The bicycles are great. Whether you use it as a means of transport, for sports or recreation, you know perfectly how formidable it is to have your own bike, of course, until it is time to store it.
It does not matter if we live in a mansion or in a small apartment, when the time inevitably comes to get off the bicycle, we all have to think of a space – preferably – inside the house to store the bicycle safely and protect it not only from thieves , but also of the inclement weather.
But how to do it? If we consider that the parking lots of many apartment buildings are unsafe, and at home, the wide handlebars, the pedals hindering the passage, the inevitable marks that leave the dirty wheels on the wall, can be an annoying inconvenience to store our bicycle .
Fortunately, furniture designers and the bicycle industry understand our dilemma, and are creating numerous bicycle storage solutions for all types of circumstances and different types of bicycles.
This guide will give you solutions for storing your bike using different options that range from: bicycle wall mounts, bicycle hooks, bases, supports and even beautiful designer furniture to store our bicycles at home or department, however small it may be , so that your bike never serves as a clothesline at home.
Types of bicycle stands
Every bicycle owner knows that velocipedes are magnets for thieves and that they are susceptible to weather damage (rust, dust, etc.) so that the most sensible simply do not want to leave their bicycles to the outdoors, it is there where the following items converge to make it possible to store our precious indoor bicycles in a practical and effective way.
Bicycle stands are elements or structures that serve as an anchor on bicycles to hold them firmly. Some have moving parts, others are completely static, but all serve to receive the weight of the bicycle and prevent it from staggering or falling.
Wall bike stands
They are those that have to be recessed to the wall, either with screws or rivets and that generally consist of a fixed base – the piece that goes recessed to the wall – and a mobile flap or hook that rises or is foldable to hook the wheel there, it is usually the front tire of the bicycle.
They do not take up much space and allows the bicycle to rest vertically in relation to the wall.
Having to lift the bicycle can present an inconvenience for people of short stature or low strength.
In addition, care must be taken to keep the bicycle clean before hanging it, or to prevent the rear wheel from touching the wall and thus making it dirty. This can be done by putting a plastic, corrugated cardboard, wood or any material with which you can cover the wall at the height of the tire.
Bicycle hooks
These can be to the wall, but generally they are installed on the roof to save space, in both versions the bicycle is held vertically. These hooks are one of the easiest brackets to install and for their price they are very helpful by bicycle owners who want a simple solution at an affordable price.
There are three types:
- The hook directly installed to the ceiling or wall. It consists of one piece.
- The hooks that go on a crossbar embedded in the wall or ceiling, which allow to store more than one bicycle in the same place saving space.
- The hooks with pulleys, these are part of a more complex structure that lifts the bicycle through a system of pulleys that raise the bike to leave it suspended in the air horizontally, at the height that the conditions of the place allow (for garages or house with high ceilings work very well). It consists of a crossbar that goes to the roof, at least two pulleys with their respective moorings and a pair of hooks that hold the bicycle at each of its ends.
Because of its simplicity, the hooks have allowed to develop an infinite number of designs, some very practical and some really artistic.
Bases for bicycles
This is an independent storage system that uses a base – generally – of the tripoid type to support itself in a tubular structure, and can store more than one bicycle in the same structure, which are fastened from its frame or frame.
It is not necessary to embed it to any wall or ceiling, but there are so that its base is attached to the floor or ceiling of the room where it will be installed, through screws or rivets, this allows the whole system to be firmer and support larger weight and movement – when storing the bike – without fear that it will move or fall.
The most complete allow adjusting the height to which each bicycle is attached and even, there are those that are subject to pressure on the roof and floor where they are installed. This is achieved by unscrewing or unscrewing one of the ends of the structure that is the one that exerts pressure on the ceiling or floor by means of internal spring systems, to install them it is not necessary to drill either roof or floor.
Bike storage furniture
One of the most attractive proposals and that even has the possibility of integrating perfectly with the furniture of your house, are the furniture to store your bicycle. These are capable of holding your bike and cycling equipment (helmet, gloves, jersey, amphorae, lenses, etc.) on the same shelf.
Designed with the purpose of expanding the storage space that has been allocated to the bicycle, this type of solution for storing your bicycle is presented in different sizes to serve the different types and sizes of bicycles.
They are also manufactured in a very varied type of materials, but as furniture that is, wood is one of the most used for its manufacture.
They can usually be set up in a home space to be a one-stop center for everything related to cycling.
Being able to hold a bicycle in the main area and the equipment in a series of shelves and drawers – according to the design – trying in some of its models to become a wardrobe for your sportswear, making the most of every inch of space in small places .
Within this category, would enter those shelves or brackets that are embedded in the wall and that the bicycle is attached from the upper tube of the frame or frame. They are simple to install, and are usually made of wood or metal, allow you to use the top of the shelf to place your helmet or other objects and integrate very well with the home decoration.
How to choose the most suitable support for your bike
Knowing how to store your bike is very important to save space and keep your bike in perfect condition, and to know how to choose the best support, hook or furniture, you need to answer a series of questions that we will analyze here.
Where do you plan to store your bike?
Start by defining if you are going to protect it indoors or outdoors, will it be indoors (house or apartment) or outside (the parking lot of your building or garage in your house, on a balcony or zotehuela)? In order to know what is the best option for you.
Do you want your bike to be part of the decoration?
If you have enough space inside your home or apartment, it would be nice to ask yourself if you would like your bike to be a central element in your home. And thanks to the avant-garde designs that many of the furniture and shelves to store your bike present, the one that your bike integrates with the decoration of your home is possible.
For this purpose, it is not even necessary for you to have a piece of furniture to store your bicycle, it is also possible to use hooks and supports to incorporate your bicycle as a central element of decoration in your home.
It is all a matter of letting your personality flow and with a little work and imagination the best place to exhibit your bike will be revealed to you.
Do you have the possibility to fix the support to the wall or ceiling?
Here it is important that you consider the material of which the walls of your home are made, at present many of the new buildings have internal walls of ceiling, board and a series of materials based on cardboard, unicel and plaster that are not suitable to support the weight of a bicycle.
On the roof you have to make sure that the place you have chosen to install your support does not have a lock or load column, because if so, it will be difficult to drill that space due to the hardness of the material with which the structure was built.
Similarly, if you are renting, make sure you have the permission of the owner to make holes in their walls.
Do you need the bike to be secured?
If you only have one area – even if it is covered – that is outdoors or is a common area, as would be the parking of your building, it is best to use some support with a lock or lock system that can only be opened locked, this will deter thieves from taking your bike while it is stored.
In the same way it is possible to adapt a link to the support to be able to use your u-lock or padlock that you use regularly to secure your bike when you are on the street.
Do you need support for more than one bike?
If you are the envy of other cyclists because you have more than one bicycle, consider purchasing a support or hook system with capacity for more than one bicycle. As we have seen, there are in the market, and if necessary, a blacksmith can make you one that fits your needs completely.
Do it yourself
Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? Or maybe you have found exactly what you are looking for but you prefer to do it yourself.
Based on several of the bike storage products available in the market, there are a number of fun and even artistic ideas for storing your bike, that a person with skill for tools and inclination for construction, that has the materials necessary and proper creative thinking can come true.
From the very helpful “pallet”, to laser cutting in metal can be used to make the support to store your bike of your dreams.
