Architect reinvents bike storage

A MANCHESTER architect has launched a new business which aims to make bike storage easier, especially in small spaces.

Paula Butterfield’s Velotrove has three products: a ground anchor Velochain; a Veloslot, which allows users to stand their bikes up on the rear wheel; and a Veloplanter – a combination of a planter and a bike space.

The business already has five staff and all the products are made in Manchester.

She said: “Employers and property developers increasingly want to incorporate cycle parking but as an architect working on commercial schemes, I realised there was a gap in the market for practical and durable bike parking solutions which were stylish enough to complement the street scene or landscape.

“As a cyclist myself with a family, I struggled to find any flexible and space-saving bike storage. Velotrove was started in response to my own needs and those of my clients but, having spotted the gap in the market, I recognised that there was an opportunity for it to become a business in its own right.”

Velotrove has already signed a number of business clients including Dynamic Parcel Distribution (DPD), which is about to install seven Veloslots at its Irlam depot for staff to use. It has been helped by the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to develop the products and secure patent protection.

According to Government figures the mileage cycled in the UK rose by 20% over the 15 years to 2012 to reach five billion kilometres. The 2011 Census also found that the number of people cycling to work increased by 17% in the previous 10 years.