Cycle and Refuse Lifts
Heavy-duty lifts that carry bikes, riders and bins between basement stores and street level.
Step-free access to cycle and refuse stores
Cycle and bin stores are often in basements, on podium decks or on upper floors of residential and commercial buildings. A lift gives residents and staff an easy, step-free route, without carrying bikes up stairs or dragging bins up ramps.
Our Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift is our flagship lift for cycle and refuse stores, with the Heavy-Duty Platform Lift as a compact alternative. Both need only a shallow pit and low headroom, which makes them ideal for basements.
Low pit and low headroom, ideal for basement installations
Deep pits and tall overruns are often the hardest part of fitting a lift into an existing basement. Both of our heavy-duty lifts need far less, so they can often be installed with minimal structural work.
Sized for bikes, riders and bins
Our Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift has an internal car of up to 1,700 x 2,500mm and carries up to 1,500kg, so there is room for standard bicycles, longer cargo bikes and their riders together, or for communal bins and the person moving them.
For smaller indoor cycle and bin stores, the Heavy-Duty Platform Lift carries 1,000kg on platforms up to 1,400 x 2,500mm.
Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift and Heavy-Duty Platform Lift side by side
Two heavy-duty lifts for cycle and refuse stores. The Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift is our flagship; the Heavy-Duty Platform Lift is a compact alternative for indoor stores.
| Our flagshipAPL Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift | Compact optionAPL Heavy-Duty Platform Lift | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Larger schemes, cargo bikes, communal bins and busy buildings | Smaller indoor cycle and bin stores |
| Capacity | Up to 1,500kg | 1,000kg |
| Car or platform size | Up to 1,700 x 2,500mm internal | Up to 1,400 x 2,500mm, 55 standard sizes |
| Pit | 350mm standard 270mm on some specifications | 110mm |
| Minimum headroom | 2,700mm | 2,300mm |
| Maximum travel | 18m | 13m, up to 5 stops |
| Speed | 0.15m/s | 0.15m/s |
| Doors | Automatic sliding doors up to 1,200mm wide, or swing doors, on up to 3 sides | Swing doors on up to 3 sides |
| Structure | Available with a self-supporting structure | Self-supporting structure as standard |
| Location | Internal, or within an external tower | Internal |
| View the cabin lift | View the platform lift |
Sized to the London Cycling Design Standards
Policy T5 of the London Plan says cycle parking should be designed and laid out in line with Transport for London’s London Cycling Design Standards (LCDS), and that developments should show how they cater for larger cycles, including adapted cycles for disabled people.
Where cycle parking is in a basement or on an upper floor, the LCDS says lifts should have minimum internal dimensions of 1.2 x 2.3 metres, with a minimum door opening of 1,000mm.
Our Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift comfortably exceeds both: an internal car of up to 1,700 x 2,500mm and automatic sliding doors up to 1,200mm wide, in line with the LCDS guidance that doors on the route to cycle parking should be automatic.
Talk to us about your scheme| LCDS minimum | Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift | |
|---|---|---|
| Internal car | 1,200 x 2,300mm | Up to 1,700 x 2,500mm |
| Door opening | 1,000mm | Up to 1,200mm, automatic sliding |
Sources: London Plan 2021, Policy T5 Cycling (part B); London Cycling Design Standards, Chapter 8, section 8.2.1.
What a cycle lift looks like on plan
Two typical layouts from recent cycle store schemes, taken from our approval drawings. Every lift is sized to its building, so treat these as a starting point for your architect rather than a fixed product.
Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift
A car that meets the London Cycling Design Standards minimum of 1.2 x 2.3m, with 1,000mm automatic sliding doors. Choose a single entrance, or doors at both ends so riders can wheel straight through.
- Car
- 1,200 x 2,300mm
- Doors
- 1,000 x 2,000mm automatic sliding as standard; E120 or EI120 fire-rated doors available, sliding or swing
- Entrances
- Single entry, through-car or adjacent
- Shaft
- 1,720 x 2,610mm single entry, 1,720 x 2,760mm through-car
- Structure
- Optional self-supporting structure, so no builder’s shaft is needed
- Pit and headroom
- 350mm pit as standard (270mm on some specifications) and 2,700mm headroom
- Finishes
- A range of car and door finishes available
Heavy-Duty Platform Lift
A platform that matches the LCDS minimum of 1.2 x 2.3m exactly, with a 1,000mm door on the short end so the bike rolls straight in, or doors at both ends for a through platform.
- Platform
- 1,200 x 2,300mm
- Doors
- 1,000mm clear opening, 2,000mm high, EI60 fire rated
- Entrances
- Single entry, or through
- Capacity
- 1,000kg
- Structure
- 2,380 x 1,630mm single entry, 2,410 x 1,630mm through, self-supporting
- Cut-out
- 2,410 x 1,660mm single entry, 2,440 x 1,660mm through
- Pit and headroom
- 110mm pit and from 2,300mm headroom
Dimensions in millimetres. Shaft, pit and headroom vary with travel, door arrangement and fire rating, and are confirmed at survey.
Refuse stores without the heavy lifting
Moving bins between a basement bin store and street level is heavy, repetitive work. A heavy-duty lift carries wheelie bins and larger communal bins in one trip, with room for the person moving them, so collections run safely and on time.
We will recommend the right lift for the size and weight of your bins and how often they move.
View the Heavy-Duty Cabin LiftWhy choose Alliance Platform Lifts
One team looks after your lift from the first site survey to long-term servicing.
Good Sound Advice
From your first enquiry, our sales team advises on the right lift and prepares your quotation. Once you order, a dedicated Project Manager guides you through design, installation and handover.
Full turnkey service
In London and the South East, we can manage the whole project, from design and associated building and electrical works to installation and aftercare.
Service and Support for life
Our aftercare and service packages provide complete peace of mind - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Concise and clear costs
Clear cost estimates on every project, with no hidden fees or surprises.
Inside or outside
Cycle and bin stores are not always inside the main building. The Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift can be installed within an external tower structure, linking street level with a basement or raised store.
Talk to an expert
Service that keeps your building moving
Cycle and refuse lifts work harder than most. Residents use them many times a day with heavy e-bikes, cargo bikes and full bins, so a breakdown quickly means a blocked bike store or bins that miss collection.
Our service plans include planned maintenance, and our nationwide service network provides a 24/7 emergency call-out service.
- Planned maintenance visits set around how busy the lift is
- LOLER thorough examinations every six months where people travel with the load, or every 12 months for goods-only refuse lifts
- 24/7 emergency call-out through our nationwide service network
We have used Alliance Platform Lifts on various projects over the last 3-4 years and we find them to be professional, punctual and very forward thinking. No problem is too great and the communication at both tender and post installation stage is second to none. We will continue to use APL’s services on any future platform or cabin lift projects we have.Daniel Griffin · Google review
I am so pleased with the service from everyone at alliance platform lifts, they have been so professional and helpful throughout the whole process, would highly recommend!Max Ball · Google review
outstanding service, very pleased with the product and the process from quoting to after sales care. Highly recommended!Kenton Mitchell · Google review
Polite, quick, good service. Quick installation. Helpful staff.Jerry Peters · Google review
Outstanding service from Alliance would 100% recommendAG Detail · Google review
10/10 experience. Highly recommend!Josh · Google review
Frequently asked questions about lifts for cycle and refuse stores
Answers to the questions we are asked most often. Can’t find what you need? Call 01206 803 132.
What pit and headroom do your cycle and refuse lifts need?
The Heavy-Duty Platform Lift needs a minimum pit of 110mm and minimum headroom of 2,300mm. The Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift needs a 350mm pit as standard, or 270mm on some specifications, and minimum headroom of 2,700mm. Both are well suited to basement installations.
Do your cycle lifts meet the London Cycling Design Standards?
Yes. The London Cycling Design Standards set minimum internal lift dimensions of 1.2 x 2.3 metres and a minimum door opening of 1,000mm. Our Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift has an internal car of up to 1,700 x 2,500mm and automatic sliding doors up to 1,200mm wide.
Do the lifts come with a structure?
The Heavy-Duty Platform Lift comes with a self-supporting structure as standard. The Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift is available with a self-supporting structure; we will advise on the best option for your building.
Can the lifts carry bins?
Yes. Our heavy-duty lifts can carry wheelie bins and larger communal bins between a bin store and street level. We will recommend the right lift for the size and weight of your bins.
Can a cycle lift be installed outside?
Yes. The Heavy-Duty Cabin Lift can be installed within an external tower structure, linking street level with a basement or raised store.
Do you maintain cycle and refuse lifts?
Yes. We offer planned maintenance and a 24/7 emergency call-out service through our nationwide service network.
Talk to our team about your cycle or bin store
For more information please call us on 01206 803 132 or email sales@aplifts.co.uk.