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Garage Bike Storage Ideas: Pros & Cons Of Each Type

With gas prices continually rising, you may have switched your mode of transport to cycling, at least some of the time. Whether you ride to work or school, to stay fit or for fun, you will need somewhere to store your bike when you’re not riding it.

The main conventional garage bike storage ideas are floor stands, wall hooks or racks and ceiling hoists.

But how about this innovative idea to store your bikes on the side of your garage? Might be a tad over the top though!

Manifesto Bike Hanger

Photo credit: Manifesto Architecture

So which conventional option is best for you? Below are the pros and cons of each.

==> Click HERE for our favorites: prices from approx. $7 to $60 <==

Floor stands

Floor bike stand

These are the kind seen at schools and other public places.

Garage bike storage ideas - Floor bike stand

Pros:

They are easy to use, especially for children, as you just wheel your bike into the stand.
Your bikes are ‘ready to ride’ straight out of the garage.
They hold multiple bikes.
They are portable so easily moved around the garage with your changing needs or to take with you if you move home.
They can be used in the trunk of your car too if taking your bikes out.

Cons:

They take up valuable garage floor space.
You need to negotiate your way around the bikes and stand on the garage floor as you move around your vehicle.

Cost: from approx. $28.

Gravity bike stand

These are freestanding bike storage racks.

Gravity Bike Stand

Pros:

Vertical storage takes up minimal floor space.
They are efficient, holding 2 bikes in a small area.
They are not mounted to a wall, but rather lean on one so are easily repositioned or taken with you if you move (although they can be anchored to the wall or floor if you are concerned about stability).
They are easy to assemble.

Cons:

The top bike has to be lifted quite high making it unsuitable for children to use.

Cost: from approx. $50

Bike pole

These are tension mounted floor to ceiling poles with integrated bike hangers.

Bike Pole

Pros:

Being tension mounted, these bike poles are easy to set up and take down. No installation is necessary.
They can hold 2 bikes using minimal garage floor space.
They gain stability by being tightened to the ceiling and floor.
They are easy to move around anywhere in your garage as and when necessary.
The bike hangers are height and angle adjustable, making them ultimately customizable.

Cons:

The top bike has to be lifted quite high making it unsuitable for children to use.

Cost: from approx. $60

Wall bike hooks, hangars and racks

These are screwed into wall studs.

Wall Bike Hanger

Pros:

They free up garage floor space and are ideal if you don’t have a high garage ceiling.
They are often the cheapest option.
They are often quite small so look neater and don’t take up much room if you are short on space.
Some incorporate useful features such as extra hooks, shelves or baskets which can be used to store your cycling accessories like helmets.
Some fold away so they are not a nuisance when not in use.
They can be found as part of overall garage organization systems such as Fast Track Rubbermaid which can organize everything in your garage in one go.

Rubbermaid Bike Hooks

Photo credit: Rubbermaid Products

Cons:

They need to be firmly secured to your garage wall which makes them more difficult to install. You will need to be able to find wall studs and have basic DIY experience or you will need to employ a tradesman.
If you decide to move them to another location at a later date, you will be left with holes to fill. This may not matter depending on the aesthetics of your garage unless you are renting or moving home.
With horizontal racks, you need adequate wall space to accommodate all of your bikes.
With vertical racks, the bikes will intrude into the garage space unless they are hung in an unobtrusive corner.
As they protrude from the wall, they can be annoying unless they fold away. They may get bashed into or catch on things.
Depending on how high they are mounted, you will need to lift the bikes up to varying heights. This will not be suitable for children.
If you hang your bikes so they float about your car’s hood, you may have to move the car to get the bikes down.

Cost: from approx. $7

Garage ceiling bike storage

Ceiling mounted bike lifts and hoists work like window blinds – you pull the rope to lift the bike and release the rope to lower it.

Garage ceiling bike storage

Pros:

These use no garage floor space and do not interfere with walking around your vehicle by keeping the walls clear too. They make use of all that unused space overhead.
There is no need to lift the bikes onto wall hooks or bike poles and stands. No ladders are required.
They use easy to operate pulley systems to raise and lower your bike and take about 2-3 minutes in each direction.
They are surprisingly affordable for such a convenient system.
They are ideal if you are short of floor or wall storage space.
They are a safe storage option as they cannot be bumped into.
You can raise your bike to a suitable height to perform maintenance tasks more easily.
They add an extra level of security from thieves – a bike on a floor stand will be easier to steal than a bike floating in mid air.

Cons:

They attach to the garage ceiling, so the ceiling joists need to be strong enough to support the load.
You need to have experience of DIY work to install them unless you employ a tradesman.
Due to their inherent safety risks, you should only buy good quality products with locking mechanisms that cannot lose control when you are lifting or lowering your bike.
You need a tall garage ceiling to be able to use such a system. The height should be sufficient for the height of your car, your bike and any clearance required for the hoist.
Most options only hold one bike.
They have their own safety problems if not installed correctly or if the maximum load is exceeded.

Cost: from approx. $11

Garage Bike Storage 101

When you and your family are not riding your bikes, where are they stored? Are they flung on the garage floor to be tripped or driven over anytime soon? Or are they leant against the garage wall to fall down like dominoes if given the slightest nudge?

If so, read on to learn about some easy to use, innovative and affordable garage bike storage ideas.

Racor Gravity Bike Rack

Why you need garage bike storage solutions

Bicycles, by their very nature, are an awkward shape and size to store easily. They are often left leaning against the garage wall where they can be knocked over or laid on the floor where they could be driven or tripped over. Either way, you are putting not only the bike at risk of damage but also your vehicle and your family.

If your family bikes are taking up your garage floor space, the chances are your vehicle is left parked outside. If so, you are among the 42% of garage owners in a similar position. What a waste!

So take control and regain that floor space in your garage. Look at the many garage organization systems specifically designed for bikes – floor bike stands make the most efficient use of your floor space but you can also use the under-utilized wall and ceiling storage space.

This way you will keep your bikes safe from scratches, rust and other damage.

How much does garage bicycle storage cost?

Our top picks in all categories of bike hooks, hoists and stands range from about $7 to $50. This is a real bargain for the added convenience, space savings and safety you will end up with.

==> Click HERE for our Garage Bike Storage TOP PICKS <==

Types of garage bicycle racks available

Garage bike storage solutions can be categorized by where they are located and style.

Firstly you need to decide whether you want a floor, wall or ceiling mounted system.

Then you need to choose between stands, racks, hooks or hoists.

To learn about the pros and cons of each type, please read our other article covering all the garage bike storage ideas.

How to choose the best garage bike racks for you

Simple to use

As well as cost the main thing to look for when choosing between the many garage bike storage ideas is ease of USE as opposed to ease of STORAGE. This may seem like an odd thing to say but although you want your bike to be safely stored when not in use, you also want easy access to it.

If it will take you half an hour to get your bike out or down from storage the chances are you will not bother with that Sunday afternoon family cycle ride. So look for something that is easy to use.

Even the more innovative bicycle garage storage options are easy to use. Just look at how quickly this 15 year old boy raises and lowers this bike hoist:

Ease of installation

Where your garage bike rack is going to be located will determine how easy it is to install. If you are not that great at DIY, you might be better off choosing a floor stand that just snaps together. If you are comfortable with finding and screwing into wall studs and ceiling joists you can consider wall and garage ceiling bike storage.

Available space in your garage

If you have plenty of room in your garage then you can really choose any storage solution. If you are short of floor space, then a wall or ceiling mounted option would be best.

With wall bike racks, make sure you position them high enough that you can park your car but leave easy access to the car and bike. You don’t want to struggle walking around your car or be banging your head on the bike. They should also store the bike quite close to the wall, without giving rise to damage from scratches.

With overhead bike storage, make sure you have enough height in your garage to accommodate the clearance of the hoist, the bike and your car.

Safety

If you buy a quality product in terms of stability and built in safety features then you are half way there but there are other safety issues to consider.

If you have children and you don’t want to be having to put away and get out their bikes for them every day, choose a solution that is child friendly. This may well be a floor stand that bikes roll into easily rather than a wall hook where bikes need to be lifted up and down.

Even if you don’t have kids, consider your own physical health and whether you have the strength to be lifting your bike on and off of wall racks.

Look for hooks or racks that can be folded away when not in use if your garage is a tight fit, so you do not walk into them and hurt yourself.

Consider the weight of the bike and whether it is too heavy for the bike storage rack you are looking at. In this day and age, this is unlikely but is definitely worth double checking. You should also check your bike’s instruction manual to see if there are any warnings about storing the bike incorrectly. For example, bikes with hydraulic disc brakes should not be hung upside down.

Lastly but certainly very importantly, think about the strength of your wall studs and ceiling joists. Are they up to the job of supporting your garage bicycle storage unit?

Functionality

How many bikes do you want to store? Will your proposed solution accommodate them all or do you need to buy two or more?

Are there built in features that make the storage rack more useful? Examples would include shelves that could be used to store bike helmets, maintenance equipment etc. Or can the rack offer you a dual purpose as a maintenance stand too, where you can oil the chain or change a tire easily?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on garage bike storage. Please leave me a comment.

5 Questions To Consider Before Looking At Garage Shelving Ideas

Choosing and installing one of the many garage shelving ideas is a popular way to create storage space in a garage. They make the most of the wasted vertical space on the walls and allow you to organize the clutter that is overrunning the place.

“The average garage has more than 150 sq. ft. of unused storage space. “
FamilyHandyman.com

We’ve all been there with the tools, garden implements, sports equipment and general household long term storage that starts off on the edges but gradually creeps in so much that you can no longer squeeze the car in.

Eventually you get sick of knocking stuff over when you try to park your car and look for options that will make your garage safer, more efficient and pleasing to be in.

You wouldn’t have a kitchen without cabinets, so why put up with a garage without shelves? It’s time to get organized, but don’t rush. Consider the following questions to ensure you buy the right garage shelving for you.

Question 1 – What do I want to store on my garage shelves?

Garage shelving systems should be assessed based on what you intend to store on them. So before you look at any buying options, you should work your way through exactly what you have got currently cluttering up your garage floor.

Toss or donate anything that you no longer want or need and assess the rest in terms of size, weight and volume. This will tell you how deep your shelves need to be, how much height you need between shelves, the overall shelving space you require and how strong the shelves need to be.

Question 2 – Does my garage have any available floor space?

Start with the big things that need to be stored in your garage and allocate them a home in your new ‘organized garage’ plan. This would include your car (yes, a novel idea I know!), your lawnmower, wheelbarrow etc.

Do you have any floor space left?

If YES …

Then you can consider freestanding garage shelving units such as heavy duty plastic shelving units, or perhaps wire shelving systems on wheels.

Cabinets would be another good option if you want to fully enclose (and even lock) your items, in the case of dangerous substances for the car, the pool etc., or if you just want your garage to look more neat and tidy.

Look for units with adjustable shelves so you can reconfigure your storage as needed.

It is often a good idea to attach any freestanding units to the wall to stop them toppling over.

Best Buys

Garage Shelving Ideas

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Sterilite 4 Shelf Shelving Unit – heavy duty plastic, lightweight and affordable

Seville Classics Shelving System With Wheels

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Seville Classics Shelving System With Wheels – heavy duty adjustable wire shelving

If NO …

Then you are left with the walls and ceiling being your only viable storage spaces.

Garage Wall shelves

Wall mounted garage shelving can be fixed into studs at functional points around your garage at multiple levels creating tiered stacking space. You can even create your own garage organization system by adding in hooks and racks. Wall shelves are quite versatile in that you can choose a mixture of small ones (for things like spray paint cans), large ones (for large storage totes) and even solid ones (perhaps for potting plants in winter).

The simplest wall shelves can be achieved by just screwing brackets into studs and mounting a wooden board on top. Just make sure you buy brackets and fixings that are up to the job, ie, choose heavy duty brackets for heavy duty loads.

A similar but more adjustable wall shelving system can be achieved by fixing vertical tracks (or metal standards) onto the wall studs. Brackets are then locked into the various slots and can be moved up and down as desired. Mount your shelves on top.

Adjustable Garage Shelving Ideas

Photo credit: http://www.closet-shelf.com/

Best Buys

Hyloft Wall Shelves

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Two large steel, wall shelves made by Hyloft – large, strong and attractive.

Overhead ceiling storage

Overhead ceiling storage is an often overlooked part of the usable space in your garage. It is ideal for long term out of the way storage but can also be made easily accessible by way of pulley driven storage lifts if this is your only storage option. Just make sure it is high enough so you don’t hit your head! A good rule of thumb is to check how much room you have between the ceiling and the top of the garage door.

Best Buys

Hyloft Ceiling Storage

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Large capacity suspended garage shelving from Hyloft – easy access and visibility, affordable

Question 3 – Should I choose plastic, metal or wooden garage shelving units?

Plastic garage shelving is lightweight, efficient, affordable and quick to install. It comes as shelving units that are easy to move over time as your needs change. They work well with plastic storage boxes and bins that can help to organize your smaller items on the shelves. They also do not need any maintenance such as painting.

Metal or steel garage shelving comes as either wire shelving or solid shelves. They are heavier and more expensive than plastic shelves. Wire shelves have the added advantage of allowing air to circulate more freely but are inherently weaker than solid shelves. Steel gives a clean and open look to your shelving but does need to be protected against moisture which will cause it to rust.

Wire Garage Shelving

Photo credit: http://www.organizemymessygarage.com/

Wooden garage shelves are cheaper than metal and ideal if you want a customized garage shelving system. The possibilities with wood are endless although you do need some basic DIY skills to be able to work with it. 2×4″ supports combined with 3/4″ plywood are popular choices to work with, although you can purchase thicker wood for more sturdy shelves. Remember you will need to treat the wood to prevent rot. Custom wooden garage organization systems are obviously a permanent solution, so you should opt for kits or shelving units if you want something that can go with you when you move house.

Wooden Garage Shelving

Photo credit: http://techtalk.parts-express.com/

Best Buys

ShelfLinks

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ShelfLinks – just add wood to build custom wooden shelves easily

Question 4 – How much can I afford to spend?

In the end, the shelves you decide upon will largely be determined by your budget. If you cannot afford very much here are a few cheap garage shelving ideas:

The John Sterling range of metal standards and brackets are affordable but excellent quality shelving components, to give you an adjustable shelving system.
Check out Freecycle and Craigslist for second hand shelving units.
Use some old cinder blocks and wooden planks. Build two columns of blocks (don’t go too high) and in between every 2 blocks, put some wood connecting the two towers, creating a shelf.
Find a friend or family member who is remodeling their kitchen and ask if you can have their old kitchen cabinets to mount in your garage.
Create a large mobile garage shelving unit for under $30 – check it out here.

Cheap Garage Shelving

Photo credit: http://www.adrianandgenese.com/

Question 5 – What have I forgotten about?

The four main mistakes people make when selecting their garage shelving storage are:

lack of planning – you need to anticipate your future needs and ensure they can be met with the current system, either immediately or by expanding in the future.
buying the wrong kind – shelves that are not sturdy enough to support y.our items will be a waste of money at best and dangerous at worst. Sagging or collapsed shelves are not a good look.
not taking measurements – it is vital that you know the dimensions of the area of your garage that you are buying shelves for. This is even more important when you are customizing your own system from wood, where you will also need to consider how far your shelves can span without support.
fixing them incorrectly – the material your garage is built from, will determine which attachments you need to fix shelving to the walls. Be sure that whatever you buy can be securely fixed to the kind of wall you have.

If you avoid these mistakes you will be well on your way to choosing effective shelving for your garage.

You’re now ready to make your garage shelving choices.

The overriding criteria to consider when choosing your garage shelving are:

are they simple?

are they durable?

are they easy to assemble or install?

If so, you’re good to go!

Organizing Your New Shelves

When you’ve decided upon, purchased and installed your new garage shelving ideas, it’s time to store everything away.

Keep frequently used items at the most accessible level. Compartmentalize your space to keep groups of like items together, whether they are tools or old toys etc.

Anything that is bulky or is being stored for the long term should be stored up high out of the way.

I’d love to hear any unique ideas you have for garage shelving. Please leave me a comment.

Garage Shelving Ideas: Best Buys

Best Buy 1 – Sterilite 4 Shelf Shelving Unit

Garage Shelving Ideas

This heavy duty shelving unit made of plastic but with a tubular construction, offers four sturdy garage shelves each of which can hold up to 150 lbs. Providing nearly 12 feet of shelf space, it is affordable, lightweight and quick to assemble.

==> Click HERE for current price <==

Best Buy 2 – Seville Classics Shelving System With Wheels

Seville Classics Shelving System With Wheels

This five shelf mobile system is suitable for heavy-duty commercial storage so perfect for your garage. It can hold up to 600 lbs in weight over its 25 feet of shelf space and is easy to assemble without tools. The shelves are interlocking so can be configured in a number of ways and be adjusted at a later date.

==> Click HERE for current price <==

Best Buy 3 – Hyloft Garage Wall Shelves

Hyloft Wall Shelves

Hyloft’s well thought of two pack of large steel, wall shelves (45″ x 15″) are strong, durable and fix onto wall studs. They can hold up to 200 lbs each so are more than capable of storing your heavy yard or sports gear.

==> Click HERE for current price <==

Best Buy 4 – Hyloft Overhead Storage System

Hyloft Ceiling Storage

Another great product from Hyloft, the space saving geniuses, this 45″ square overhead storage system can be used to store up to 30 cubic feet of items, that’s about a dozen 15 gallon plastic storage boxes. It can take 250 lbs of weight and is simple to set up.

With easy access from all four sides and great visibility to see what you have stored where, it is ideal for storing large and bulky items that are cluttering up your garage floor. Why not install a number of these shelves together to create a run of garage ceiling storage.

You can adjust the height from 16″ to 28″ which gives you some flexibility if you have head clearance issues.

==> Click HERE for current price <==

Best Buy 5 – ShelfLinks 6 Pack

ShelfLinks

When working with 2×4″ supports, this six pack of ShelfLinks, can help you to build strong shelves of any size. They are affordable and ensure your custom shelving system is built securely and fast.