Bicycles can be parked in a vehicle parking lot, in a garage, in a carport, or on a driveway or sidewalk. Bicycles can also be parked legally on the street outside a store or in a privately-owned parking lot. Bike racks come in many types and sizes, including parking stalls, parking slots, and freestanding units mounted to a post or light pole.
A bicycle parking unit, usually shortened to the bike rack and also called a bicycle stand, is a device to which bicycles can be securely attached for parking purposes. A bike rack may be free-standing or it may be securely attached to the ground or a stationary object, and sometimes it may be permanently fixed in a certain location. Few racks are intended for portable use, but most are designed to be left in place, either permanently or temporarily, when not in use, and to be easily removable when they are needed for future use.