Suggestions needed - bike storage solution
 

OK, I spent an hour at the local home improvement store today looking for the best way to store a dozen-ish bikes along a single wall. The solution I'm planning to use is a set of shelf brackets holding a length of electrical conduit. Something like the attached picture but heavier duty and easier to use with hooks.

Now here's the conundrum and where I need the help/suggestions of Team Paceline. I'll be using a set of metal rings to slide along the length of the conduit. The challenge I'm facing is finding a hook that would hold the bike rim and attach to the metal ring either directly or by means of a caribiner or other method. A plastic S hook/caribiner NiteIze as an example) is one potential solution.

Have any of you guys taken this approach to bike storage? If so, how did you address the hook part of the equation? Goals are ease of use (hanging the bike and pulling it down) and protecting the rim where the hook will make contact.

Any suggestions?

TIA!

Texbike

Im having trouble picturing what you want to do. Are the rings going to be stationary or moveable? If planning on moveable your ease of hanging, or taking down, a bike will be significantly less... The rings will create a constant moving target.

They make brackets that can be bolted to I-beams, might find something similar to work with conduit where you could fix it in a permanent position and thread a machine screw bike hook into it. At that point tbough, unless you like the look of the conduit it might be easier and cheaper to use regular hooks in a 2x mounted on the wall.

Yeah, the plan is to have them moveable. It does create a few challenges, but also provides a bit of flexibility with moving bikes around/closer together if needed.

I may have actually found a solution - Park makes a threaded bike hook (instead of the typical wood screw type) that I could combine with a conduit hanger and some washers. It'll get the job done. However, I'd love to hear about any other suggestions that the team has.

Thanks!

Texbike

I use galvanized pipe, which is heavier than electrical conduit and has the threaded end. You can then screw the threaded end into a flange, which easily screws into the wall.

For the hook, I use the Park threaded bolt hook attached to a U bolt with a hole drilled into the washer. They Upside down U bolt hangs over the pipe and slides easily.

I put mine up a few years ago and it has world beautifully.

I'm away from my garage, but will take some pictures and post later.

I'm not storing full frames, but I have been using the simple bungee cords for tying down tarps to hold wheels and tires on a heavy closet rail. You just have to get the little ball oriented right.

Not sure how they would do with a full frame, but they work fine for wheels and tires...

I used these for wheels also...they worked, but kinda a pain at times.
Also they definitely stretched out quite a bit over time, depending on how heavy the wheelset was. Considering that, a BIKE is far heavier than a set of wheels, would not trust hanging up a bike with anything elastic/stretchable/snapable.

Picture
 

Here is my hook. I made the washer out of bar steel and painted it, but if the U bolt comes with a washer that will work just fine.

You can see the pipe if slides on. I fit three bikes on this easily and can slide one or two out to get to an inside bike easily.

When I was in a team we used s hooks for the storage and they worked fine. It is nice that moving the hooks around is very easy.
I wouldn't hang bikes with nice carbon wheel like this personally, tough.

Fantastic! Thanks Bradford. It looks like I'm on the right track. The threaded hooks will be ordered online since no one local seems to have them. Instead of a Ubolt, I'll use a 2 1/2 conduit hanger like the one pictured below which already has a bolt hole drilled and ready to rock. Add the threaded bike hook along with a couple of washers for reinforcement, nuts, and that should do it. I'll post pictures once it's done.

Texbike

That looks like it will work. I had to cut the hook bolt after I attached it to the bar steel washer because it went far enough to hit the pipe, buy you might get enough space with that hanger.

to space closer together
 

to space closer together alternate one up one down

Thanks Charles. I'll be sure to do that.

Texbike

Here's my setup. The system includes a unistrut channel, wheeled trolley from McMaster, and machine threaded Park hooks. There are also a few mounting brackets (not shown) that attach the unistrut channel to the joists. It works quite well. I did have to enlarge the hole on the trolly a little bit so that the threaded hook could be inserted.

Wow, that's awesome! Any way you could provide links on what you purchased?

That looks great; really elegant solution.