Space saving ways to store bikes in a garage?

[TwoWheelsDC]

We don’t have a garage, but my bikes are in a shed along with a bunch of other household stuff, so space is at a premium. The attached photo is actually of the shed at my old house in Arlington, but I basically recreated it (but don’t have photos easily accessible) in the shed in our new place in DC. It’s completely DIY…basically, I created wheel racks out of 2x4s for the lower part, then attached a shower rod to another 2×4 using u-bolts for the upper part. I then got heavy duty velcro straps with eyelets and ran hooks through them to hold the front wheels, which allow me to adjust the height of the hook for each bike. At this point, I’ve been using the system for about 4 years and it hasn’t failed me yet.

[Emm]

@TwoWheelsDC 146777 wrote:

We don’t have a garage, but my bikes are in a shed along with a bunch of other household stuff, so space is at a premium. The attached photo is actually of the shed at my old house in Arlington, but I basically recreated it (but don’t have photos easily accessible) in the shed in our new place in DC. It’s completely DIY…basically, I created wheel racks out of 2x4s for the lower part, then attached a shower rod to another 2×4 using u-bolts for the upper part. I then got heavy duty velcro straps with eyelets and ran hooks through them to hold the front wheels, which allow me to adjust the height of the hook for each bike. At this point, I’ve been using the system for about 4 years and it hasn’t failed me yet.

OHH this looks good! And it’s a good project for the husband to undertake for whenever he gets back from FEMA-land. He’s been itching for a project to use all his power tools on now that the floors in the house are done.

[Judd]

What about a vertical storage system?

https://www.theparkcatalog.com/4-bike-vertical-rack?gclid=COru1aWGv88CFctbhgodZSkHAg

After having a bunch of lawn equipment stolen from a shed, I wouldn’t ever put my dear bikes in one.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Steve O]

@TwoWheelsDC 146777 wrote:

We don’t have a garage, but my bikes are in a shed along with a bunch of other household stuff, so space is at a premium. The attached photo is actually of the shed at my old house in Arlington, but I basically recreated it (but don’t have photos easily accessible) in the shed in our new place in DC. It’s completely DIY…basically, I created wheel racks out of 2x4s for the lower part, then attached a shower rod to another 2×4 using u-bolts for the upper part. I then got heavy duty velcro straps with eyelets and ran hooks through them to hold the front wheels, which allow me to adjust the height of the hook for each bike. At this point, I’ve been using the system for about 4 years and it hasn’t failed me yet.

You can save even more space than this, if necessary, by alternating the heights of the handlebars so they overlap. Bikes can be hung as close as 12″ apart that way. The high ones would not have the wheelholders at the bottom, but one could build those on the wall instead if you like. I don’t think they are necessary at all, though–bikes will hang straight down without the wheels being constrained by anything. In this setup the hooks are loosey-goosey, so the wheelholders are needed to keep the bikes from swaying back and forth into each other. If the hooks are mounted directly on the ceiling or wall, then you can just hang the bike; no need to build anything at all. Here’s 5 bikes in the space of 3.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12510[/ATTACH]

[EasyRider]

If you’re not parking cars in your garage, another option is hang bikes from hooks in the garage ceiling. Even if you are, you can usually fit a couple in the back, so that they are suspended over the car’s hood when the garage door is closed. Putting the bikes on the ceiling frees up floor space for lawnmowers, tool boxes, kids toys, etc.

Oversize hooks are a buck or two from Home Depot; one end is a large wood screw that takes a 1/4″ pilot hole, IIRC. If rafters or studs are few and far between, you can add crossmembers and screw the hooks into those. You can squeeze a lot of bikes close together if you hang them so that one bike’s handlebars are beside the next bike’s rear wheel. You might need to take down one or more bikes to reach one further back, but it’s a small nuisance.

Garages and sheds are usually filled with the tools a thief needs to break any bicycle lock, but it never hurts to run a cable through the frames and around a heavy or immovable object like a workbench, and to lock the rear wheel to the frame with a U-lock.

[EasyRider]

Sorry, I overlooked that you wrote your husband doesn’t “trust” ceiling mounts. Without knowing why, just wanted to mention the weight ratings on these things. The cheapo hooks are rated for 25 pounds each; I think that’s conservative and 2 hooks would hold more weight. A certain large online merchant sells hooks that are rated for 60lbs each and 100lbs each, for barely more $, but the threaded screw end isn’t any longer. So my guess the rating refers to the point at which hook will bend or straighten, not when the pointy end will pull free from the wood it’s screwed approximately 2 inches into.

FWIW, all three of my bikes weigh more than 25 pounds and none of the cheapo hooks holding them up has budged in 4 years of continuous use.

[dbb]

I have my two bikes on the wall with wheel hooks sort of like this https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Leonardo-Single-Storage-colors/dp/B000FGTTEW/ref=pd_lpo_468_bs_t_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RHE62ZDDTM6FRS19AKZE A little cozy when I want to pull the table saw out but otherwise works fine. The bike that is currently being ridden most gets the spot by the door.

I screwed an eye bolt into a stud about where the crank was and have a cable and lock that keeps the bike there. Can’t unscrew the eyebolt when a bike is attached. Got a couple of locks keyed alike to keep my bikes safe.

Details (spacing and photos) if you would like more info.

I could also show the calcs to demonstrate that ceiling mounts would be fine if you want to go there.

[jabberwocky]

I store mine similarly and have for many years. Current setup:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/ZAtIxKN.jpg?1[/img]

The hooks are from Home Depot and are plenty heavy duty. The bike on the left is 45-50 pounds. Alternating front wheel and back wheel lets you get them pretty close together (the room is 150 inches wide and I have 10 bikes across it).

[vvill]

@jabberwocky 146802 wrote:

The hooks are from Home Depot and are plenty heavy duty. The bike on the left is 45-50 pounds. Alternating front wheel and back wheel lets you get them pretty close together (the room is 150 inches wide and I have 10 bikes across it).

Is there any issue storing hydro disc brake bikes like that? Thought I read something about it once

[jabberwocky]

@vvill 146805 wrote:

Is there any issue storing hydro disc brake bikes like that? Thought I read something about it once

I’ve never had a problem, and half my bikes have hydraulic discs.

[huskerdont]

@jabberwocky 146802 wrote:

I store mine similarly and have for many years. Current setup:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/ZAtIxKN.jpg?1[/img]

I am so not worthy. This yard sale is why:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12517[/ATTACH]

But yeah, ceiling hooks in studs are fine.

[Raymo853]

Regardless of the storage method, try to incorporate a good way to lock the bikes. Many bikes are stolen out of homes and apartments

[dbb]

@Raymo853 146907 wrote:

Regardless of the storage method, try to incorporate a good way to lock the bikes.

My approach. Best for sheds and garages. Big eyebolt (this one is probably a 3/8 by 5) with a cable and lock (pro tip – get all the locks you use for this keyed alike). Snap tie keeps the static end of the cable in place when your bike is out. While this won’t likely stop a really capable (and determined) thief, it will be more work than the average grab and dash thief wants to invest.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12525[/ATTACH]

[huskerdont]

“Always lock bike to immovable object.”

Quote or perhaps paraphrase from a City Paper article some years back. I don’t follow that advice for the bike I use most every day and the cheap single speed, but the others are locked to plumbing pipes.

[Steve O]

@dbb 146909 wrote:

My approach. Best for sheds and garages. Big eyebolt (this one is probably a 3/8 by 5) with a cable and lock (pro tip – get all the locks you use for this keyed alike). Snap tie keeps the static end of the cable in place when your bike is out. While this won’t likely stop a really capable (and determined) thief, it will be more work than the average grab and dash thief wants to invest.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12525[/ATTACH]

It looks to me like all I have to do is snip the tie and “voila!” n+1.

[Author]

Posts