How to store your bike?

A well-stored bike is a bike that lasts! Storing your bike upright or suspended prevents premature and unnecessary wear and tear. Unfortunately, not everyone has a house with a large garage.

To counteract the lack of space, especially in town, there are several possible solutions for storing your bike without letting it invade your living space: by exploiting the available floor space with storage or, on the contrary, by taking advantage of the height of the walls or ceiling!

Bicycle storage features

Types of storage

• Floor-mounted : rack, stand, tripod, light support, side support, gantry, stand
• wall-mounted : rack, hooks, side support
• Ceiling-mounted : hooks, pulley, floor/ceiling support

BIKE STORAGE: EXPLANATIONS

Floor storage

Floor-mounted bike racks require no installation work, and are ready to use right out of the box. They're also very stable.

The rack

A great classic! The rack comes in all shapes and sizes, for a single bike or several. Made from rust-proof steel, they are sturdy. For private users, manufacturers offer models stable enough to be self-supporting. However, floor-mounting brackets are provided, notably to combat theft if installed outdoors! Most city, road and mountain bikes are compatible, but check the maximum tire width allowed. Some racks are designed to make room for disc brakes.

The support foot

This is based on the same principle as the rack, but offers even greater compatibility, sometimes with height adjustment to suit all wheel diameters. It's lighter than a rack, but takes up more space. That's the price you pay for stability! Its great advantage: it keeps the rear wheel off the ground. The foot can then be used to adjust gears, grease the chain, adjust a brake...

The mini foot

Looks like a workshop stand but is simpler and less cumbersome. The bike is hooked onto the tripod by the frame or wheel.

The lightweight stand

It's like a base. The rear wheel axle slides onto the vertical, slotted section. It offers broad compatibility with different wheel formats and disc brakes. Its small size and light weight make it easy to carry! A rubber coating prevents any risk of scratching the bike.

The gantry

The bicycle equivalent of a clothes rack! Dismountable and adjustable, it can be used to store several bikes by placing them on the saddle mouthpiece. Perfect for storing your stable at home, when space is at a premium, or for improvising a small paddock at events and races!

The kickstand

Attached directly to the bike, sometimes supplied as standard. It can be side-mounted. In this case, the bike is placed at a slight angle to the side. Alternatively, it can be central, with two support legs, like the system used on scooters and motorcycles. It can also be side-mounted. In this case, the bike is placed at a slight angle to the side. It can also be central, with two support arms, as used on scooters and motorcycles.

Wall mounts

The ideal solution for freeing up floor space!

The wall-mounted rack

This rack frees up 100% of floor space when the bike is not attached! Mounted vertically, it can be rotated to optimize storage of your faithful mounts.

Wall-mounted hooks

Bicycles can be stored by hanging them vertically from the front wheel or handlebars. This saves a lot of space compared to a bike on the ground! Several hooks can be used to store several bikes side by side. You can position the hooks at different heights so that the handlebars of the bikes don't come into contact. Bikes can then be stored close together. Another way of optimizing space! Some storage units take the form of a metal frame. Several hooks are attached to the frame. A shelf can be installed above the frame for 2-in-1 storage.

Side wall support

Allows you to hang your bike from the frame, parallel to the wall. It can also be folded down!

Ceiling mounts

When you don't have enough floor space, why not use the height of the ceiling? To facilitate handling and ensure your safety and that of your bike, don't hang it too high!

Hooks

Based on the same principle as wall hooks, these allow you to hang your bike by the front wheel. Sometimes it's easier to fix a hook in a wooden beam on the ceiling than to drill a hole in a reinforced concrete wall! Be creative!

Pulleys

It's all very well to store your bike on the ceiling! But doing it without risking catching it on your head while handling it is even better. Attach the bike to the saddle and handlebars with hooks, then mount it with ease using the pulleys!

Floor/ceiling support

If you don't have a high ceiling, you can still use it! No drilling is required. A length-adjustable rod presses firmly into place between floor and ceiling. Integrated hooks allow 2 bikes to be stored vertically, one above the other!

Which storage system should I choose for my bike?

To optimize the storage of your bike, or bikes, several factors need to be analyzed:

Type of bike to be stored

With its thin tires, a road or city bike is compatible with all racks, for example. This is not always the case for a mountain bike with tires tires! Disc brakes also pose compatibility problems, even though they are becoming more and more widespread, and are being increasingly taken into account by storage manufacturers.

The shape of the frame can also make a bike incompatible with certain wall mounts. Finally, it's best to avoid vertical storage for bikes with hydraulic systems, whether for suspension or braking.

The weight

If you want to store a heavy, cumbersome bike that's difficult to handle, choose a solution that's close to the ground rather than high up. A well-chosen storage solution must not only save space, but also enable you to move your bike quickly, effortlessly and safely! If you still want to store it high up, a pulley system is best.

Space and clutter

How many bikes do you want to store? Where is the best place in your garage or apartment? For example, run a simulation with your car in the garage. You need to be sure that you'll be able to pick up or set down the bike with sufficient freedom of movement before installing a wall or ceiling rack.

The work involved

If you don't want to get involved in DIY operations, such as drilling into the concrete to fix a wall hook, you can make do with floor-mounted storage. Make sure you lock your garage or cellar! If the room can't be secured, your bike is very vulnerable, as it's not connected to anything fixed.

A few more tips!

• If you want to protect your bike with a cover When storing, opt for floor storage.
• If you hang your bike on hook-type supports, there's a real risk of scratching the frame or rims. Check for the presence of rubber protectors.
• If you opt for a stand and carry heavy loads or a child on your bike, choose a center stand, which is much more stable and durable.