Hi All,
A lot of us face the problem of having more bikes than storage space...and can reach that point with only one bike!
If you're in that situation, how have you approached it? What nifty solution have you employed?
I use a Minoura space-saving over-and-under rack that stores two bikes, but the niftiest rack in my possession of came from tool-discounter Harbor Freight, and is called the "Cycle Tree". It safely stores up to six bikes at shoulder-height and has swivel casters so the whole lot can be wheeled around to access whatever is behind it. See:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cycle-tree-compact-bike-storage-2628.html I also use one of those little ratcheting rope-pulley arrangements (
http://www.harborfreight.com/bicycle-lift-95803.html ) to loft a bike into the garage rafters, as well as hanging some from hooks by their front wheels. The tandem gets stored on its wheels, secured upright on the garage floor by the repair stand arm.
Esteemed forum member Andre Jute is currently in-process installing a nifty gadget -- the n'lock -- that uncouples the stem from the steerer to deter theft; it also allows the stem and handlebars to rotate so they align with the frame. See thread here:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3930.msg17378#msg17378 It is a really clever idea that would nicely do double-duty with a set of removable MKS pedals (
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mks-mm-cube-ezy-removable-clipless-pedals-prod16352/?src=froogleus¤cy=usd , also available in quill and platform styles). Twist the stem and handlebars, pop off the pedals, and you could likely store a bike behind an open door. Or under a bed...
...A friend from uni took an overlooked route (literally!) and stored his handbuilt bike under his dorm-room bed. It worked great, and kept it secure from thieves who regularly stole bikes from the parking racks downstairs.
I helped a friend sink a hook into the backside of a door, and secured the bike to it with a bungee at the bottom. The trick here was having the bike hang parallel to the door, so it swung with the door. Fortunately, it was a passage door with adequate clearance behind to accept the bike.
I dreamed up an arrangement using overhead door roller tracks (as used on barn doors) to allow for two bikes hanging vertically in a friend's unused hallway clothes closet. Basically, I hung the track-rail from the ceiling, then just attached a 2"x4" section of board to the two track-roller wheels, then screwed a single hook in the board. Each bike hung from a separate track and hook by its own front wheel. To access the bike, you just grabbed it, rolled it toward the doorway, and lifted it off the hook. Hanging was the reverse, and the closet door hid it all when the bikes were retracted. They couldn't fall over or get scratched in there, since they were hung apart from each other and retracted separately. There was still storage available on the floor and around the perimeter where the bikes weren't intruding on space.
Some of my friends with small apartments store their bikes in car trunks. This works pretty well if you have S&S Torque Couplers and don't ride every day.
What is your favorite approach to storing More Bikes in Less Space?
Dan.
