Living in an apartment - Parking

M450

Hey guys,

So picking up my first bike on Sat

Ran into a problem with parking

So back in December when I was first considering getting a bike I contacted our building management to ask about parking. He said it'd be grand, I could get the landlord to get a zapper off them and I wouldn't have to pay for a space. This definitely weighed into my decision to go for it! So I did the theory, IBT and sorted insurance and last week I got to the point of getting the zapper. The management company then refused saying there's no space for a bike. Screwed over! Big mistake was not taking note of who I originally spoke to.

What do you guys living in city centre apartments do about parking? Car spaces are bloody expensive and on-street parking... well I guess you wouldn't have to worry about parking anymore when the bike is lifted!

BrokenArrows

M450 wrote: »

Hey guys,

So picking up my first bike on Sat

Ran into a problem with parking

So back in December when I was first considering getting a bike I contacted our building management to ask about parking. He said it'd be grand, I could get the landlord to get a zapper off them and I wouldn't have to pay for a space. This definitely weighed into my decision to go for it! So I did the theory, IBT and sorted insurance and last week I got to the point of getting the zapper. The management company then refused saying there's no space for a bike. Screwed over! Big mistake was not taking note of who I originally spoke to.

What do you guys living in city centre apartments do about parking? Car spaces are bloody expensive and on-street parking... well I guess you wouldn't have to worry about parking anymore when the bike is lifted!

Sit outside the gate and wait for see someone to leave or enter.
Then try the management company again in a few days and you might get a different person.

colm_c

Never had a problem finding a spot in an apartment carpark, and I've had my bikes in 7-8 carparks in the last 10 years.

Find one that's not blocking anyone or blocking facilities and in good view - having the bike out of sight is not good as it means potential thieves would be able to work on the locks without being disturbed.

On that note, get a good lock!

You can just get an extra fob from your management company, but it will cost you, they shouldn't have any problems with giving you an extra one.

M450

colm_c wrote: »

Never had a problem finding a spot in an apartment carpark, and I've had my bikes in 7-8 carparks in the last 10 years.

Find one that's not blocking anyone or blocking facilities and in good view - having the bike out of sight is not good as it means potential thieves would be able to work on the locks without being disturbed.

On that note, get a good lock!

You can just get an extra fob from your management company, but it will cost you, they shouldn't have any problems with giving you an extra one.

Their main issue seems to be giving out fobs to apartments that don't have a car space. Which makes sense I suppose.

There's a place to lock up bicycles but they're stacked on top of each other as usual so no real space for a bike there. Spotted a couple of areas where there's over a meter gap between a wall and the line of a car space where the bike could slot in but nothing to lock it to. It's a fairly small pokey car park, maybe 40 spaces, and everywhere is out of sight...

Is it any use putting a heavy chain on a bike if it's not locked to anything?

BrokenArrows

M450 wrote: »

Is it any use putting a heavy chain on a bike if it's not locked to anything?

Every little helps. If they can't cut the chain it means they can't wheel it out if they manage to break the steering lock. Put the chain on the back wheel so they can't just wheeley the bike and roll it out.

Cienciano

Can you say you have a bicycle, so you need a fob? Or are you friendly with a neighbour with a space, ask them to get a fob for you?
Some places are so tightly packed that there is almost no space for a bike. But it's rare, there's almost always somewhere you can leave it

miller50841

Hi OP you can get fobs on ebay all you need to do is follow set up instructions and ask someone in the complex to borrow for the few seconds it takes to program

http://www.ebay.ie/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&rt=nc&_nkw=gate+fobs

M450

Cienciano wrote: »

Can you say you have a bicycle, so you need a fob? Or are you friendly with a neighbour with a space, ask them to get a fob for you?
Some places are so tightly packed that there is almost no space for a bike. But it's rare, there's almost always somewhere you can leave it

The cyclists just carry their bikes in the pedestrian gate, may have to befriend some neighbours alrite! Barely ever see any haha

Chap I was talking to from the management company just washed his hands of it, there's some other lad assigned to our block who's away till Tue, so will have to wait till then to get on his back about it!

There's one car space with an air con unit in it that takes up maybe a third of the space, hoping that might not be assigned to anybody since a car can't fit in it. Would be ideal!

Also, hope it's not snowing Sat!

M450

miller50841 wrote: »

Hi OP you can get fobs on ebay all you need to do is follow set up instructions and ask someone in the complex to borrow for the few seconds it takes to program

http://www.ebay.ie/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&rt=nc&_nkw=gate+fobs

Wow ... that easy? Ever used one yourself?

miller50841

M450 wrote: »

Wow ... that easy? Ever used one yourself?

Yes have 3 and better then the original
some can be used for the gate operation and compatable fobs for car operating also.

These are the ones I have
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Cloning-Universal-Gate-Garage-Remote-Control-Fob-433mhz-/230606653557?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35b13a4875

eoinkildare

Anyone know how to clone an RFID tag for an apartment block door? Management company wants to charge me 60 quid for a replacement one even though they only cost pennies...

Eoin

Soundman

M450 wrote: »

The cyclists just carry their bikes in the pedestrian gate, may have to befriend some neighbours alrite! Barely ever see any haha

No way you can fit the motorbike in through the pedestrian gate? They are normally wide enough.

Darith

Anyone have any experience of installing ground anchors in a parking space in a a managed estate? Just emailed the omc but i do not have a designated space although i suppose i could ask for one. I wonder if its allowed for health and safety reasons? Would also depend on type of anchor i presume.Currently using a drain to lock my motorbike via chain but at a push someone could unbolt a drain or so it appears?

Darith

Darith wrote: »

Anyone have any experience of installing ground anchors in a parking space in a a managed estate? Just emailed the omc but i do not have a designated space although i suppose i could ask for one. I wonder if its allowed for health and safety reasons? Would also depend on type of anchor i presume.Currently using a drain to lock my motorbike via chain but at a push someone could unbolt a drain or so it appears?

I'm not in my apartment anymore but I had a ground anchor ready to install , I wasn't going to say anything to the management company because they are just going to tell you no. Better to seek forgiveness than permission you won't get

If you want to buy a brand new ground anchor for half price pm me

conor2469

Like Goose suggested, don't bother asking them, they will refuse. I'd just mount it in an inconspicuous location and say nothing to the management company at all.

Caranica

Installing a ground anchor without permission would be considered vandalism of management company property. Asking for all kinds of trouble.

GBX

Is there anyway you could install something like one of these ? is there any grass areas close to a solid base you could pop the bike on for when you want to lock it?
http://www.spyrabase.co.uk/product-category/security/

listermint

2 Holes in the ground. Put the anchor bolts in and fill with the liquid concrete, i think they do it in a tube now.

Install by the bike racks or somewhere out of the way.

Cienciano

conor2469 wrote: »

Like Goose suggested, don't bother asking them, they will refuse. I'd just mount it in an inconspicuous location and say nothing to the management company at all.

Definitely would do this. It's always easier for companies to just say no. They won't know what a ground anchor is and if in doubt, they'll say no. I'm in an apartment complex, there's loads of good places to put one in my place.