Bikes garage storage

@superficial

For the sliding rail people: Is there any reason why the sliding rail couldn’t go on a wall? Bikes would still hang down from a front wheel, and in my case I’d avoid having to find the studs, plus I could put a shelf above the bikes. Also, since they’d be resting against the wall, they would only move if you picked them up one at a time (potentially also a disadvantage). I might have to engineer something to allow the hook to bend down at its natural angle I guess?

Two reasons why it wouldn’t work, for one the carriages need the wheels to be vertical or they won’t run, for another the wheel would drag along the wall whenever you tried to move it.

Poor mans version could be scaffolding tripod rail type thing with huge S hooks

Still keen on hearing any recommendations for any specific bits of sliding rail kit

While unistrut is cheaper- the channels the cheap part. 41*41 Unistrut 4 wheel trolleys are 30 quid each so there’s the best part of 300 quid

maybe….?

@superficial @squirrelking

Two reasons why it wouldn’t work

How about two tracks, one at floor height, one at hook height. Link the carriages with a timber or metal strut as long as the bikes wheelbase, and use something like a steady rack or traditional wall hook with rear wheel slot to hang the bike onto the strut.

Slightly less convenient with the rear wheel positioning but should keep all the loading on the carriages in the right direction of the bikes are kept off the floor.

E: also at least twice the cost!

You could probably do something similar with sliding/pocket door hardware actually.

In that scenario I’d be mounting the bottom rail horizontally with the wheels on the user side, reason being the forces should be pushing the bottom of the post toward the wall. Your top rail would still need to have the carriage mounted with the wheels down and mounted out from the wall to accommodate some swing and adjustment of the lower carriage.

If that sounds confusing just think of a pendulum then imagine mounting a bike to one side of it and what it would do to the centre of gravity (would naturally swing out to the opposite side to the bike).

It sounds good in theory but in reality it would probably be a pig to work, there would be twisting forces in the lower carriage that would cause it to jam (the bike would swing and twist the mount every time you move it) and would cost considerably more to correct than just mounting a beam above the centre of gravity in the first place.

Good thread, I really like the look of those racks, particularly that Amazon £59.99 one. I’m now in a similar problematic situation.

I have a pentagonal garage (strange I know) which is great for working on cars and with just the two bikes, everything fitted in fine.

My partner now has a 29’er and I guess because it’s women’s geometry, it’s longer than either of mine. Both of mine were secured to the far wall using Clugs, but the MTB one will not fit the 2.4″ tyre on her 29’er, despite what the website says.

I’ve considered shifting some stuff around, either turning the bikes by 90 degrees or trying to put the clug high up the wall where the roofbox currently is, so that the bikes are then vertical to the wall. But as far as I can see, I don’t gain much usable space.

Is the best option one of those metal multi bike floor stands and just alternate the bikes (front first, rear first, front first)? I can’t put a third clug on the wall next to the other two, as I won’t be able to open the passenger door on the car.

Mount the roof box vertically next to all the bikes?

It’d take a braver man than me to risk it falling either side or onto the car! 🙂

I’ve done a bit of rejigging and moved the Clugs up onto the wall, and shunted the roof box along by half a metre. Unfortunately the new 29er’s handlebars are a perfect match for the height of my 26″ Rockhopper, and so I’d be blocking one of the bikes in if I get a third Clug.

I guess a ‘normal’ wall hook and hanging the bike from the rear wheel might work, bit of a big ask to get my partner to pop her bike on the wall that way though :/ Either way seems it’s freed up a bit of manoeuvre room

I’ve ordered up the 6 bike sliding wall rack from amazon.

Will let you all know how I get on with it

Looking at that I would get the roof box out of the way. Higher up on the same wall to allow more room for underneath or on the back wall under the wall units.
Our roof box, windsurfers and a multitude of other stuff are high up with bike storage underneath. Bikes are hung with front wheel at 45% to maximize space and rear wheel on the ground. Other bikes are slotted between rear wheels.

Bookmarking for when I move in a month or so and will have a proper garage to hang up 2 mtbs and a few family bikes.

Thanks for suggestions, the roof box unfortunately can’t go any higher due to the roof and that weird remaining window.

I did contemplate moving it beneath the units but it would be a Herculean task to manoeuvre it past the car to the other car outside.

Think we’ll run with it on that little stand for now and see how it goes – to your point it means the bairn’s bike can slot between them on the floor.

I did a quick test with my Cycleops riser block which would mean sufficient height clearance but the width of the nobbly tyres lift the block up lol

Hope the purchase/fitting goes well Rich, interested to see the results

Sorry can’t seem to edit the post above, I’ve ordered one of the Steadyrack MTB holders. I reckon that’ll get me around the handlebar height/roofbox issue.

Thanks for suggestions, the roof box unfortunately can’t go any higher due to the roof and that weird remaining window.

Can’t you hang the roof box from the ceiling above your car to free up that whole wall?

I’ve not got the head-height unfortunately mate. The original garage was converted into a fourth bedroom (or prison for his mother in law, I’m not sure which). So the pentagonal one was created (also by previous owner) to fill the void.

The ceiling is covered in some form of foil insulation and there are non-structural wooden battons visible – I assume there are joists behind there but can’t see them.

I’d also be petrified of the roofbox faling out and crushing the soft-top car that lives in there. I think this Steadyrack will solve the issue, unless I ever get the n+1 itch 🙂

Here’s the 6 bike wall rack

Pretty pleased with it. Quality is good its really solidly made.

Couple of things though, if you are mounting it to a stud wall the studs need to be 32″ apart. Mine were 24″. I got round this be screwing a bit of 2 x 4 to the wall.

The hooks don’t slide, they have a little cap head screw to hold them in place. Its adjustable in that you can space the hooks out however you like and also move them round a bit later but they don’t slide back and forth like a vertical rail could.

Still overall its pretty neat, 6 bikes now hanging in the space of 4

8/10

Nice one, looks good mate

My Steadyrack arrived today, was expensive for what it is, but it’s fixed the third bike issue for me. Moved a few other bits around and need to do some more tidying but now have pick of the bikes and can get the kiddie trailer out too

Those steady racks look good, but I have 6 bikes hanging so the cost is prohibitive. It’d be good if someone could work out a DIY version (and share the plans).

I use four of these.

Not as good as the steady racks but a lot cheaper and do the hingeing thing quite well. About on their limit with a 15kg bike hanging off it. I reckon it could be strengthened up quite easily too.

Those steady racks look good, but I have 6 bikes hanging so the cost is prohibitive. It’d be good if someone could work out a DIY version (and share the plans).

@Superficial like this?

or

https://www.instructables.com/Homemade-bicycle-Wall-Mount/

Thanks @wzzzz

@trail_rat how far off the wall did you place your track? Radius of a 29er wheel or much further away or closer if they pivot into the wall a bit?

Bit further so they pivot in.

I did use a tape but I forget the depth. It was purely plucked from.the air based on me holding my bike in the air

@trail_rat the carriages are here https://www.rollingcenter.co.uk/products/rolling-center-4-rc-4-wheeled-carriage-with-bracket-stainless-steel

But I cannot find the rail of the right size, 25mm wheel centres?

For those carridges it’s 80 z or g you need

Go onto the monorail page and the spec sheets at the bottom listing compatibility those carridges are 4rc units.

Ok, one of these, got it. https://www.rollingcenter.co.uk/electric-gate-hardware/sliding-door/profiles/Rolling-Center-80-Z-galvanised-monorail-track

@bossworld

Really inefficient use of space, I’ve stuck my roof box on it’s end (filled with old wheels, tyres and other assorted bulky crap) and then I use a ratchet strap to hold it (and a ladder) against the wall. Bikes upright using hooks next to it.

This should give you an idea, i can fit 4 bikes in the equivalent to the length of the box.

Been like that for ages, takes moments to get down and the rest of the time it’s out of the way. The orange is normally stood up next to it.

These look very neat

@Saccades interesting, I’d not thought to actually use the roof box for storage. For some reason there’s a bloody window (blocked but still there) between the current garage and what was previously the garage. So because of the way it juts out, I’m somewhat prevented from spinning the roof box round by 90 degrees.

Certainly seems the right way to go a) if we’ve still got it b) when the kids need full size bikes in a few years. I can’t have bikes going too far along though as the process of taking them off the wall means you’re risking damaging the car. I’ve fixed my issues for now though and can get the bike trailer out without having to manouvre anything else out the way first.

With massive thanks to trailrat for the idea I spent this afternoon drilling the steel monorail I bought from rollingcenter and then installed it in the bike shed. The roller trolleys worked easily with B&Q hooks as trailrat suggested and I then bought 2 larger hooks from toolstation for MTB wheels which wouldn’t fit on the smaller red hooks. These required grinding the thread down and tapping an M10 thread (red hooks worked fine with m8 nuts and no grinding or tapping).

End result :

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRMZkFZrYIH/?utm_medium=copy_link

Nice! All the shed envy 🙁

Here’s the 6 bike wall rack
Pretty pleased with it. Quality is good its really solidly made.
Couple of things though, if you are mounting it to a stud wall the studs need to be 32″ apart. Mine were 24″. I got round this be screwing a bit of 2 x 4 to the wall.
The hooks don’t slide, they have a little cap head screw to hold them in place. Its adjustable in that you can space the hooks out however you like and also move them round a bit later but they don’t slide back and forth like a vertical rail could.
Still overall its pretty neat, 6 bikes now hanging in the space of 4
8/10

@richmtb Any chance you could repost the picture, as its not showing now ? I’m about to buy this from amazon, very keen to see what it actually looks like fitted by a STWer first.

I’ve just done this today. Phase 1 of sorting the garage.

They’re Planet X Jobsworth and are £4 for 3 hooks. Had to bend them slightly for the fat bikes. Allow you to swing the bikes to the side to make room for hooking / unhooking the one you want.

I could have put them a bit closer together but I’ve got enough space to not have to make it difficult to access.

Velo hinges fitted, and they work brilliantly. My 2 mtbs fit lovely together, my dad’s ebike not so well but it saves a lot of space.

Made me a sliding rail and carriages from CEF’s cheap unistrut, some 20mm box section, skateboard bearings and 8mm roll pins

Cheap cheap!

After testing the carriage may be better at twice the length.

@wzzzz – that looks ace. are you drilling and tapping as you go or did you buy anything premade?

Does the 20mm box section with the bearing sit in it ok? much wobbling? this is definitely something i’d like to do!

Just chop a bit of the box, drill two 8mm holes and a hole for the hook. Hammer in the roll pin then use a vice to press a bearing on either end.

Because I’m impatient I bought everything by ebay:
£3 for 10 608zz bearings
£4.50 for 10 8mm x 32mm roll pins
£5 for 300mm 20mm box section
£20 for the tamlex strut from CEF

20mm box section plus the two bearings is slightly narrower than the internal of the strut, so it seems to work OK. Not tested in anger yet.

That looks ace, thanks for all the info. Really good

I’m wondering if it’s better for my to do the track or the angled hangers as per above. I want to be able to move the bikes around so I can get to them easily. The angled/turning hangers keeps the bikes closer to the wall so more room in the garage, but more wall space needed I guess. The track would potentially let me get more bikes on there, and potentially with a smaller piece of wall, but it would eat into the floor space more

Depends what you value more, floor space or wall space.

I went down a hole of trying to work out if I could mount the unistrut on more unistrut so I could move it towards and away from the wall…

Your idea is ace, and absolutely cracking value. If it doesn’t work out in the long term and I change my mind then at least it’s not a big investment

@wzzzz – Would you mind posting up how you got on once finished and what changes you would have made? Also, what size unistrut did you buy? I’m guessing the finished trolley is about 32mm wide so presuming you bought the 41mm strut and that runs OK without risk of falling out