Secure Bike Parking in London Map: 21 Safest Locations

London is a big city, and getting around it on public transport can be boring, time-consuming, and rather expensive when you start to add up all those £2.60 Tube fares.

Generally, London is becoming a good place for cyclists, and there are many people across the city who use a bike as their main mode of transport. Provisions vary from borough to borough, but there are a lot of great cycle paths both locally which link parts of the city, and the Cycleways have revolutionised cycling as a safe, healthy mode of transport for Londoners.

However, storage can be a barrier for many to cycle from A to B in the city, and indeed for having a bike at all, as unfortunately, bike theft is very common in London. Many Londoners just don’t have space for secure bike storage in their homes.

Provision is improving, with private companies and councils alike offering safe and secure bike storage for Londoners in residential streets, prime central London locations, and at train and Tube stations to facilitate people incorporating cycling into their daily commute.

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On this page, we’re going to have a look at some of London’s best secure bike parking options, from private companies like Spokesafe and BIKE-DROP to schemes offered by local councils.

Secure Bike Parking in London [MAP]

Secure bike parking is a great idea if you want to give your bike the utmost protection against theft, particularly if you have a valuable bicycle or e-bike.

There are lots of different secure bike parking options on offer across the city, such valet-style bike parking, secure storage facilities which offer servicing and cleaning, and CCTV-monitored cycle hubs outside commuter stations, all encouraging Londoners to incorporate cycling into their daily routines by providing reliably secure locations to keep their bikes.

In this guide, we’ll take you through some of the best options for secure bike parking in London, including private services like Spokesafe and BIKE-DROP and ones offered by local councils, such as Cycle Hubs at certain stations.

Spokesafe London Locations

Spokesafe is a membership-based bike storage solution with a dozen or so cycle hubs and outdoor lockers across London, predominantly in central and north – so ideal for commuters and people who spend a lot of time in the heart of the city.

It offers two different membership options for riders, as well as a corporate membership for companies looking to give their staff access to safe bike storage near to their office.

The ‘Dynamic’ pay-as-you-go membership gives you access to bike storage across the network by the day or week, and pricing varies depending on location. The ‘Full’ membership gives you unlimited access to the entire network, and a regular spot in a chosen location. Again, pricing varies for each location.

• Spokesafe Angel Hub
• Spokesafe Chinatown Hub
• Spokesafe Finsbury Park Hub
• Spokesafe Highgate Locker
• Spokesafe Leytonstone Locker
• Spokesafe London Bridge
• Spokesafe Mayfair Hub
• Spokesafe Oxford Circus Hub
• Spokesafe Soho Hub
• Spokesafe Waterloo Lower Marsh Locker

Spokesafe Angel Hub

Spokesafe Chinatown Hub

Spokesafe Finsbury Park Hub

Spokesafe Highgate Locker

Spokesafe Leytonstone Locker

Spokesafe London Bridge Hub

Spokesafe Mayfair Hub

Spokesafe Oxford Circus Hub

Spokesafe Soho Hub

Spokesafe Waterloo Lower Marsh Locker

BIKE-DROP London Locations

There are more than 500 BIKE-DROP cycle parking spaces in central London across two valet-style parking locations, bookable by the day, week or month. The parking hubs are open from early morning until early evening — perfect for safely stashing your bike while at work.

These aren’t the cheapest options compared to some of the others on this list, but many central London users value the valet convenience, the mechanic service, and the prime locations offered by BIKE-DROP.

• BIKE-DROP Oxford Circus
• BIKE-DROP Regent Street

BIKE-DROP Oxford Circus

BIKE-DROP Regent Street

Cyclehoop London Locations

Cyclehoop offers a wide range of bike parking options across the UK, with lots of spaces in London.

Its bike hangars are provided by local authorities and store six bikes in half a car parking bay, giving people weather-proof cycle storage near their home.

Cyclehoop also offers bike lockers, which are robust with a pick-resistant lock for an additional layer of protection. These store a single bike and accessories.

Finally, Cyclehoop also has Cycle Hubs, which is what we’ll focus on here. These are secure, 24-hour accessible, covered bike parking areas with two-tier racks with a locking arm, so you can lock both your wheels and the frame for maximum security. Plus, the hubs come with repair stations, and special parking spaces for family and cargo bikes.

Both of the cycle hubs are located in more residential areas of London but close to stations, so are ideal for those who want to cycle to catch their Tube or train into central London.

• Cyclehoop Enfield Town
• Cyclehoop Edmonton Green

Cyclehoop Enfield Town

Cyclehoop Edmonton Green

Waltham Forest Council Cycle Parking London Locations

Most London councils provide bike hangars on streets for residents to store their bikes in, which are a great small-scale parking option that allows those who live in small homes with little extra space the opportunity to keep their bike safe close to their home.

Waltham Forest Council notably provides big cycle hubs at its stations, too, which helps residents include cycling into their daily commute.

There are currently 8 cycle hubs across the borough, offering hundreds of parking spaces protected by CCTV, enhanced lighting, help points and key fob entry. Spaces are first-come, first-served, but there are two-tiered racks at each location for efficiency.

• Walthamstow Central
• Leytonstone
• Wood Street
• St. James Street
• Blackhorse Road
• Leyton
• Lea Bridge

Walthamstow Central

Leytonstone

Wood Street

St. James Street

Blackhorse Road

Leyton

Lea Bridge

Where Can I Lock My Bike in London?

There are lots of options for places to lock your bike in London, from public bike racks to private secure storage, and many cyclists also, rightly or wrongly, chain their bikes to street furniture like railings, lampposts and road signs.

That said, finding a good, safe and secure place to lock your bike in London can be tricky. Not only are bicycles a common target for thieves, there can also be ramifications for locking your bike to private property (for example fences and railings) or in obstructive public places, like lampposts.

There are plenty of public bike racks in London, which are not the most secure but are well-used by cyclists in a pinch. If you have to lock your bike in a public place, this is your best bet as you might run into trouble when chaining your bike to fences and railings.

There’s a lot of debate over whether you’re allowed to lock your bike to fences and railings, but the general advice is: don’t. For one, it can be obstructive to the pavement to have a bike chained to a railing, which is dangerous for pedestrians, and particularly for wheelchair users or pushchairs.

You will also frequently see signs put up by local councils, building owners or businesses stating that bikes will be removed if they are left locked to a railing. There is some contention as to how legally-binding these notices are, but best not to risk it, especially as they’re not a particularly secure option anyway.

Of course, you should never lock your bike somewhere that causes an obstruction to pedestrians, fellow cyclists or motorists. This is dangerous and could result in someone getting hurt, or your bike getting damaged. Generally, road signs and lampposts are therefore bad places to lock your bike, and you run the risk of having your bike removed by the council for causing an obstruction.

The best option, although not free-of-charge, is finding a private, secure place to lock your bike. There are several options for subscription-based bike storage facilities all over the city, which have the benefit of not only keeping your bike safe from theft, but also keeping it out of people’s way.

These secure cycle hubs can cost as little as £25 per year or as much as £50 per month depending on the provider, location and facilities on offer.

Of course, cyclists in London should always be careful to stick to London’s cycling laws and rules, and this includes regulations and advice around where to lock your bike.

Risk of Bike Theft in London

In March 2022, Cycling Weekly published a rather damning report based on data obtained from the Metropolitan Police which showed that a bike was stolen roughly every 16 minutes in the capital in the past five full calendar years from 2017 to 2021, and that, combined, these stolen bikes were worth £93 million.

To rub salt in the wound, for the 162,943 bicycle thefts recorded in these five years, only 4,060 arrests were made — so there was an arrest made in just 2.5 per cent of cases. Less than 2 per cent of these resulted in further proceedings like a court case or a caution.

The data also showed that victims of bike theft have only a one in 44 chance of getting it back in one piece.

Crucially, too, the real number of bike thefts is likely to be much higher — of course, these figures only take into account reported bike thefts, and many people don’t bother reporting their stolen bike because they think it’s futile.

While these bike theft statistics are discouraging, cycling is still increasing in popularity in London, and there are plenty of options for secure bike storage to minimise the chance of theft.

Yes, these options can be pricey, it’s still surely cheaper, and less hassle, than having to replace a stolen bike and deal with the heartbreak, especially if you’ve invested in an expensive bike or e-bike.

Let’s run through the secure bike parking locations dotted across London. Some of these are provided by private companies, others by local councils, and they all offer cyclists a safe, dry and secure place to store their bike for maximum peace of mind.