Secure Bike Storage Tips

A Guide to Bicycle Storage and Security at Home

Cycling is one of the most fun ways to enjoy the outdoors and build your fitness. It has been shown to be good for both your physical and mental well-being.

What’s more, you don't need any special skills to enjoy cycling, anyone can ride a bike from toddlers to the elderly. No wonder it is one of the most popular hobbies.

But besides all the fun and goodness you'll get from your bike, you have to consider its storage. Most bikes will cost you thousands of Euros, some of the more high-end brands can cost tens of thousands. This article will discuss your options when it comes to safely storing your bike at home.

Outdoor bike storage

When we talk about outdoor storage we are considering unsheltered areas. Sheds might technically be outdoors, but the shelter they offer qualifies them as indoor storage areas. Outdoor storage options include:

A bike anchor

A bike anchor is a metal point that is fastened to the wall or concrete pavement that you can lock your bike against. We can consider existing metal fixtures like railings to be a form of ‘anchor’ as bikes can be locked against them.

The downside to bike anchors is that they leave the bike exposed to the elements and prying eyes looking into your property - even after you use a bike cover.

Even with the best locks, you can still lose bike parts to thieves. Locks only secure wheels and the frame.

A bike storage box

These are specialized structures for external bike storage. They protect your bikes from the elements and provide more security than the anchor. They also take up less space than a garden shed. They can be a bit costly though, and those made of plastic can be breached by brute force.

Indoor bike storage

Indoor storage includes sheds, garages, and inside your house. Storage solutions include:

The floor rack

This is what most bike shops use for display. Floor racks are placed on the ground and include ‘slots’ that bike wheels can be locked into and be stored upright. Floor racks are a perfect solution for multiple bike storage, which makes them perfect for larger households. However, they take up a lot of floor space.

They work best in sheds and garages where space isn't a problem. Some floor racks have locking mechanisms that don't work with smaller children bikes and bikes that use disk brakes. Their advantage is affordability and widespread availability.

Wall racks

Think of a wall rack as a wall-mounted floor rack. Their locking mechanisms are different, but aesthetically, it does look like a wall-mounted floor rack. The bikes are stored vertically with both wheels against the wall and the seat jutting out parallel to the floor.

Wall racks address the issue of floor racks taking up too much space. They are perfect when you have a shed or garage but are limited on floor space. They still take up too much space to be used inside the house though. They are good for multiple bike storage but kids struggle to operate them without adult assistance. They are also a bit costlier than floor racks.

Horizontal wall fixtures

This is another type of wall storage, but it doesn't store the bike vertically like bike racks. Instead of locking the wheels, the wall fixtures are usually wall-mounted hooks or pegs that support the bike frame in its upright (horizontal) position. Since the bike is raised upright against the wall, it doesn't take up much space on the floor nor does it jut out horizontally into space.

This makes it perfect for indoor use within the house, although it can still be placed in space-constrained garages and sheds. Apart from being a bit costlier, they are not a good solution for storing multiple bikes. Usually, not more than two bikes can be stored along the same horizontal wall space.

Free-standing storage stand

This is a horizontal type of bike storage that doesn't take up a lot of floor space.

However, it is not fastened to the walls. Instead, it has its own wide base that is placed on the floor and remains free-standing without any support. The bike(s) are then fastened along the pole in an upright (horizontal) position. The main advantage of this system is that it can be used inside the house without taking up a lot of space.

Also, if you don't want to install a wall fixture (especially if you are a renter that doesn't want to lose their security deposit), the storage stand needs no installation. The downside is that it can only store a maximum of two bikes.

Ceiling storage

Ceiling storage is a really broad term that includes multiple systems for storing bicycles overhead. Its main benefit is that it does not occupy any usable space, it doesn't take up wall space or floor space.

There are many ceiling storage systems, some of which are simply suspended hooks to support your bike to more complex systems with pulleys to lower and hoist your bike up.

This is another system that works well inside the house, but it can also be used in garages and sheds. The main downside to ceiling storage is the cost of installation. Unless you are a dedicated DIY enthusiast, you'll probably need professional help to safely set up the system. An advantage is that there are ceiling storage systems for single bikes or multiple bikes.

The takeaway

The storage system that works for you depends on the space available in your home/property and the budget you are working with. If you have yard space, then you might be more interested in external storage options. If you lack yard space and don't have a garage, then you have to look at options that can be placed inside the house like horizontal wall fixtures and ceiling storage. If your budget can't permit the storage type that you need, then maybe postpone the decision to buy a bike a bit.

To have a chat about the best options for you simply call our friendly advisors at Dublin Garden Sheds.