Help: how best to store bikes?

[akelman]

As some of you know, we recently moved -- and we're finally in our new place (cue the hallelujah chorus). At our old house, we had no garage. But we did have a large shed, in which I hung bikes from hooks in the ceiling. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it worked.

At our new house, the shed is way too small for such an arrangement. And the garage has a very high ceiling and only limited wall space (there's some space, but not a ton). So what should I do with my bikes? Thanks in advance for your no-doubt excellent suggestions.

[JAGI410]

How many bikes are you looking to store? 2? 20?

[christian]

Pictures (of garage; we've all seen your bikes) would be helpful.

[sitzmark]

Hooks if you can reach high enough to hang them. If not, something like ....

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608047866357812868&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

http://www.amazon.com/RAD-Cycle-Products-Bike-Hoist/dp/B003TFOPJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420163252&sr=8-1&keywords=bicycle+storage+hoist

[akelman]

I'll post pics of the garage in the morning, when there's some light. And I'm hoping to store eight bikes, but six will do.

[DRZRM]

Do the cars take up all the floor space in the garage? If not, a floor rack. If so, have a carpenter mount a hanging rack at the right height to be accessible. I only suggest you use a carpenter rather than DIY because...well, I know you.

[akelman]

I only suggest you use a carpenter rather than DIY because...well, I know you.

Hurtful.

[akelman]

Regardless, a floor rack won't work. And there isn't a lot of available wall space. We have shelves on two walls, windows on a third, and the garage doors on the fourth.

[DRZRM]

I mean a rack from the ceiling over the cars (or behind it). Doable? Or those four-bike-racks that expand floor to ceiling, two front, two back, maybe by the windows? Or the two-bike aluminum leaning racks that might lean over your windows (I'll post links once the kids are asleep)? Sounds like up high is your best option.

And sorry, I never meant to hurt you.

This (http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Michelangelo-Two-Bike-Gravity-Stand/dp/B000ACAM38/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1420165298&sr=8-10&keywords=bike+storage+rack)might lean over the windows.

And this (http://www.amazon.com/SportRack-SR0012-Sportrack-Adjustable-Stand/dp/B00BCLKWYA/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1420165298&sr=8-9&keywords=bike+storage+rack) is free standing.

[pinkshogun]

dont do this

[Bradford]

Run two 10' pieces of black pipe parallel on the ceiling. Mount thread hooks on the pipes in sets of two. You can slide the bikes back and forth so that you can easily fit that many bikes.

In the close up pictures, you see park thread hooks with a home-made bracket (a U bolt attached to a piece of flat steel that I drilled three holes and and painted orange). In the far away picture, you can see my first attempt, regular screw hooks in one side of a wood block, eye bolts in the other. Both work just as well, but the Park thread hooks got the bikes higher.

This is one 10 foot section cut in two. As you can see, three bikes fits on easily and four would fit as well. One end is attached to the wall with a flange, the other is supported from the ceiling with a bracket I made.

If you use your imagination in attaching the hooks to the pipes, you could hang them to any length you need to get them to a height that works for you.

[dekindy]

Velohinge is a handy little gadget for limited wall space, holds one bike. Hang by front wheel and well thought out rear wheel bumper to hold bike steady while you swing the bike against the wall. I have mine next to my car and can remove bike from velohinge while it is parallel to the wall.

http://feedbacksports.com/shop/Velo-Hinge-P81C4.aspx

[rccardr]

Bikes in the garage? You mean, like, with...cars?
Outrageous!
Why do you think they invented the spare bedroom?
(Hint: ANY bedroom can become the spare bedroom when bikes are involved)

[kramnnim]

I have one of those ceiling pulley hoist things to get a tandem out of the way...it works, but is kind of annoying to use. Good way to use the dead space above the parked cars, though.

[FlashUNC]

You'd be surprised how many bikes you can hang from a wall by alternating the direction of the bars.

[weisan]

Not fanciful, but it works...and it's CHEAP!
http://www.harborfreight.com/mobile-bike-storage-61231.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_18382.jpg

[weaponsgrade]

Bradford, that's a great idea. I might have to copy it. Do you think it'll work ok if I hang by one wheel only?

[ultraman6970]

for 40 bucks looks like a nice solution. I have those 2 bikes gravity ones, not bad but looks like this one would is more versatile, In one side you can put 2 bikes and at the other side probably you can fit 2 or 3 frames w/o any problem.

[Bradford]

Bradford, that's a great idea. I might have to copy it. Do you think it'll work ok if I hang by one wheel only?

Sure, its just a vinyl covered hook, so no different than screwing one into the ceiling and hanging a bike from it. I have my wife's bike hung that way in another spot of the garage and it works just fine. I used two wheels because I needed the space underneath for one of my bike shelves and tool boxes.

[Louis]

And I'm hoping to store eight bikes, but six will do.

Ari, if we're talking numbers like this, I've found that unbuilt-frames take up a lot less room than completed bikes. Boxed-up components themselves can be stored without much difficulty.

(You see, there is a method to my madness.) ;)

[Steve in SLO]

You'd be surprised how many bikes you can hang from a wall by alternating the direction of the bars.
True...I did 9 in just over 8'