Best bike storage ideas: Our picks to safely store your prized possession

Finding the best bike storage solution is a necessity for anyone with a bike. It's a basic fact that if you've got a bike you'll need to find a way to keep it safe and out of the way at home. 

Everyone knows though, that the magic formula for bikes is N+1. I know this because I speak from experience. I've got quite a collection myself plus a constant stream of review bikes coming through. To make matters worse, I live in a very small house. 

You might start with one of the best road bikes but pretty soon you'll want one of the best gravel bikes to join it. You'll also want to keep your bikes secure, so consider investing in one of the best bike locks. Figuring out how to keep even one bike looking good and out of the way is a challenge and it only gets more complicated.

I have to work hard to make it so you can still walk through the house and that means I am always on the lookout for a new bike storage solution. Over time I've come up with a few options that work well for me, with the Steadyrack Wall Mount being my top pick. They work well for storing a range of different bike types and the folding design rotates the bikes to save more space. 

What works for me might not suit your storage situation so keep reading to find something that will work well for you also. 

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Best bike storage solutions

Best bike storage overall

Steadyrack is a solution for vertically hanging a bike that also folds. Positioning bikes vertically saved me a lot of space, especially as I needed to store multiple bikes and still maintain easy access. The system works by supporting the full weight of the bike on the front tyre but there's no friction required to hold it there, which also means there is no risk of damaging paintwork. Using it is as simple as swinging the bike up on one wheel and walking it towards the wall. As you reach the rack the front wheel will roll into the cradle and the rear wheel will rest against the lower wall protection. The system can accommodate bikes as heavy as 35kg / 77lb and there's a model specific for e-bikes.

There's still another trick to the Steadyrack though. If you have multiple bikes you can mount the racks closer together than you'd expect. Once a bike is on the mount it's able to rotate up to 160 degrees to save space. Your bikes become almost like a library on the wall. 

Each bike does require a separate unit though and that's an investment that will add up quickly. You'll also want to make sure you get the right version if you need to store bikes with fenders/mudguards. But the good thing about Steadyrack is that the system is expandable, so whether you have one bike to store or a fleet, it's just a question of buying more racks. 

Its new Proflex model increases load capacity and makes other enhancements to the original design, as well as being available in sizes for bikes with narrow, wide or fat tyres. It also works with the recently launched Gearmate accessory, which provides hooks and bins for your bike stuff.

Best budget bike storage

There are those who are going to read through this list and say something like, "Can't I just use a hook?"

Well, yeah, you can just use a hook, and Park Tool — the most well-known bike tool brand — even makes a hook for just that purpose. It's a simple vinyl-coated hook in every mechanic's favourite colour that mounts into wood and holds just about any bike. The 451, listed here, is a 55mm wide hook and if that's not wide enough Park Tool also offers the 471 and 471XX to cover tyres as wide as 5 inches. 

When it comes to weight, the brand claims it will cover just about any bike when properly mounted. The one thing to remember is that the bike hangs free of any additional support. You can hang it from one wheel in a vertical orientation, or use both of the supplied hooks for a completely upside-down horizontal arrangement, but either way, you've got to lift it into place. Regardless of the weight rating, it's going to be pretty impossible to lift a heavy bike onto a hook. 

Best bike storage for lots of bikes

1Up USA has a reputation for making absolutely gorgeous bike racks. Pure aluminium beauties that are as pretty as they are usable. Recently though, the brand has introduced some storage solutions. One of them is the RS Slide hanging rack that allows you to move bikes left and right like a closet.

Just like the racks, the RS Slide is beautifully made out of metal. This time it's steel but that's to accommodate the 50lbs per bike that the unit can handle. While that's not a massive figure, you have to keep in mind that you do have to lift your bike up to the hook but also that your initial purchase comes with four hangers in the box. The system is also expandable, with up to 6 bikes per five-foot section, and if you have more space you can add additional units. If you have a lot of bikes, and you can mount them to the ceiling, this is the most affordable space-saving option here. 

It does get a little more expensive if you need to add the wall-hanging unit but, again, it has to be strong so that makes sense. 

Best secure bike storage

The Hiplok Airlok is a wall-mounted bike holder, but more secure. What you see from the outside is just a cover. Underneath the cover is a hardened steel skeleton that attaches to a solid wall with four substantial security bolts. There are even included ball bearings you install in the bolts to make it impossible to remove them. Then, once that's mounted, the next thing to do is add the cover which includes a very soft rubber spot to hang the bike from the top tube. Once your bike is hanging you push a massive steel rod up from the bottom locking the bike inside. Hiplok also includes a massive chain for the wheels along with three coded and replaceable keys. The system is incredibly secure if you can mount it. 

Mounting is the issue you will run into. In theory, you could mount it to a wooden wall but like the Stasdock, the width doesn't match wall construction. More important in this case though, Hiplok only considers it secure if mounted into a masonry wall. In short, if you don't have a masonry wall to use, you are going to want to look elsewhere. 

Best no-drill wall mount bike storage

For anyone living in an apartment, this is a great option. What the Saris Bike Bunk does is allow you to wall mount one or two bikes without actually anchoring to the wall. Instead of anchoring to the wall with screws, the Saris Bike Bunk uses a bit of physics. The base is angled away from the wall and has no slip bumpers. As you load weight on the stand, the angle of the base converts that vertical force into horizontal and pushes back against the wall where there's a pad to protect against damage. It's rather genius for specific needs but fitting more than one bike is tough.

A standard ceiling is shockingly short when you start trying to squeeze bikes in. If you are tall and have bikes to fit, they may not fit. It doesn't help that there's no adjustability for sloping top tubes. You may end up with a bike that's severely angled further limiting what you can fit. 

Best no lift bike storage

As you've read through this, you might get the sense that I have a lot of bikes in a small space. That's exactly right and that means getting some of the bikes ready for early morning rides would be disruptive. The bikes I use the most, and love the most, live on the bedroom wall. If I'm planning to head out for a sunrise spin, the last thing I want to do is try and extract a bike from the room while my wife sleeps. In order to stay married, I choose to take the bike I need out into the kitchen the night before. 

The way I keep a bike standing upright, no matter what the cats might be doing, is with a Feedback Sports Rakk Bike Stand. I also use the Rakk stand when I need to rewrap my bars or change small parts that don't involve removing a wheel. On top of that, you'll see it in a lot of pictures because I take it out in the world to ensure I'm not going to drop an expensive bike taking pictures. 

The thing that connects all these different use cases is that it's incredibly secure. I wasn't joking about the cats. I've seen them slam into the bike chasing each other through the house and it doesn't move. I've also taken pictures in crazy wind and still knew the bike in the stand was secure. 

If you just need a good way to keep a single bike standing upright, this is a great option. The only thing I wish is that the design kept the tyre in contact with the ground. It's not an issue the way it is now but it would make setting up saddles even easier if the bike didn't angle when on the stand.   

Best bike storage for bikes with angled top tubes

It could just be that my bikes hang on the bedroom wall but I'm told, constantly, that this system isn't the most aesthetically pleasing. On its own, it's actually just fine but there are so many gorgeous wooden or metal options for hanging a bike by the top tube that the Feedback Sports Velo Wall Rack feels a bit homely in comparison. There's an important difference between most racks that hang the bike from a top tube and this one though.

Most solutions that hang a bike from a top tube have a simple flat space for the top tube. The Feedback Sports Velo Wall Rack instead uses a pair of adjustable arms. You can move them up and down independently of each other and you can adjust them in and out, also independently, so you can get the fit right. It doesn't matter how much slope is in your top tube or how wide your bars are. Adjust away until you get everything perfect for your bike.

If you are mounting a heavy bike, then you do still have to lift it but it's possible to adjust the wall rack so that much of the weight still rests on the ground and you only need to lift the bike a little. Wide mountain bike handlebars may require the front wheel to sit at an angle from the wall, or completely turn the bars for storage, but it will still work.

Best free standing bike storage

So far, all of the options that we've featured require drilling into the wall. That's not a big deal for some but for others, it's a deal-breaker. If you have a wall you can't drill into, or you aren't allowed to drill into, then the Feedback Sports Velo Cache is an option. 

Like the Feedback Sports Velo Wall Rack, Velo Cache uses a pair of independently adjustable arms to hold a bike by the top tube. You do lose the in-and-out adjustment of that system but you also don't need it given that you can move the whole stand away from the wall. You still get a vertical adjustment to handle sloping top tubes and the max weight of each cradle is 40 lbs so you might even get a light e-bike to work. 

Unlike a wall mount system, not only does the Velo Cache not require drilling into a wall, it doesn't require a wall at all. If you want to put it in the centre of the room there's no reason you can't. You can even buy an expansion kit that adds an additional base leg and support for two more bikes. The downside of the strategy is that it does take up a lot of floor space. You can stack two bikes vertically, so there's some space-saving, but this solution is more about keeping your bikes safe and organised than it is about saving space. 

Best bike storage for display

This kind of horizontal top tube hanger system is a good option when you have to hang a bike somewhere visible. There are others on the market but the Stasdock does a great job of both looking good and being useful. There's room for a helmet, CO2 canisters, sunglasses, and shoes in the main unit and if you want to add the capacity to hang clothing under it, there's an add-on. There are also three colours available to match your decor or your bike, and the shelf that holds the bike uses a soft foam to protect the finish. 

Given that the shelf is horizontal though, you will probably want to use this with bikes that have a matching top tube. If you've got a deep angle in the top tube the bike is going to hang at an angle. Not only that but unlike the Feedback Sports option which allows you to adjust the distance to the wall, you don't have that option here either. The front wheel can flop around and it's only going to work with drop bars. 

The main thing you want to watch out for though is the mounting. The max weight is fairly low but you definitely don't want to mount to drywall alone, even with wall plugs/anchors. In the US, most walls use a 16-inch on-centre stud arrangement and given the width is 13.7 inches that means it's impossible to hit two studs. You could mount something to the studs and then mount this to that but you'll have to figure it all out. If you can get it to work - or you're working with brick walls - then this is a solution that will display your bike like the centrepiece it is. 

Best stable wall mount bike storage

If you are looking for a wall mount option, everything on the market relies on gravity. What I mean is that typically you place a bike on a wall mount rack and it hangs there. The Bike Rac wall mount is different in a very subtle way. Instead of only supporting the bike from the base there are two arms and one of them supports the bike from the top. 

That's not completely true. You can configure the Bike Rac in whatever way you want. Each of the arms can rotate and face either up or down plus the whole unit will slide closer or farther from the wall or rotate. If you need to account for sloped top tubes, no problem. If you want a little bit of stability though, it's possible to have one arm up and one arm down. I wouldn't try to put a lot of pressure on the bike but it's quite a bit more stable than just hanging there. I tend to be lazy about pulling out a work stand and this should be a great option for things like adjusting shifting and or even getting a saddle just right. 

It's also really nice that, like the Velo Wall Rack, the Bike Rac mounts vertically. What that means is that the bolts that attach the unit to the wall easily attach to a single stud and provide plenty of strength. Accordingly, the Bike Rac can handle up to 34kg / 75lbs. When you decide not to use it you can also fold it down so you don't walk into it. Lots of nice little details. 

The only reason you might decide to look for something else is if you've got cables routed under the top tube. The Velo Wall Rack is the main competitor to this one and the pads for that leave room for cables. Also, keep in mind that you still need a real work stand for most work. 

Best adjustable bike storage

The Topeak Dual-Touch Bike Stand mounts by pushing against the ceiling and floor and it fits multiple bikes. As with the Saris solution, you might get a surprise if you try and fit multiple bikes in a standard room. If you've got a bit more space though, you can go up to four bikes. 

I've been using the Topeak Dual-touch with three bike mounts for years. In a laundry room with extra vertical space, I can just barely fit my wife's bike, my city bike, and my son's mountain bike. As he keeps growing, and his bike keeps getting bigger, I keep adjusting the mount for his bike. He's now up to a 24" wheel though and I've still managed to fit all three. 

I do have some words of caution to consider the mounting before a purchase. As I said, you won't fit three bikes in a standard-height room. Even with a 9.5ft / 2.9-metre ceiling, it's a struggle to fit two adult bikes and a kids' bike. Also, while this is a no-drill option, it's easy to cave in drywall. You'll either need to make sure you have a ceiling joist under where the top meets the ceiling or you'll need to add some reinforcement. In my case, I added a piece of plywood to spread the force and I still didn't need to drill. It works but it's hardly a pretty option.

Best outdoor bike storage

We would never recommend storing a bike outside, garden sheds and garages are a magnet for increasingly organised bike thieves. With that said if you live in a remote area, storing low-value bikes or kids' bikes outdoor storage is still worth considering to help free up space indoors.

If you decide to invest in some outdoor storage we recommend that you opt for a metal construction, rather than wood or plastic. This Panana Outdoor Shed is constructed from hot-dipped galvanized steel, which should resist rust and corrosion when exposed to the elements.

What sets this option apart from your run-of-the-mill metal shed is the storage rack that holds four bikes. The bikes sit horizontally on rails which should help protect paintwork and make pulling bikes out and putting them back in much easier. 

We must stress that even the most fortified outdoor storage won't deter a persistent thief. The doors on this model can be secured by a padlock to at least provide a semblance of security though. The bottom of the shed is open to the ground too so if erected on concrete it would be possible to combine the structure with a ground anchor to add another obstacle.

How to choose the best bike storage

If you're looking for indoor bike storage, here are the key questions answered. We've also covered the key considerations when storing your bike outdoors. There are a few questions to ask yourself when choosing the best bike storage solution for your own situation, as everyone's needs are slightly different.

Bike storage: frequently asked questions

How we tested the best bike storage solutions?

My job is to review bikes; that tends to mean that there are a lot of them around at any given time. I also live in a very small house and space is always at a premium. I’ve worked hard to get as many bikes into my living space as possible while still keeping it liveable and all the bikes in good condition. I’ve spent years trying different options and these are my favourites.  

There's no substitute for living with a bike storage solution for an extended period of time. Read more here on how we test and the Cyclingnews pledge to our readers.