Pocatello Area Bike Rack Access

Wave/serpentine bike rack
Wave/serpentine bike rack. My favorite design, good for mini-U-locks and cable locks both.
"Wheelbender" bike rack
"Wheelbender" bike rack. This is the most common, but my least favorite. Better than nothing, though!

Having a secure place to lock your bike is one of the most important aspects of using your bicycle for transportation. Unfortunately, this can be a challenge in a car-centric town like Pocatello.

With a cable lock, you can typically find something to lock your bike to at any given destination -- tall trees and posts, railing, etc. This is a bit more tricky with a U-lock, especially a mini, which, when used properly, can secure both your rear wheel and frame at the same time. Despite the convenience of cable locks, they are more easily defeated than a good U-lock. For this reason, I recommend using them only for quick errands, or in addition to a U-lock, whenever possible.

The most common bike rack is known colloquially as a wheelbender. These racks feature many slots to park the front wheel of a bicycle into, and are typically only suitable for cable locks (though it's sometimes possible to use the ends with a U-lock.) In addition, it's possible to, well, bend your wheel! A full wheelbender rack is susceptible to a domino effect if one bike falls on the side of another.

My favorite kind of bike rack is a basic wave/staple made of thick-gauge metal that is cemented directly into the ground. These work well with both a mini U-lock and a cable lock, won't bend your wheels, and are typically much heavier gauge metal than standalone racks.

I have compiled a list of businesses/destinations below that provide bike racks. I have prioritized the wave design.

If you would like to add to this list/report any errors, please contact me.

Location Bike Rack Availability Type City
Wendy's Yes! Wave/Serpentine Chubbuck
Fred Meyer Yes! Wave/Serpentine Pocatello
Reel Theater Yes! Wave/Serpentine Pocatello
WinCo Yes! Wave/Serpentine Pocatello
PineRidge Mall Yes! Wave/Serpentine Chubbuck
Idaho State University Yes! Wave/Triton/Wheelbender Pocatello
ShopKo Yes Wheelbender Chubbuck
Walmart Yes Wheelbender Pocatello
Goody's Yes Wheelbender (Indoors) Pocatello
Convergys Yes Wheelbender Pocatello
McDoanld's Yes Wheelbender (Small) Both
Albertsons Yes Wheelbender Pocatello
Elk's Lodge Yes Wheelbender (or take inside) Pocatello
Ace Hardware Yes Wheelbender Pocatello
Pocatello Co-Op Yes Wheelbender Pocatello
Portneuf Valley Brewing Yes Wheelbender Pocatello
Budget Tapes and Records Yes Wheelbender Pocatello
CoHo Nope :( Handrailing available Pocatello
Arby's Nope :( Handrailing available Chubbuck
CostCo Nope :( Posts available Pocatello
Buddy's Nope :( Handrailing available Pocatello
Kowloon Nope :( Gas guard in back/posts Pocatello
FlipSide Nope :( Tree guard available Pocatello
Grapevine Nope :( Ask to take inside Pocatello
Taco Bell Nope :( Handrailing available Pocatello
Home Depot Nope :( Handrailing available Chubbuck
Burger King Nope :( Gas tank guard in parking lot Chubbuck
Arctic Circle Nope :( Trees/posts Both
K&B Kwik Stop Nope :( N/A Pocatello
Little Caesars Nope :( Handrailing available Pocatello
Papa Murphy's Pizza Nope :( Gas tank guard in back Chubbuck
Idaho Central Credit Union Nope :( Gas tank guards Both
Smith's Nope :( Light posts available Chubbuck
Walgreens Nope :( N/A Chubbuck
Carmike 10 Nope :( Handrailing available Chubbuck
Omni Building Nope :( N/A Pocatello
Subway on Yellowstone Nope :( Gas tank guard in parking Chubbuck