Bicycle storage for a clean garage

A bike ride is great exercise but with space at such a premium for everyone, there's got to be a way to store the bike out of the way, leaving the premium floor space available for other things.

You could always store the bike outside, but you'd need to cover it to protect it from the elements. There are better ways though. There are numerous products available for getting the bicycle off the floor and out of the way.

Any number of hanging schemes like overhead hangers , hooks, and wall hangers are available for very low cost compared to the cost of the space otherwise consumed by a bike sitting on the floor.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these that will be outlined in this article for your convenience.

Overhead storage

Overhead bicycle storage systems mount to the ceiling or rafters of the garage. These are a great way to reclaim some of that valuable garage floor space.

The advantage with these is that the bike is completely off the floor, and out of the way. You might still have to watch you don't bump your head on the bike, but you've got the bike completely out of the way, using previously unused overhead space.

The disadvantage of this type of unit is that you must lift the bicycle over head and hook the bike onto whatever hook type mechanism is used. If your bike is a modern light weight performance bike, then lifting it overhead is probably simple enough. But bikes made for the average joe are going heavier - something to consider when choosing a bike storage rack.

Wall mount storage

The other type of storage rack for bicycles is a wall mount type which, as the name suggests, mounts to the wall.

The advantage of wall mount bicycle storage racks is that you do not have to lift a heavy bike as high to get it off the floor and out of the way. Again, depending on the weight of your bike, this might or might not be an issue.

But the disadvantage is that some floor space is typically consumed by this type of bike storage. Because the bike is stored hanging from the wall, depending on the height, this precludes the use of floor space directly below the bike - it all depends.

These are the most common types of bike storage mechanisms, but there's another option.

Storage sheds

Yes, the old fashioned storage shed. This is another option for bicycle storage - getting it out of the garage all together.

If you already have a storage shed, then you just need to make room for the bike. But if not, then this would be a new addition to your property, and not an inexpensive one. The disadvantage of this direction is obvious - expensive, and requires ample yard space.

The advantage though, is that the bike is completely out of the garage - you've probably got a lot of other things that you could move from the garage into a shed too - so there you go.

Using a shed for bicycle storage is a bit extreme, but if garage storage and organization is the goal, a shed is a sure fire way to increase floor space that is protected from the elements.

To conclude

It's great having a bicycle at your disposal for a little exercise, cruising around the neighborhood, perhaps a quick trip to the store or local post office. But the space needed for a bicycle when not in use can be prohibitive. Most of the time, a bike is stored in the garage which is already overloaded.

When it comes to organizing the garage and reclaiming some of that valuable floor space, one of the above options should be able to suite your situation. If neither does, then it might be time to invest in a cover you can drape over the bike and start storing it outside.