Poor Bike Rack Design?

Had I not be in an automobile, stopped at a traffic light, I would have inspected the rack more closely. Clearly, there's signage and possibly instructions on those white squares at wheel height.

While on day trip to Montreal recently I spied this interesting bike rack. It is intriguing, to say the least, because for such a monstrous metal construction the rack only holds six bicycles. I wonder if there is some advantage I am unaware of because to use this contraption properly one must be able to lift their bicycle and finagle a U-lock in place at the same time—no easy feat!

I wonder if it is an experimental design. Or placed to raise awareness to unique rack design. Perhaps it's set there to start a conversation. Or was someone's thesis, surveying and video taping unsuspecting commuters scratching their heads, attempting to use the rack, all the while camera people are laughing behind the scenes. But one thing is for sure, it fails miserably as a rack for daily commuters using heavier bikes, especially bikes set up with front and rear racks, clearly evidenced by two of the four bikes in the photo.

I suspect I may be entirely missing the point of this rack—the more I observe its six-pointed stance, the arrow points remind me of something in nature or Calder-esque sculpture. Or maybe I'm reminded of Rivendell's fork blades advertised recently that indeed end in arrow-shaped axle clamps.

Montreal's public art appears all over the city—you just never know what you'll stumble across.