As cities and transit agencies across the United States expand investment in secure bicycle parking during 2026, Seatylock has outlined the everyday security factors cyclists should weigh as these new facilities come online. The brand notes that improved infrastructure solves only part of the daily security equation, because riders still depend on their own locks at the many intermediate stops a typical journey includes.
The context for the discussion is a visible shift in how American cities treat bike parking. The New York City Department of Transportation is advancing a citywide network of 500 secure bike-parking locations across the five boroughs, offering short- and long-term options for standard bicycles as well as cargo, adaptive, and e-bikes. The program remains active, with the agency's public feedback portal continuing to receive proposed locations as recently as late September 2026.
Together these developments suggest that bike parking is increasingly treated as transportation infrastructure rather than an occasional metal rack. Seatylock argues that this raises a practical question for riders: what makes a parking setup secure, and how should a lock perform across the varied racks and anchors encountered throughout a day.
Seatylock points to several considerations detailed in its published resources. Locking reach becomes important as public rack designs vary in shape, and the articulated construction of a folding lock can provide flexibility around different frames and structures. The company covers this subject in its Seatylock Folding Bike Locks Guide, which encourages riders to evaluate usable locking circumference against the parking environments they actually face.
"Better infrastructure is a meaningful step, but a secure enclosure only protects a bike at the single location where it exists," said Michael Shenkerman, Head of Product Content at Seatylock. "For every café, workplace, and public rack in between, the rider still supplies the security. The anchor point matters almost as much as the lock, because a strong lock cannot compensate for a rack that is poorly fixed or geometry that only allows a wheel to be secured rather than the frame."
Carry and mounting form a second factor. Because infrastructure only helps at the destination, riders need the lock with them for every other stop. The Seatylock Guide to Folding Bike Lock Mounting describes bottle-cage-boss mounting and strap options intended to keep a lock secure and rattle-free in transit.
The trend extends beyond New York. Brookhaven, Georgia, announced in September that crews are installing 192 new bicycle racks across parks and government buildings. In Philadelphia, SEPTA launched a secure bike-parking pilot at Fox Chase Regional Rail Station in July and reported that 53 percent of surveyed riders said secure bicycle and scooter parking would increase how often they use the service. Sacramento has also been developing an app- and card-accessed secure-parking pilot, with an update presented in August 2026.
Shenkerman added that security level and portability should be assessed together rather than in isolation. "The question is not simply whether a lock is lighter," he said. "It is whether the certified security level suits the rider's risk while remaining practical enough to accompany the bike every day." The Seatylock Guide to Folding Bike Lock Weight examines that balance, pairing independent certification tiers with realistic daily-carry expectations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BLIZ24JcbQ
Founded in 2008, Seatylock is a design-led mobility security brand that develops independently certified bike locks and related products, including folding locks, U-locks, chain locks, seat-lock hybrids and detachable seats. The company designs, produces, and assembles its products in-house and holds patents across multiple international markets. Its work has been recognized with IF Design, Red Dot, and European Product Design awards.
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For more information about Seatylock, contact the company here:
Seatylock
Michael Shenkerman
info@seatylock.com
3500 S Dupont HWY
Dover 19901-6041
Delaware
USA
