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Cheapest Bike Storage

January 12th, 2007 by Tim Grahl

Awhile back Mike and I were trying to figure out the best way to store bikes in my basement to clear out room so we actually had the space to wrench on them some. After having several incredibly in-depth and weird ideas, it hit us to just put hooks in the ceiling. We went to Lowes and got a bunch of Crawford Heavy-Duty Bike Hanger hooks for about $2 each.

Then from there we found the studs in the ceiling, drilled some holes and screwed the hooks in.

And there ya have it, incredibly cheap bike storage that keeps the bikes in as small an area as possible.

Hook 4
 
Hook 1
 
Hook 2

9 Responses to “Cheapest Bike Storage”

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  1. 1 Jsf  on Jan 12th, 2007 at 1:17 pm

    Oddly, it never occurred to me to hang them from a single wheel from the ceiling. We’ve got five on the front wall of the garage, hanging from their front wheels. They are here so that my wife can put hers away more readily - pull back on to the rear wheel, hold the bars, and roll in to the two positions for her bikes; her rear tires stay on the ground. The option to hang them from the ceiling is good, it would open up space for a shelf or two underneath…

    2 wheels on the ceiling for some, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsf/338968105/
    1 wheel on the wall for most, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsf/338967341/

  2. 2 Michael Alan Jones  on Jan 12th, 2007 at 10:56 pm

    I have hung my road bike on the wall for years, in my office upstairs. It hangs high; a foot from the ceiling, above a day-bed. I basically didn’t have any other place to hang it/store it. I put one hook up high, and just catch the handlebar on it, and one lower, to catch the top of the rear tire. All you have to do is use a stud finder, and drill a 3/16″ hole in the middle of the stud on both hooks. It kinda looks like art.

    Oh, and if you feel weird about drilling a hole in the wall, well, really, it is just two 5/16″ (or so) holes, and you can easily put spackling in there, if you ever change your mind. I like it.

    Here is a picture:
    http://bellsouthpwp.net/m/i/michaelalanjones/cycling/my_giant_ocr-1_on_the_wall.jpg

  3. 3 Karl Etzel  on Jan 17th, 2007 at 1:47 am

    If you have open rafters/beams in the overhead of your garage, here is a cheaper solution - just use the saddle of the bike to hang it on the beam. I have alot of open beams in my garage and I have very flexible bike hanging storage all over the place. Easy to move the bikes side to side as well to get to stuff. But have also been hanging bikes by 1 wheel for a long time and it works great.

    Cheers
    Karl

  4. 4 patty gilroy  on Jan 17th, 2007 at 9:50 pm

    Instead of drilling use a bar of soap on the screw, it wil go into the wood with no problem. I have done it with rafters, rafts, name it. Also use the rear wheel vs the front wheel less stress on the forks. I currently am in an apartment and am hanging 2 bikes in the laundry room.

  5. 5 Ellydozer  on Jun 9th, 2007 at 11:19 am

    does anyone have any concerns on rim damage with this method?

  6. 6 mrLee  on Jun 11th, 2007 at 8:40 am

    As to rim damage, I’m sure the 30 or so pounds of the bike weight on the rim is less stressful than my 200lbs. riding over road bumps.

  7. 7 Simon Townsend  on Jul 30th, 2007 at 1:05 am

    I’m concerned about rim damage. Mr lee say 30lbs v’s 200lb on rides. But this isn’t strickly true. forces on a ride act toward the hub of the wheel. this is what a wheel is designed for. The forces acting on the rim from suspending it from a hook are acting away from the hub. I think that this would be pulling away from the spokes.
    But other people seem to store bikes like this so i’m not sure. love to hear more on this.

  8. 8 Karl Etzel  on Jul 31st, 2007 at 9:06 am

    Even when you ride the hub is “hanging” from the top of the rim - spokes only work in tension, not compression. The spokes at the bottom of the wheel are not actually holding the hub up. They are seeing lower tension though than they see when the wheel is unloaded, this is why you need nice tight spokes - so they dont become totally unstressed & loosen as the wheel rolls around.

    Jobst Brandt’s book on wheels goes into all this in more detail, it’s a good reference.

  9. 9 Rod  on Oct 25th, 2007 at 9:43 am

    I do the same with all four of my bikes. Works great!! One suggestion though… Hang from the rear wheel. I agree with “patty”. I am more concerned about damage from long term tension on the front suspension, fork or head set than wheel damage or warpage. I hang my kid’s GTs from the rear wheel. I hang My Gary Fisher from both wheels at the same time(Selfish Dad). This also allows me to get my SUV in the garage when the front of the bike is not hanging low.

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