. How is this different?  39

Your building wasn't designed for the City of London by a celebrity architect.

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sanderville | 9 years ago
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I'm glad it's steep. "You don't need gears in London." You do now, satchel boy.

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Manchestercyclist | 9 years ago
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It looked too steep, and the turn too sharp. On a wet day the surface will get really slippery.

Nice idea, but poorly executed in my opinion.

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Metaphor | 9 years ago
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Cool.

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srchar | 9 years ago
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F**king hipsters...

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