I looked at least twenty “bike lift” and “ceiling storage” devices that I could not recommend.
This is the ceiling we're talking about. Something hanging from the ceiling can come down in a crash. We don't ever want that to happen.
So I thought, why not get a real winch? An automated hoist carries ladders as easily as bicycles to the ceiling. A lot of winches are not worth recommending. The Vevor is a happy exception.
It lifts as much as 2200 lb. at the touch of a button.
This is the Vevor 2200 on Amazon: Vevor 2200 Winch
A Good Winch is Better than a Ladder Lift or a Bike Lift
A winch is an automated lifting tool that pulls your stuff up to the ceiling.
It's incredibly important to get this right because the last thing we want is stuff crashing to the ground onto you, your family, or your stuff.
Don't screw around with overhead storage! Know your ceiling weight capacity (view my article How Much Weight Can I Hang From My Garage Ceiling?), and only buy the highest-rated ceiling storage devices!
The Best Garage Winch for Ladders, Bikes, and Mowers
Behold the Vevor 2200 Winch.
This is the winch lifts 2200 lb. of cargo and is smart enough to shut off at the ceiling.
The Vevor lifts 1100 lb. on a single cable. Or you can double the cable up to lift 2200 lb.
the Vevor comes with hooks and straps.
The remote cord that controls the winch is only 3.5 ft., which is my only complaint about this unit.
Store Garage Stuff on the Ceiling Using a Winch
Your bike might be unstable if you attach a winch hook to the frame.
It might be more stable to attach the hook to a sturdy bar and attach the bike to the bar instead of the hook.
If you hook the bike in two places, you should have a stable load.
Store anything on the ceiling without needing a ladder to get it down.
The winch will store a lawn mower, as well as a ladder and a bike.
How to Choose Your Winch
The Vevor winch comes in models lifting 440 lbs. to 2200 lb.
Buy the largest winch within your budget.
You think, “I need only a 440 lb. winch,” so you buy that.
Then you try to lift a 1,500 lb. tractor with the only winch in the house.
And then you're sorry you did that.
The largest capacity winch is not much more expensive than the smallest capacity one.
Get the biggest one in your budget and avoid using a weak winch when you need a strong one.
The price was very competitive at the time of this writing.
You can check the latest price on Amazon: Vevor 2200 Winch