# Bike Storage Options



## maxkimber (Jul 8, 2011)

I am in the process of buying a new bike, my wife already has hers, and my two kids have their 18" BMXs. I am running out of room in the garage:madmax:. I need some ideas/suggestions...

1. Can you hang bikes with suspension forks by the front tire?

2. How do you store your bikes? Pics welcomed...

Thank you.


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## gize (Jul 11, 2011)

I'm in the same boat, anyone? Garage ceiling storage solutions and if certain methods will harm bike?


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## Sideknob (Jul 14, 2005)

I put some metal hooks up in my shed along one wall, and hang my bikes by either the front or back wheel. I will alternate between the front and back wheel as the hanging point, as I like to have the fork oil make its way to the upper seals when the bike is hung by the front wheel to keep those lubed.

You won't hurt your bike by hanging it by either wheel - been doing it for years with a variety of bikes with a variety of forks and brake setups with no ill effect.


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## loginfailed (Jul 15, 2008)

I made a bike rack against the wall using PVC. 

I can't post links yet (below 10 posts) but just google "PVC bike rack" and there are quite a few examples.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Some forks will leak when they are left hanging by the front tire for long periods of time. So if you're going to store the bike for winter it's best to do it by the back wheel. Short periods of time, either way is fine. I also store some of my bike by hanging them from the saddle from the rafters in my garage.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

I use these, I don't like hanging mine by the wheels.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

^^^
I had one of those in NY.

I have a wall rack now, that takes two bikes. They hang by the top tube. Something like this.

http://www.amazon.com/Gear-Lean-Machine-Gravity-Bike/dp/B0039KANCI/ref=pd_sbs_sg_19

A guy I know has some hanging hooks in his garage on a rope hoist system. They hang over the cars. I don't like that system because I think it's a pain to get the bikes down. But that's another option.


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## manudt1 (Feb 22, 2009)

There are vertical bike racks that might suit you well.

http://www.pricepoint.com/popups/po...ck at PricePoint.com&title=Current Zoom Image

i don't have this but I too am running out of space and considering this option. This one is from price point for $50.


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## BoomerBrian (Jun 27, 2011)

Harbor Freight tools has a bike storage rack that is on wheels for 45 dollars. It can hold up to 6 bikes. I would post a link but I can't.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

These bicycle lifts are on sale for $5.00 at Harbor Freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/bicycle-lift-95803.html









The kids bikes are scattered about right now, but I'll be using something simple like the Racor PIW-1R/PIW-1W Pro Wall-Mount Bike Hanger (< $10 each) to hang them on the wall soon.


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## pabloquintana (Mar 17, 2010)

zebrahum said:


> Some forks will leak when they are left hanging by the front tire for long periods of time.


Man, that will only mean you have a bad seal. Time for an overhaul. 

And if you have a bad seal, better is you find about it this way, instead of allowing dirt get in your fork chambers.

P


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

pabloquintana said:


> Man, that will only mean you have a bad seal. Time for an overhaul.
> 
> And if you have a bad seal, better is you find about it this way, instead of allowing dirt get in your fork chambers.
> 
> P


Absolutely true, but you have to remember that most people will have no idea that the puddle of oil under the bike that they hung up 6 months ago means that they need to rebuild their fork then gasp at the cost of doing so.


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## pabloquintana (Mar 17, 2010)

zebrahum said:


> then gasp at the cost of doing so.


If they gasp at it or do not know where the oil is coming from, maybe they shouldn't have an oil damped suspension in their bikes.

Is like having a performance tuned sports car and you do not know how to drive. Will not make sense. Sorry for being that blunt.



P


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

pabloquintana said:


> If they gasp at it or do not know where the oil is coming from, maybe they shouldn't have an oil damped suspension in their bikes.
> 
> Is like having a performance tuned sports car and you do not know how to drive. Will not make sense. Sorry for being that blunt.
> 
> ...


I understand what you're saing, but that's simply not the case for either high end sports cars nor bicycles with hydraulically damping. Understanding something is not prerequisite for purchasing it, wether it should be or not. I'd see at least 2 bikes per year that people would bring in obliviously with oil streaming down the fork legs because they stored the bike by the front wheel. 90% of the time we would have to point it out, those people simply did not realize that was some sort of issue.

Long story short, if you're going to store the bike for a long period of time store it flat. If it is hung by the front wheel then you're going to have to check in on it every few weeks to make sure the seals are still holding. In all honesty, those seals are meant to keep the oil from splashing out and not to retain the oil in the system for long periods of time.


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## eviltweak (Jul 29, 2011)

I hang my bike by the saddle. I have 2 bars that come out of my cealing and a bar that spans between the two. So I just pick up my bike and hang it bye the seat. It's the only way I found to store my bike flat while hanging it.


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## dualpivot (Jul 30, 2011)

I found cheap wall hooks at Home Depot. They work fine...


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I think not knowing how to maintain a suspension fork and not knowing how to ride are two very different things.

One of my teammates is putting the hurt on the Expert Women this season. She has a very nice bike, but barely knows what tires are on it. Luckily, her husband takes care of it, but I'd hardly call her unworthy of a nice ride. If anything, she's more worthy than most of us.


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## nikojan (Jun 18, 2011)

http://www.sears.ca/product/gladiator-bike-claw-gawuxxcpvk/609-000153197-GAWUXXCPVK

Click to lock it in, click to unlock it. If you want real advice you need to give us more information. Is the garage complete? Does it have drywall, do you have any wall systems, is it a brick wall all around? If you don't have a wall system and don't want one you can get the one that amounts to the ceiling, it works just as well, most likely better.

http://www.gladiatorgarageworks.com/content.jsp?pageName=claw

EDIT: I forgot to mention, if your garage is complete and has drywall you have to be careful. Putting a screw into a piece of drywall will not hold a bike, you need to screw them into a stud so make sure you have room for it before drilling. Studs are usually 16 inches apart, you can most likely just knock on the wall until you hear a solid sound.


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## maxkimber (Jul 8, 2011)

nikojan said:


> http://www.sears.ca/product/gladiator-bike-claw-gawuxxcpvk/609-000153197-GAWUXXCPVK
> 
> Click to lock it in, click to unlock it. If you want real advice you need to give us more information. Is the garage complete? Does it have drywall, do you have any wall systems, is it a brick wall all around? If you don't have a wall system and don't want one you can get the one that amounts to the ceiling, it works just as well, most likely better.
> 
> ...


My garage is finished and just drywall. I fully understand proper anchoring of items hung on a wall.

I am just curious to see what other folks with limited space are using for storage options. This will probably be a Fall project for me; a complete garage make-over. So, I am gathering ideas...


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## maxkimber (Jul 8, 2011)

eviltweak said:


> I hang my bike by the saddle. I have 2 bars that come out of my cealing and a bar that spans between the two. So I just pick up my bike and hang it bye the seat. It's the only way I found to store my bike flat while hanging it.


Would love to see a pic of this is use...


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## nikojan (Jun 18, 2011)

Thats what I'm working on now. I moved everything out of the garage, pressured washed and cured the floor was about to get ready to put the Behr garage floor epoxy and paint on when I decided to go for a quick bike ride. I ended up going over the handlebars and skidding my knees, elbos and wrists...


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## maxkimber (Jul 8, 2011)

nikojan said:


> Thats what I'm working on now. I moved everything out of the garage, pressured washed and cured the floor was about to get ready to put the Behr garage floor epoxy and paint on when I decided to go for a quick bike ride. I ended up going over the handlebars and skidding my knees, elbos and wrists...


Nice... I just plan to just reorganize the walls, i.e. add peg board, bike storage, yard tool storage improvements, etc. I would love to do the floor, maybe someday...


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## nikojan (Jun 18, 2011)

maxkimber said:


> Nice... I just plan to just reorganize the walls, i.e. add peg board, bike storage, yard tool storage improvements, etc. I would love to do the floor, maybe someday...


It's really not that expensive. I opted to get rent a diamond grinder and a friend who knows how operate one which cost a bit more than I expected but if you just go straight to paint it shouldn't cost more than 200.


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## manabiker (Jul 18, 2010)

If you have Hydraulic brakes its best to keep your bike level, there is air in the system and it will go to the top, if you hang it upside down or otherwise you are asking for problems, bleeding them brakes can be a hassel that is best to avoid..


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## eviltweak (Jul 29, 2011)

Sorry about the cell phone pics.. the pics make the bikes look not very horizontal but they are really flat

We store 5 bikes on the bar and have no issues with it


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## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)

hanging by your wheel is fine....front or rear...

I use those big cheap rubber coated hooks you can get from hardware stores

hanging oil forks upside down keeps the seals wet...i have had zero issues.

unless you have a Fox Terralogic fork....if they are upside down for a while you'll need to 'slam' the front wheel down a few times to get the inertia valve working..

which is frustrating.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

eviltweak said:


> Sorry about the cell phone pics.. the pics make the bikes look not very horizontal but they are really flat
> 
> We store 5 bikes on the bar and have no issues with it


That's an awesome idea.


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## Chicago Ryder (Apr 2, 2008)

How do lock their bikes in their garage w/o having a pole, etc. inside. I just had my mower stolen from the garage and am shocked they didn't take any of my bikes.


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## anukto (Aug 5, 2011)

maxkimber said:


> I am in the process of buying a new bike, my wife already has hers, and my two kids have their 18" BMXs. I am running out of room in the garage:madmax:. I need some ideas/suggestions...
> 
> 1. Can you hang bikes with suspension forks by the front tire?
> 
> ...


I've seen specialized racks that you can mount on the wall and then hang your entire bike off of it. That's ideal for small apartments.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Chicago Ryder said:


> How do lock their bikes in their garage w/o having a pole, etc. inside. I just had my mower stolen from the garage and am shocked they didn't take any of my bikes.


You could put an eyelet in the wall or an anchor in the concrete floor to chain to. Or you could just lock things together, the harder things are to move the less attractive they are to steal. Sometimes in absence of a bike rack we will lock a group of bikes together. A perfect solution? Hardly, but it's better than just letting them all sit out in the open unlocked.


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## maxkimber (Jul 8, 2011)

eviltweak said:


> Sorry about the cell phone pics.. the pics make the bikes look not very horizontal but they are really flat
> 
> We store 5 bikes on the bar and have no issues with it


Thanks for the pics... Great idea.:thumbsup:


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## mcreek27 (Aug 8, 2011)

I'm terrified of having my bike stolen from outside my apartment. Luckily my roommates let me keep it in our storage shed! Although that may be a problem when we get more things and I'll have to be equally crafty in a space solution, haha.


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## boostinzx (Sep 9, 2008)

May have to try the bar idea, I have my 2 nicer bikes just sitting around the garage, while the 2 older ones are hanging upside down by both wheels...


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## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

Gear Up Up & Away 2 Bike Wall Mount Storage Rack - Dick's Sporting Goods mounted as high as possible. My wife can not take the bike down , but they are well over head.


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## Wolfie1992 (Apr 26, 2006)

eviltweak said:


> Sorry about the cell phone pics.. the pics make the bikes look not very horizontal but they are really flat
> 
> We store 5 bikes on the bar and have no issues with it


One of my LBS has their display bikes hanging on bars just like this. It's a great idea.

While I have a couple of floor to ceiling 2 bike stands it is hard to beat the el cheapo Wal Mart/Home Depot hooks for cost effectiveness. If you have a flat surface to hang them from then you just put two up and hang away. You're out about $5 or so....


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## godsang (May 24, 2010)

I heard that it's ok to store them hanging, but if there's an air bubble in the shock chamber, it could prevent the shocks from working properly until the bike has sat upright for about 10 minutes. I stored my bike by hanging it until I started to have problems with getting the right shock pressure to start my ride. So, I stopped hanging the bike after that. I'm no longer in an apartment. I'm in a house with a shed. My husband's and my 6 bikes are stored in the shed. They look like a corral of farm animals who can't move around. The road bikes are stored set up in the trainers in the basement.


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## To be named later (Jul 22, 2010)

I love Lezyne products, but damn they are always high priced. That said......I'm pretty sure one of these will end up on my new Marin.


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