How to Store Your Bikes (Even If the Whole Family Rides!)

You may have recently looked in your garage, around your home, or in some closets and come to the realization, it’s time to declutter and get organized. If so, the cleaning pros at Molly Maid can help you get started.

When it comes to organizing one challenge many people face is figuring out the best way to store bulky items, like bicycles. Whether you already have a bike or recently purchased one, you’ll soon discover bike storage isn’t easy—and storage for a whole family of bikes takes creativity! But just because bike storage presents a few challenges, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the fun, adventure, and health benefits of cycling. We’ll share some ideas to help you determine the best way for you to store a bike or two (or three or four!) inside an apartment or garage.

Garage Bike Storage Solutions

Many kids, and more than a few adults, ride their bikes regularly. Around the world, an estimated 1 billion people ride a bike every single day! If you’re a regular rider for transportation, recreation, or fitness, having garage bike storage that’s fast and convenient is key.

Here are a few ideas to get you started!

Garage Mountain Bike Storage Options

• Pallet Parking. You can usually get a pallet for free at your local bike shop or any retailer that gets in big shipments. Once you’ve brought your pallet home, you can sand it, paint it, finish, or use it as-is. For easy parking for three or four bikes, just lay the pallet down. For even more parking, cut it in half and put the long ends against a wall. Viola, a pallet bicycle parking lot!
• Hooked on Riding. If you’re looking to open more floor space, there are plenty of options for garage wall mountain bike storage. Once you know how many bikes you need to store, find vinyl-coated screw hooks. That vinyl coating will help protect the bike’s aluminum rims from getting scratched or dented when you hang or pull down your bike. Most hooks come in packs of two or four. Hang any extra hooks closer to the garage door so you have an extra spot to hang your bike when getting ready to ride!

How to Store a Bike in an Apartment

For apartments and homes without a garage, it often takes dedicating a certain space to your bikes and associated gear to keep it all organized. The answer to limited space is to expand the square footage by making the most of the walls.

Horizontal Bike Storage Ideas

In any small space, we recommend hanging your bike horizontally with a mount that holds the frame by the top tube. This is useful for a few reasons:

• It keeps the bike closer to the wall as compared to hanging it by a wheel, which can leave it hanging into the room two or three feet. That makes it very easy and even a little dangerous to bump into.
• This method of storage reduces the chances of scuffing the walls with your tires. If you do find a few tire scuffs on the wall, here’s how to get them off.

Bike Stand Storage

Perhaps the simplest solution is the best for a small apartment. Using a stable, light, and portable floor stand is a great way to store your bike and easily move the stand out of the way while you’re out riding. If you drive with your bike to an event, it’s even handy to bring your stand with you to avoid leaning your bike against the car as you get ready to ride at your destination.

No matter how you end up storing your bikes, make sure they are clean before you put them away!

Ride More, Clean Less

Whether it’s a few laps around your neighborhood, a mountain trail, or your city streets, getting out on your bike is great for the body, mind and soul. So don’t let a few storage challenges keep you from enjoying all the benefits biking has to offer.

While you're out enjoying the open road, let the professionals at Molly Maid take care of all your cleaning needs. Our cleaning technicians work with you to create a custom cleaning plan that can focus on the rooms that need the most time and attention. So you and the family can enjoy an all-day bike ride and come home to a clean home. To learn more, call us or schedule your in-home estimate today!