Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

4xsama
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Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:48 am

Okay, so I had a good ride into the office today. Only around 10km/30 minutes but a good way to start the day nonetheless.

Got into the office and (was busted) carrying my bike across the lobby to the lifts by the building manager for walking over the timer floors in my bike shoes. He said they damaged the timber floors. I thought he was talking about the cleats (I was in a pair of Giro MTB Shoes) and I explained the cleat is recessed - believe me - I double checked in the office. I asked what I should do and he mentioned 'wear socks'. I noted this was a health and safety issue so he said ' wear bare feet'. Even worse I said.

I told him if he put a lockable locker in the basement I would swap shoes there. In the meantime I went to a coupe of LBS to see if there was a Shimano SPD cleat cover I could buy as a compromise. I've seen these on line but no one carries them presumably because there is no demand. Building manager has since clarified it is the shoes themselves 'I am aware that the shoe bases are plastic but they are a hard plastic that will and have damaged the timber floors already (Swirl marks were there person has turned).'.

Moreover, the shoes I am in are nothing compared to a pair of heels or possibly leather soles shoes?

Anyone else had a similar issue? Is this a reasonable position - I've not come across it before - not for MTB shoes anyway.
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march83
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby march83 » Tue Nov 06, 2018 1:01 pm

It's only 10km. Ride flats, but put a few thumbtacks in the soles, walk through some chewing gum, etc. Guy sounds like a twat who has already made up his mind and you're not going to change it so I'd just be a stealthy, passive aggressive jerk about it straight back to him.

FWIW, we used to have lovely polished boards at home but over the years they've been scuffed up by only 2 things - dogs and high heels. I've never left a mark in my bike shoes...

4xsama
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Tue Nov 06, 2018 1:20 pm

I've calmed down a bit now so I am drafting up an email to ask what the policy is on stilettos and rubber soled work boots (the type which trap stones and grit - which I wear from time to time after a site visit and usually/used to remove stones from). I've also asked if a timber floor is appropriate in the lobby of a public building. I'll check our lease to see what policy is in place.

I guess its only fair to be consistent hey (but I cant see him banning either type of shoe)
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Tamiya
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby Tamiya » Tue Nov 06, 2018 1:55 pm

meh, I hear there's fellas wearing stilettos with their 3pc suit to the office these days.


Are your shoes making a loud clakclakclak across the boards?

I'm cheap - I'd just bring a pair of hotel slippers, usually they're big enough than an average plastic shoe can slip into. And they're free if you get holed up in hotels regularly.

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby RobertL » Tue Nov 06, 2018 2:37 pm

Get the direction to take your shoes off and walk in socks in writing. Then get yourself "injured" while in only your socks.

4xsama
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:10 pm

[quote="Tamiya"]

Are your shoes making a loud clakclakclak across the boards?

The shoes are of a harder compound than a rubber soled shoes and stiffer so they make a bit of noise but not as bad as leather soled shoes.
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AdelaidePeter
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby AdelaidePeter » Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:12 pm

I'm no expert, but I think it is at least plausible that the hard plastic of cleats could cause more damage than the softer surface on the base of stilettos.

I'd probably buy cleat covers. They're not expensive, and online delivery will be fairly quick.

The bigger issue is the choice of timber as the flooring for the entry way. I agree that is a very strange choice, unless you work in a heritage building. But you can't do much about that now it's there.

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:14 pm

Copy of email sent out today from building manager as follows;

Dear All,

This morning I again have had a conversation with a tenant in the building regarding bikes and bike shoes and the procedure in protecting the heritage flooring in the foyer and the lift lobbies.

It is important to the owner and management to protect these floors to keep the high level of appearance as these floors are irreplaceable and we ask that no bikes be brought through the foyer under any circumstance and to make sure that all type of bike shoes are removed. I am aware that the shoe bases are plastic but they are a hard plastic that will and have damaged the timber floors already (Swirl marks were there person has turned). It has been pointed out that if bike shoes are removed then the socks may present a safety issue and our suggestion is that the socks be removed or alternate suitable shoes be carried and worn.

If you do need to take your bike up to your tenancy for what ever the important/critical reason (We do not approve of this) we ask that lift B (Goods Lift) through the loading dock on B1 be used and that the bike is carried across the lift lobby timber floor on your level and the bike is not set down till within your tenancy.

We are aware that this is extreme but we feel this is necessary to protect such beautiful timber flooring in our building for many years to come.

We appreciate you ongoing understanding and support regarding this matter.


Shouldn't put irreplaceable floors in the lobby o fan office building.

Twat!
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4xsama
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:16 pm

AdelaidePeter wrote:I'm no expert, but I think it is at least plausible that the hard plastic of cleats could cause more damage than the softer surface on the base of stilettos.

I'd probably buy cleat covers. They're not expensive, and online delivery will be fairly quick.

The bigger issue is the choice of timber as the flooring for the entry way. I agree that is a very strange choice, unless you work in a heritage building. But you can't do much about that now it's there.
Its not the cleats which is the issue. They don't protrude anyway.
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby MichaelB » Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:47 pm

Should ride the MTB and go through the mud on the way to work and get really wet, and then wear your wet muddy socks across the lobby, slip and fall down, drop the bike, get the pedals to dent the floor and drop mud.
Can't get you as you are following their rules !!!

Yeah, it can get a bit pedantic, but they do have the right to request such things.

I'd be polite and say thanks for the clarification, and request to see what can be done to provide somewhere to store the bike and shoes, and then you'd happily comply.

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:12 pm

I just spoke to the building manager. He clarified it wasn't actually me who damaged the floor - it was someone else in bike shoes.

In the interests of consistency he is banning all bike shoes. High heels were mentioned. Apparently you cant ban them.
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby Cyclophiliac » Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:42 pm

4xsama wrote:I just spoke to the building manager. He clarified it wasn't actually me who damaged the floor - it was someone else in bike shoes.

In the interests of consistency he is banning all bike shoes. High heels were mentioned. Apparently you cant ban them.
Well this IS Australia, where cyclists are second-class citizens. This sounds like a pretty clear case of discrimination to me.

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby Bunged Knee » Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:58 pm

Maybe no-one in that building wears that kind of shoes.
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby Tamiya » Tue Nov 06, 2018 7:10 pm

Ugh.

Flooring is a wear & tear item.

If you're saddled with anything "heritage protected" like a Roman mosaic then sure protect it for posterity... by lifting it up & moving it to a museum, or tile over it with linoleum or pour epoxy or some other protective coating that allows users/tenants to safely walk on it :twisted:

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:27 pm

So I asked about heels and why they were ok. Response as follows;

We will not be policing high heels as we believe this has not caused damage to the floor at this point and would be a difficult one to police as it is an all-day footwear and the bike shoes are a recreational shoe that has proven to damage the floor.

I should note the floor finish was damaged and not the flooring itself. There are multiple dings all over the floor. I'm guessing these are from heels.

Inappropriate flooring material in my opinion.

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby g-boaf » Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:44 pm

4xsama wrote:I just spoke to the building manager. He clarified it wasn't actually me who damaged the floor - it was someone else in bike shoes.

In the interests of consistency he is banning all bike shoes. High heels were mentioned. Apparently you cant ban them.
You are only allowed to discriminate against bike riders, not anyone else, right?

If you've got a union, get them on the case of this job-smith.

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby queequeg » Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:53 pm

This all sounds fairly typical of building managers that come up with stupid rules, but not with any solutions.

Presumably this same manager does not permit any deliveries through the lobby, workmen wearing boots, people carrying tools, mothers wheeling prams, and they do shoe inspections on a regular basis?

We had issues where our building manager said no bikes through the lobby. The same manager that locks the car park access at 6pm and forces riders to exit via the lobby bikes they have a pass that opens the car park, which is usually only the case if you have a car parking space.
Thankfully sanity prevailed for full time tenants, but we have visitor bicycle parking too, and visitor passes don’t open the gates.

But year, what kind of fool has a heritage floor in a highly trafficked lobby?
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby mikesbytes » Wed Nov 07, 2018 6:34 pm

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If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby Cyclophiliac » Wed Nov 07, 2018 8:09 pm

4xsama wrote:So I asked about heels and why they were ok. Response as follows;

We will not be policing high heels as we believe this has not caused damage to the floor at this point and would be a difficult one to police as it is an all-day footwear and the bike shoes are a recreational shoe that has proven to damage the floor.

I should note the floor finish was damaged and not the flooring itself. There are multiple dings all over the floor. I'm guessing these are from heels.

Inappropriate flooring material in my opinion.

Twat!
He used the word "recreational"? What a moron.

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby mikesbytes » Wed Nov 07, 2018 8:28 pm

How can he tell that it was bike shoes that damaged the floor and not high heels?
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:56 am

He can't (be bothered addressing it).
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby Mububban » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:00 pm

I've had 2 pairs of MTB shoes with recessed cleats - one were quite flat, like skate shoes, and the metal cleat did scrape on floors.
My new shoes have some curve built into the ball of the foot to aid walking, and the cleat makes zero contact with the ground. They look like sneakers and even other cyclists are surprised when they turn to to be clipless :)

Heritage listed floor...yeah it's stupid to have it in a lobby but that's the "ammunition" he needs to be anal about it.
Is the goods lift "solution" a workable one for you?

Out of interest, do you ever get bike couriers making deliveries to your building?
Last edited by Mububban on Fri Nov 16, 2018 10:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby 4xsama » Fri Nov 16, 2018 9:14 am

Mububban wrote:I've had 2 pairs of MTB shoes with recessed cleats - one were quite flat, like skate shoes, and the metal cleat did scrape on floors.
My new shoes have some curve built into the all of the foot to aid walking, and the cleat makes zero contact with the ground. They look like sneakers and even other cyclists are surprised when they turn to to be clipless :)

Heritage listed floor...yeah it's stupid to have it in a lobby but that's the "ammunition" he needs to be anal about it.
Is the goods lift "solution" a workable one for you?

Out of interest, do you ever get bike couriers making deliveries to your building?
Good point on the bike couriers. I'm pretty sure there is a separate access but I'll keep an eye on it. The flooring is totally inappropriate for a commercial building.
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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby jules21 » Fri Nov 16, 2018 12:52 pm

the best way to get action is via your employer. building managers are typically lazy bullies who try to minimise their responsibilities and hopefully pick on powerless employees. my previous employer, for all their faults, made a real point of sticking it to the building manager. this included making representations to the building owner, who as the primary beneficiary of our tenancy, duly made the building manager take action. we got an upgraded bike cage as a result of that.

you should be passing your feedback onto your employer. if they can't be bothered taking action, well... you make your choices in life and they should know that.

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Re: Attitude of Building Owners.Managers to Bikes

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:41 pm

This thread has made me think about cleat covers, which are available for 3 bolt cleats, to protect the cleat. Are there cleat covers for spd's ?
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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