Indoor bike storage in small space

lucifersangel87

Hi all,

We are currently renting a small flat, which includes our own personal hall/porch and stairway.

We have two 18-inch bikes which we currently chain up outside the front door with a silver bike cover on.

However, the church whom we rent the flat from have told us that we can't store the bikes there because it is a grade II listed building and it detracts from the outside appearance of the church.

On top of that, i'm keen not to have the bikes out in the damp air for long periods.

I would like to keep the bikes in the hall at the bottom of the stairs, but there is definitely not enough room to have them horizontally standing against the wall. Can anyone recommend a way of possibly storing them vertically in the hall? (17' ceilings are a godsend in most ways except the heating bills)

If possible, i'd be looking for more of a DIY solution, but if there is a cheap enough ready made solution, I would be more than willing to give it a go.

Thanks in advance.

Martin

lushplus4

How about a bike hoist
I can post links but there are some on e bay
They are like a pulley thing that lifts bike up high

scheming_gypsy

You can get
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Vertical-Wall-Mounted-Mountable-Cycle-Storage-Hook-Bike-Rack-Stand-Holder-/310593708857?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item4850d3e339

but they'd have the bikes pointing outwards if attached to a wall, so you could knock a frame up (probably cost a tenner in timber) to attach them to

ValHaller

Vertical storage is the way to go, you are right. I am not aware of any ready made solution. What I would do is some kind of hook arrangement which holds the front wheel by the rim and lets the back wheel just touch the floor.

Something along the lines of a vertical rectangular arch made from say 50 by 40 timber from which the bikes hang with 2 lengths of timber as feet and 2 more pieces of timber forward and back from the arch across the feet for the back wheels to rest on, with guides fixed to these to set the direction of the back wheel.

olias

I doubt the church would accept you drilling and putting up substantial fixings through the plasterwork on wall or ceiling of a listed property.

Put the ball in their court by asking them to suggest a solution. Do they have an outside store, maybe a shed or similar that the gardening equipment is kept in. If not, then what do they suggest?

Most landlords won't even let you put a picture hook in.

Olias

smudger1964

would something like this from aldi be too big in the space you have?
https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-26th-september/product-detail/ps/p/bike-stand/

mart.vader

Maybe this ?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/saris-saris-parking-cycle-glide-ceiling-mount/rp-prod83662

lucifersangel87

Thanks for the replies to this.
I was thinking it might need to be a timber frame.

The wall-mounted hooks can be attached to the timber frame, I guess. However, I need to have a long hard think about the best method of joining the sides, since the weight of the bikes will be quite substantial.

The church have said outright that they cannot help us to store the bikes, and so it is down to us to either find somewhere else to store them, or to sell them.

Any woodwork experts on here able to help me out by suggesting the best and most robust frame style? ie. I doubt that dowel jointing and glue would do the trick - Perhaps a double 2x4 frame with 45 degree supports between the footing and the studs, held in place with something akin to roofing anchor nail plates or Square Plate Washers?

The bikes total to max 30kg with kit attached.

Thanks in advance

scheming_gypsy

I'd go for the double 2x4 as well and make some cross feet out of the off cuts so it doesn't wobble / fall over. and just screw it all together.
The weight isn't too much of an issue. 30kg is only the same as



A 30 litre fish tank! and fish tank stands are made out of the same stuff as cheap wardrobes.

gmgmgm

Plenty of bike hoists on Amazon, going from complex steel structures to simple pulleys and hooks.