Why we've rebranded. And what's changed.
Five years ago, when we started Spokesafe, cycle parking was something cities added when they could. A hub at a station. A few stands near a high street. It worked for some people, some of the time - but most cyclists still didn’t know where they’d lock up at the end of a journey.
The world has now moved on.
Ebikes have changed how far people can travel. Cities are redesigning streets for active travel. Councils need more data, not guesswork. And cyclists expect the same reliability from their cycle parking as they do other forms of public transport.
So we’ve changed too.
From individual sites, to city-wide networks
Spokesafe began with a single cycle hub in a car park in Oxford Street, London. From there we've delivered:
44 locations across the UK
250,000 cycle journeys in 2024 alone
The UK’s first app-enabled public bike locker
The first version of Spokesafe added technology to individual locations: flexible bookings, 24/7 support, usage data and instant access. It made secure parking easier for more people in more places.
And we got some amazing feedback from cyclists on this. People no longer afraid to cycle into town and do their shopping. People feeling comfortable enough to leave their bike away from their house overnight for the first time.
But it wasn’t joined up. It was ad-hoc, not planned. It didn’t yet work like a network.
Cities don’t need isolated assets - they need connected infrastructure that people can rely on every day. And that’s what we’re building.
Infrastructure 2.0: Connected Cycle Parking Networks
Cycle parking has grown fast: more sheffield stands, more residential hangars, more station hubs. Good progress - but it’s disconnected. Hard to book for cyclists, hard to monitor, and difficult to prove value for local authorities.
Local councils told us the same thing: they were installing secure parking, but had no idea if it was being used, who was using it, or whether it was in the right place. And without data, even well-used facilities struggle to get more investment.
The next stage is bigger: hubs, lockers, hangars and charging points that all work through one operating system. One account. One app. Real-time visibility of every space.
We call it a connected cycle parking network.
It’s the simplest way for councils, landowners and transport operators to turn scattered facilities into public infrastructure that people actually use.
Introducing Spokesafe_OS
If cycle parking is going to behave like proper transport infrastructure, it needs a system behind it. So we built one.
Spokesafe_OS is our proprietary software platform, built entirely from the ground up to automate and optimise the management of secure cycle parking networks.
Through our app or API, it connects secure parking assets across a town or city - existing or new hubs and the full range of Spokesafe lockers and hangars — into one network.
It delivers:
Real-time usage and reporting
Instant access control
User verification
Flexible booking options that suit cyclists actual needs
Data to plan and expand
24/7 human support
Cities get oversight, operators get efficiency, and cyclists get instant access to a full network through their phones.
And when parking works, people ride more often. It’s that simple. Because a cyclist should never have to wonder where they’ll lock up - or whether their bike will still be there when they return. Just like well-connected cycle lanes unlocked a shift in how people travel, connected cycle parking networks unlock the final piece of the journey.
What this looks like in practice
Hubs
High-capacity spaces at stations, shopping centres, workplaces and high traffic areas - making cycling part of people’s everyday commute. Spokesafe_OS can retrofit onto any hub, existing or planned, often for less than the price of a bicycle.
Lockers
Hubs are not needed everywhere. That’s why we built the UK’s first app-enabled bike locker: battery powered, no WiFi required, installable almost anywhere in the public realm. Perfect for high streets, parks, leisure centres and places where space is tight. We’ve found just a few well placed lockers can unlock new journeys for people.
Residential hangars and charging
Add local storage and e-bike charging lockers, and cities finally get a genuine network: secure endpoints linked to their route planning.
Together, these products create connected cycle parking networks that are fast to install, simple to manage, financially viable and with the data necessary to prove their value.
Efficient operations, delivered with a human touch
Infrastructure only works when people can rely on it.
Spokesafe_OS automates access control, reporting and monitoring, keeping operating costs low. That’s why we’re typically the most affordable way to get into town - while still providing 24/7 real-world human support when someone needs help.
Less than half the price of a pint, and with instant customer service across phone, email and chatbot.
Introducing Somo
Knowing which products to install is only half the challenge.
Where should they go? How many are needed? How do you prove value and secure ongoing funding?
Alongside Spokesafe_OS, we’re launching Somo- a data-led consultancy built on live user insights. Our goal is simple: help partners build the right infrastructure, in the right place, managed in the right way.
Too many facilities sit empty while demand grows just a few minutes away. And putting a hangar on every street sounds good - until half of them are full, and half of them aren’t used.
Good planning means every pound of public funding delivers value that actually leads to more journeys by bike.
Not as many units as possible - just the right ones.
So, what's in a logo
More than you might expect.
The new Spokesafe represents a shift from individual bike hubs to connected cycle parking networks, powered by Spokesafe_OS. A single system that makes every journey end securely.
When people know they can park safely every time, they stop worrying about the end of the journey - and start choosing the bike for more of them.
It’s the next stage of public infrastructure — and cities are building it with us.