Keeping track of the company
bikes
By T.J. Richardson, PCI #139T/EMSCI
#010
San Antonio PD (TX)
IPMBA President
With the ever-increasing presence of bicycles in the public safety sector,
fleet managers may have an all new set of logistical issues and concerns
in how to manage this highly fluid asset. What kind of bicycles do you buy?
What kind of maintenance is involved? How should they be stored, and what
is the best way to keep track of inventory? Welcome to Bicycle Fleet 101.
PURCHASING
When an agency is about to embark on a bicycle program, the first, and one
of the most important issues, will be what type of bicycle to purchase. This
will depend mainly on the capacity in which the bicycle will be used. The
most common and fastest growing need for bicycles is in the public safety
sector: police, emergency medical services and security. In making equipment
purchases, keep in mind that the people who are served by these public safety
personnel will be directly affected by the performance of the officer and
his or her bicycle. The very lives of the public and the officers themselves
may depend on the durability of the equipment they ride. Needless to say,
this is no place to pinch pennies. Expect to pay anywhere from $800 to $1,200
for a reasonably equipped public safety bicycle. If the bicycles are to be
added to a motor pool fleet as an alternate transportation option, consider
purchasing a lighter duty bicycle in the $400-$500 range.
Few people, other than avid cyclists, have knowledge of how many different
performance levels exist in today's bicycle market. Just as police need high
performance motor vehicles, police and EMS cyclists need high performance
bicycles. You don't make a police bicycle out of a Huffy any more that you
would make a police car out of a Ford Pinto. The mountain bike, found in
better bicycle shops, is the best bet for versatility, durability and
performance.
Bicycle frames are made out of steel, chro-moly, aluminum and titanium (listed
in order of performance.) Department store bicycles are made from steel tubing,
which is heavy and offers the least amount of durability. Chro-moly is a
steel alloy which weighs less than steel and offers both durability and a
forgiving ride. Aluminum frames are popular among racing cyclists for their
rigidity and light weight, but most public safety cyclists will not be as
concerned about weight; with all the extra equipment they carry, a lightweight
frame is a moot point. Titanium is the ultimate material for frames, offering
less weight and a comfortable ride with exceptional performance, but at an
exceptional price. A good chro-moly or aluminum frame will fit most performance
standards for today's public safety cyclist. However, the components that
the mountain bike is fitted with - the drive train, brakes and wheels - are
more important than the frame itself. The most common bicycle component
manufacturer is Shimano, and when it comes to mountain bikes, Shimano makes
several different performance levels. Shimano Acera and Alivio are components
fit for a Sunday ride down the boardwalk and light off-road excursions, but
are not suitable for public safety use. Shimano Deore components should be
the minimum performance level to equip the bicycle, but Deore LX is the better
choice. The top two component lines, Shimano XT and XTR, are for more serious
off-road cyclists and racers and they offer exceptional performance but,
again, at an exceptional price.
All this information about frames and components is vital to picking an
appropriate bicycle, but to save time and confusion, bicycle manufacturers
who offer a mountain bike in a public safety package are recommended. Many
reputable bicycle manufacturers have researched the specific needs of the
men and women who serve on bicycles and have outfitted the bicycle appropriately.
Do not forget that along with bicycles, public safety cyclists also need
accessories such as helmets, lights, transportation racks and bicycle-specific
clothing.
INVENTORY
Keeping inventory for a fleet of bicycles can be a more difficult task than
keeping track of a motor vehicle inventory, as the bicycle is a fluid asset
that can easily be lost, misplaced or outright stolen. Marking the frame
with some type of insignia that identifies the bicycle as department or agency
property is a deterrent to theft. Bicycle frames have serial numbers, which
are most often found on the bottom of the frame by the pedals; these should
be recorded. In addition to this number, the bicycle should be marked with
a control number for inventory and maintenance records. Stick-on numbers
in the appropriate size should be placed in a conspicuous location on the
frame and that same number should be etched on the bicycle near the serial
number. In addition to etching the control number on the frame, etch it on
the wheels of the bicycle. Etching the number on the rim by the valve stem
identifies that wheel to that bicycle so wheels cannot be swapped from bicycle
to bicycle. The brakes and drive train have fine-tune adjustments that are
specific to each wheel, so it is important that they not be swapped. A
malfunction of the brakes or drive train can result in serious injury to
the cyclist, especially under critical use in an emergency response.
For inventory and accounting purposes, it is always best to have bicycles
assigned to individual personnel as opposed to a unit or office. When no
one particular person has responsibility for accounting for a bicycle, it
can easily be misplaced or taken by unauthorized personnel. In circumstances
in which more than one person uses the bicycle on different shifts or days,
assign the bicycle to two people and let them share keys to a single bicycle
lock.
MAINTENANCE
Bicycle maintenance is a topic far too extensive to be covered adequately
in this article, so an article devoted strictly to maintenance is planned
for a future issue of the Fleet Executive. Nonetheless, it is important to
know that a bicycle fleet will require preventive maintenance to keep the
bicycles in safe working condition. As a standard, the bicycle should have
preventive maintenance performed every 300 hours of duty time or every 600
miles, whichever is easier for the fleet manager to track. A good preventive
maintenance routine should include a thorough cleaning of the bicycle along
with lubrication and a tune-up of the components.
Bicycle maintenance is not rocket science; however, today's mountain bike
has components that are a lot more complex than the single-speed bicycles
of twenty years ago. The maintenance and repair of these bicycles should
not be left up to amateurs, and motor fleet maintenance personnel cannot
be expected to know the first thing about setting a derailleur or adjusting
a headset. Just mention those two phrases to motor fleet maintenance personnel
and watch the confused look cross their faces. This is a clear indication
that a trained professional is needed to keep the fleet in good working order.
With a small fleet of 40 or fewer bicycles, you may be able to get your
maintenance through a contract with the local bicycle shop. With more than
40 units, it may become necessary and even more cost-effective to have an
employee trained in bicycle maintenance. The Bicycle Retailer and Industry
News (Miller Freeman Publications) is an excellent resource for information
on maintenance training as well as information on a wide array of bicycles
and equipment.
STORAGE
Bicycle storage is always a concern, whether the fleet numbers five or 500
bicycles. Unlike the motor vehicle, which, for the most part is impervious
to weather short of a good hail storm, bicycles need to be kept in a protected
environment to prevent rust and dry rot from taking their toll. Many different
strategies are employed in various bicycle shops to store bicycles and getting
them up off the floor is the general idea. Bicycle shops store bicycles in
a display mode for sales aesthetics; however, most departments will not be
as concerned with display so much as getting the most bicycles stored in
the smallest space. Professionally manufactured storage racks are available
from a number of manufacturers and come in sizes to store several or several
hundred bicycles. It may be easier and even more cost-effective to customize
a storage system to the available area. Bicycle storage hooks are available
from most hardware stores and can be used in a variety of applications. The
most common storage racks utilize a hook suspended from above at about 6'
feet off the ground, the front tire hooked on it with the bicycle suspended.
Hooks should be mounted at least 24 inches apart to compensate for the
handlebars, but they can be mounted as close as 16 inches if alternated so
that the bicycles are one up and one down to make the handlebars fit. Where
there is no support above or the support is too high to reach, hooks can
be mounted into a wall horizontally with the bicycle resting against the
wall. Any storage area should be secured and the access limited to only those
personnel who are authorized to use the equipment.
CONCLUSION
Developing and maintaining a bicycle fleet may sound inexpensive and easy,
and indeed, compared to developing and maintaining a motor fleet, bicycles
are a great bargain. With leasing, fuel and maintenance considered, the bicycle
costs about 1/20 or less than the price of a motor vehicle to purchase and
operate. The common downfall in developing a bicycle fleet is poor logistical
preparation and the failure to realize that there are continued costs. With
insight and careful preparation, keeping a bicycle fleet can be very satisfying
for both fleet managers and the personnel who will use
them.
T.J. Richardson is an 18 year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department
and has been assigned to the Downtown Bicycle Patrol since 1992. He is the
Bicycle Coordinator for the department and manages a fleet of 300-plus bicycles
for over 400 public safety personnel. He serves on the Governing Board of
the International Police Mountain Bike Association as the President and can
be reached through their website at www.ipmba.org.
T.J. can be reached at
tjrichardson@hotmail.com.
This article first appeared in the August 2002 issue of Fleet Executive,
the publication of the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA).
For more information about NAFA visit
www.nafa.org. |
