Handiwall Bike Storage Hooks
If you have seen the video of my garage flooring and storage installation, this is what I used, and still use for my rigid 29er single speed and it works great. I have no issues with this product. When I purchased my new bike, what I did not think about is the rear suspension made it impossible to use this type of storage. So it works well for road bikes, your typical 10 speed, but is not a great option for mountain bikes. It is inexpensive and takes 30 seconds to install. I have used the heck out of it without a single problem. It just does not work for all bikes. The other advantage here is HandiWall is a complete storage system. Its just not for the guy with the high end bike — and you do have to life the bike up. Details
Monkey Bars Bicycle Storage
This was actually the first bike storage system I purchased. It is a very cool idea for ‘family bikes.’ You know what I mean, the inexpensive bike you purchased at one of those big box retail stores, thinking you would ride a couple times a week. Or the bikes you got the kids that they take out from time to time.
We still have one of these in our garage. My bike will never touch it and neither will my wife’s. We use it for the kids bikes. We do have one child who is trying mountain biking and they have an entry level Raleigh. That bike is no longer stored on this rack either.
Pros: You can store a lot of bikes in a really small space and spend very little money to do so.
Cons: It is a real pain to get the bike up and down, and personally I believe you risk damaging higher end bikes. It seems to put a lot of stress on the rims and I just don’t care for it. Also you have to put it up high enough for the tallest bike and this means you are lifting several bikes way off the ground — the kids cannot get the bikes on and off by themselves and my wife is hesitant to fuss with it.
Gear Up Overhead Hoists
We have not added these to our website yet, but we will be. They are not perfect and the ease of use depends a little on the bike you are trying to store. If you have high ceilings and limited space, they can be a great option. HINT: If I used a roof top carrier or the bed of a truck to transport my bike this might be the way to go.
They are a little challenging to install and you probably would not want 5 or 6 of them in a single garage, but they work great…. If you don’t mind using your pulley to get the bike up and down each and every time…
SteadyRack — Justin’s Pick
From gravity racks to monkeying around and even hoisting things overhead, SteadyRack is very frankly the only solution I have seen that works the way it should. The ONLY possible drawback is if you used something larger (wider) than my WTB Bronson 29er tire it might not fit (29×2.2).
You buy each rack individually. You mount it at the height that is appropriate for the bike and you roll the bike onto it. We are re writing a US English version of the installation instructions for our customers, because their instructions are goofy at best.
We have 6 ‘cheap kids bikes,’ one youth front suspension bike, one adult steel rigid single speed 29er (Large) , one full suspension adult 29er (Large) , a front suspension adult 29 (Small) and and old Trek hybrid. There is not a single bike that we own that will not work with this storage system.
The way the tires sit in it, my bike is protected from damage and very little stress is applied to the bike itself. Other than the price, and some goofy install directions, its just the best way for a serious cyclist to store their stuff!
If you are like me and you are a little on the thrifty side… I am keeping the Monkey Bars rack for the bikes the kids just play around on from time to time… The rack cost more than any of those bikes 🙂
