I don’t like most of the manual pulleys I’ve examined. They have structural and design flaws. We’re talking about storing heavy items over our heads. This is no time to be cheap about things. Do it right or don’t do it at all.
Two pulleys look very good. These are the Floatherhoise BA1 and the Store Your Board Hi-Lift. They are well-designed, and have good reputations for stability. When I first published this article, the Floaterhoise was out of stock. It’s now back in stock and I recommend you take a look at it. It tied with the Store Your Board Hi-Lift, which was in stock when I wrote this article, so the rest of this article shows you how the Hi-Lift works. But I like the Floaterhoist as well.
Recommended Manual Bicycle Pulleys At a Glance
The Floaterhoist and the Hi-Lift both work well for storing bicycles or ladders on the garage ceiling. Click below to view them on Amazon.
- The ORIGINAL horizontal bike storage hoist.
- 2:1 Mechanical advantage for easy lifting
- Max. Load 25 kg (55 lb) Max. Ceiling Height 3 m (10 ft)
- Slings provide gentle support to the bicycle's frame
- Installs on solid wood joist or concrete ceilings
Recall Alert
Store Your Board recalled all lifts using green rope. Learn more here.
The Store Your Board Hi-Lift is designed to store kayaks and ladders. Bicycles are lighter weight and so should be no problem for the Hi-Lift pulley. Store Your Board is a solid brand that also makes the best ceiling rack for kayaks and ladders. Take a look at our article about their ceiling ladder rack here (opens in a new browser window).
When looking at ceiling storage, and choosing between a rack or a pulley, the pulley wins on one very important point. You need a ladder to get to the ceiling rack, but the pulley brings the storage hooks to you while you’re still on the garage floor. If you put a ladder on a ceiling rack, you need another ladder to climb up to the storage to get the first ladder down. If you put a ladder on a pulley, you unlock the pulley brake, and let the ladder come to you. This is the same whether you’re storing ladders, bicyces, or kayaks. This is the magic of a pulley’s simple rope and wheel system.
Even the Heaviest Bikes Store Well on this Pulley
Always determine your ceiling’s maximum load before storing anything from the joists. Learn about ceiling joists in our article: How Much Weight Can I Hang From My Garage Ceiling? The Store Your Board Hi-Lift Hoist stores up to 60 lb. The Hi-Loft is the best pulley, but it’s not perfect. The instructions could be better. But if you’re looking for a ladder ceiling hoist, this is the safest and best designed. Check the latest price on Amazon.
- The ORIGINAL horizontal bike storage hoist.
- 2:1 Mechanical advantage for easy lifting
- Max. Load 25 kg (55 lb) Max. Ceiling Height 3 m (10 ft)
- Slings provide gentle support to the bicycle's frame
- Installs on solid wood joist or concrete ceilings
