There are more bike stands in South Molton than you might imagine.

The issue is that they’re all in the wrong place.

Until recently I had no idea that there were bike stands behind the library. The problem is that there’s usually a car parked in the space on the left and it’s almost impossible to get bikes to the stands (the chrome things on the right).

There are also bike stands in King Street (near the phone box and  Barnstaple bus stop).

There is a need for bike stands in the centre of the town but they are currently all in the wrong place:

• most residents don’t know they’re there, let alone visitors to the town ;
• they’re not in public view, so cyclists have concerns about the safety of their bikes;
• the locations are not at all convenient.

I suggested to the Town Council some time ago that bike stands be located on the central Enhancement in the Square:

• they would be visible, and would thus be more secure and far more likely to be used;
• closer to the destinations that most people need to go to in the town centre;
• easily approachable from whichever direction the cyclist is travelling.

Bike stands on the Enhancement would benefit those residents who cycle and would also benefit touring cyclists passing through South Molton. There are quite a large number of the latter, particularly in the summer months, and if they could be encouraged to stop in South Molton this would benefit  businesses in the Town Centre.