I stopped by the recently opening bicycle shelter at the St. Clair West TTC Station to take a few photos and try out the racks.

Located on the south side of St. Clair West and beside an station access point, this shelter is designed for daily use and offers some protection from the elements while your bicycle awaits your return.

I’m not sure what these racks are called, so I’ll call them “offset cradle” racks. Offset because one bicycle is lifted higher than the other to allow for handlebar clearance as seen above.

The cradle for your bicycle’s wheel was wide enough for my slightly fatter than normal 700c wheels. Big knobby mountain bike tires, or even balloon tires may have a tight squeeze in these racks. Arches attached to the cradles allow you to lock both your wheel and frame to the racks.

More of these bike shelters are expected to arrive at TTC stations throughout the rest of the year. Remember, these are for short-term parking only which is why they are only partially sheltered. Bicycles left for 48 hours may be removed.

Have you been using the new bike shelter at the St. Clair West subway station? What do you think of this “offset cradle” style rack (and do you know what they are actually called)?