How We Store Our Family Bikes

Years ago, I went on a mission to find “the ultimate” bike storage solution. I eventually landed on this rail+hook arrangement that accommodated all 5 of our family bikes. And at first, I was smitten. Toppled bikes in a pile in the middle of the garage? Nope! Bikes taking up precious floor space? Nope! Bikes easy to get down and put back up? Nope…not at all! Eventually, the bikes no longer made it up on the wall and were back on the garage floor…all.the.time. So when we moved into our latest rental, we pivoted and landed on not one but two different bike storage options. And they are both working so much better than anything we tried before!

Why The Rail Didn’t Work For Our Family

Here is the rail system we originally installed.

I loved that all 5 bikes fit into a really small footprint. I loved that they were off the floor and completely out of the way (since we installed the entire system into a recessed nook). 

If we never (or rarely) used our bikes, this solution would have been perfect.

What wasn’t perfect was that the bikes were really difficult to get up and down.

Bikes aren’t heavy, but they aren’t light either. And our little kids just weren’t strong enough to manage on their own.

And it wasn’t just the kids. In order to get all 5 bikes to fit, we had to alternate how they were hung (offsetting the handlebars). So every time, it took so much “detangling” to get any single bike down.

In the end, the rail system just was not the easy-use, everyday solution we were looking for; and we ultimately abandoned it all together. 

What We’re Using to Store Our Bikes Now

When we moved into our latest rental home, we gave a lot of thought to who uses their bikes and how often. This led us to two different(ish) solutions! 

Hanging Storage

My husband and I, as well as our teenage son, do not use our bikes very often. Our current neighborhood is much more walkable than bikeable, so we aren’t reaching for them nearly as often as we used to.

Acknowledging that hanging bikes up IS the best way to get them out of the way, we sought out a similar-but-different solution to the original rail concept and landed on these.

These bike-hanging sets include both a top hook and a “stopper” that are installed individually. Since there is no rail, you can hang the bikes as far apart (or close together) as you need (or in any open spot you have available!) 

Further, the stopper allows you to “fold” the bikes toward the wall…so they take up less depth overall AND a single bike is much easier to get up/down (since you can easily move others out of the way).

Since we rarely use our bikes AND all three of us are strong enough to put the bikes up/down, this has been a MUCH more practical way to keep our bikes stored. 

Park Storage

Our rail debacle showed us that we needed something entirely different for our little kids though. 

Since they use their bikes all day, every day, we wanted something they could use on their own, which led us to this basic but oh-so-functional floor bike stand. 

While this solution DOES take up floor space, giving the kids a dedicated parking spot means they know exactly where to put their bikes, and they aren’t just lying anywhere and everywhere all over the garage.

This might seem like a small thing, but it’s actually a very HUGE thing in terms of garage order and functionality.

Key Takeaway

When it comes to bike storage, it’s worth thinking about who uses their bikes, how often, and how strong they are. It’s okay if it isn’t a “one size fits all” solution!

I LOVE wall-mounted systems for adults and infrequent riders. They get bikes off the floor and out of the way. But they just aren’t practical for kids or the everyday biker. 

The “drive in” bike rack has been GREAT for our little guys. While they do take up floor space, the bikes are consistently “put away,” creating more overall order than any other system we’ve tried!

Dive Deeper Into This Project

Skeptical that this little “drive up” bike rack actually works? In this week’s voice notes, I’m sharing a few extra tips for improving its overall functionality!