It's been a week and a half since the bike rack prototypes have been unveiled and already one of the models is broken! Reader Mick sent in a photograph (above, on the right) of the "cable rack" style prototype looking pretty unsecured.
Designer Next Phase Studios describes the Cable Rack as "a grand cable lock click into its Anchors on the street, rather than 'stiff' street furniture like other racks." However, some bicyclists expressed concern over the flexible form and one commented on the broken rack yesterday:
So I went to see this bike rack at Astor place today and it’s already broken. One of the ends popped out of the mount and the cable is sticking in the air. Aside from that, this is not a very good concept for a bike rack. You can’t even lean your bike on this thing. I’m paranoid about my bike getting knocked over and run over by a car when it’s tied to a signpost, and this design seems to be worse than a signpost. I appreciate the wit involved with it looking like a cable lock except that cable locks are not good locks. If it’s meant to be ironic, then it should be especially sturdy, but it’s not. If it’s a prank, then good prank.
The Department of Transportation's bike rack design competition has nine other finalists.
