How to Solve the Awkward Bike Storage Puzzle
Do you have to move the bicycles just to get to the ladder? Are you tripping on the kayaks when all you want is a screwdriver? Getting big garage items to be accessible but still out of the way can feel like an impossible challenge.
Here are some elegant solutions to your most awkward garage storage problems, starting with one of the most common culprits: the bicycle.
To find the right bike storage solution, you must consider the unique features of your bike. This includes the frame size, tire diameter and width, handlebar size, and whether you have fenders or disc brakes.
Not every bike storage solution can handle these bulky bike parts. We know that fat tires, which are often over 2.4 inches wide, as well as fenders and disc brakes, require specific types of racks.
You might need to modify a standard solution. Better yet, choose one designed from the start to get all of that awkwardness under control.
What Are the Best Wall Racks for Tricky Bicycles?
Bikes are long, usually about 5 or 6 feet, making them major garage floor space hogs. An adult bike can easily take up valuable real estate, but there’s a better way.
By using your vertical wall space, you can clear up a lot of floor space. A bike hitched to a wall juts into the room only about 3.5 feet, and even less if the storage unit folds the bike against the wall.
The challenge arises if your bike has bulky fenders or disc brakes. It’s much harder to find bike wall storage racks that can handle these features, as most are designed for standard road or mountain bikes.
You need a bike wall mount with a simple, smart design. Look for one that accepts the bike tire and then hooks around the rim, holding the bike securely off the floor. This method provides plenty of room for fenders and disc brakes without sacrificing stability.
We found a sturdy bike mount that does exactly this, perfectly designed for fat tire bicycles and those with disc brakes or fenders. You can learn more about it in our guide to the 2 Best Fat Tire Bicycle Organizers.
Why You Should Store Bulky Bikes by the Frame
If there’s one thing that many bike storage products lack, it’s the ability to store fat tires in a standard rack, mount, or hook. When a bike holder is wide enough for a fat tire, it’s often too wide to hold the bike steady.
This is why it makes so much sense to store fat tire bikes by their frame instead.
Of course, you’ll want a rack with rubber-coated arms to protect your frame’s paint and finish. Ideally, the solution should also accommodate wide handlebars.
We found a bike wall-mount that solves the fat tire problem by supporting the frame, with a built-in solution for wide handlebars. The mount holds the bike securely by the frame, and its main column can be adjusted away from the wall to give those wide handlebars some breathing room.
Look more closely at fat tire bike storage options in our article: Best Bicycle Storage Organizers.
How Can You Secure Your Bikes Safely?
Have you ever had a ceiling-hooked bike fall on you? It’s a surprisingly common and jarring experience. When growing up, we used simple bike hooks in the ceiling joists, but it’s not always a secure method.
The problem with a basic hook is that it’s open-ended. Experts agree that this can be a safety issue. Wouldn’t it be better to clamp the rim with a closed loop so the bike couldn’t accidentally slip off?
A clamp is much more secure, and one particular product has mastered the bike storage ceiling clamp design, offering peace of mind.
For floor storage, a common issue is the “bike tilt.” Many front-tire racks only have two points of contact, leaving the bike wobbly and looking like it’s about to teeter over. This creates visual clutter and a little anxiety.
A great bike storage solution should feel strong and upright. We recommend a floor stand that grips the tire at three points, preventing tilting and holding the bike firmly in place. While it is limited to tires up to 2.4 inches wide, it’s a fantastic option for bikes with disc brakes and fenders. Check out our favorite floor bike rack here.
How to Eliminate Handlebar Tangles with Adjustable Racks
Whether long handlebars offer more agility is up for debate, but they certainly create a storage problem. When parked close together, wide bars awkwardly lock into the bike next to them, creating a tangled mess.
You need a bike storage solution that gives wide handlebars more room while using space more efficiently for narrower bars. It makes sense, right?
Fortunately, there’s a wall storage solution for bicycles that lets you adjust how much space each one gets. Using a simple pin system, you can move the bike hooks around to customize the spacing.
This design is simple, elegant, and strong. It completely removes the annoyance of bigger bikes knocking into smaller ones, bringing order to your collection.
Show Off Your Skis and Snowboards with Smart Storage
How much time did you put into choosing your snowboards? Did you think about how the art of the board affected you? Garage storage is usually just about function, but many snowboards are works of art.
A sturdy lumber rack can be a great way to store snowboards, keeping their artistic designs on display and preventing base damage from floor contact. For an even more beautiful solution, consider a dedicated snowboard rack made from sanded light birch that looks like a living room bookshelf.
Similarly, storing racing skis, kids’ skis, and wide mountain skis all together can be a nightmare. To find storage peace, everything needs its own space. Wide skis need more room, and narrow skis need less.
We found a ski rack that allows you to adjust the hooks in one-inch increments across a 46-inch wall-mounted rack. Changing the slot size is as simple as pulling and replacing a pin, and experts confirm it’s an ideal solution for varied ski collections. You can read more about the best adjustable ski rack here.
How Should I Organize My Workshop Lumber?
Now that we’re not tripping over skis and bikes, what can we do about that workshop lumber? Finding the right home for your woodworking supplies is just as important as storing sports equipment.
Lumber presents a new set of challenges. It’s long, but it also comes in multiple sizes, thicknesses, and weights, and a decent pile gets heavy fast.
You already know that if all your lumber is in one big pile, getting to the bottom pieces is impossible. The first step is to section the lumber into different piles and get it off the ground, where it can pick up moisture.
To do this, we need a rack that screws directly into the wall studs for support. DIY and organizing experts stress the importance of anchoring any heavy storage into studs for safety.
We found a timber shelf that mounts to the wall and allows you to store different size boards. The arms adjust from 4 ft. to 6 ft. wide, and each rack holds 100 lb., with the whole unit carrying 600 lb. You can have a look at this adjustable wood holder on the product page.
Reclaim Your Headspace: Safely Storing Kayaks and Canoes
The ceiling is often the perfect place to store long, bulky items, but safety is critical. We’ve rejected many garage ceiling storage products because ceiling joists are not always as strong as wall studs.
However, the ceiling is the right place for items that are lightweight enough not to be a disaster if the system fails. We put kayaks, canoes, and ladders in this category.
A good ceiling rack for this purpose features a vertical pole with two parallel crossbars, capable of holding 150 lbs. Foam padding protects your gear, and heavy-duty lag bolts ensure a secure installation.
Most importantly, always store kayaks and canoes upside down and distribute the weight evenly. Experts confirm this prevents the hull from warping. Also, ensure your boat is completely dry before winter storage to prevent ice buildup from causing damage.
You can read about our favorite kayak, canoe, and ladder ceiling rack here.
Step Up Your Storage: The Best Ways to Hang a Ladder
In our experience, most people hang ladders on the garage wall, but not all hooks are created equal. Ladders can be heavy, and we’ve seen plenty of hooks that bend or lose their rubber coating under stress.
A good ladder hook needs both breadth and depth to hold the ladder securely without wobbling. It should also have a durable coating to prevent slipping and protect your ladder’s finish.
For even more convenience, heavy-duty ladder hooks can be paired with ceiling storage. You can also use an electric hoist for effortless lifting, always remembering to anchor securely into a joist.
We found our favorite ladder hook a while back, and it has proven to be an outstanding solution for this common garage annoyance. You can learn more about our favorite ladder hook here.
Find Tangle-Free Solutions for Rakes, Shovels, and Brooms
If you’ve ever pulled a rake from a pile only to have three shovels come crashing down, you know the frustration. Storing long-handled tools doesn’t have to be a tangled mess.
We were looking at our own annoying rake storage and knew there had to be a better way to store these bulky items that always seem to be crashing into each other. After some research, we found a much better way, as confirmed by organizing experts at Better Homes & Gardens.
The solution is a spring-loaded tool organizer. This type of rack grips each handle individually, eliminating tangles and the risk of tools falling on you.
It creates a clean, organized look and makes it effortless to grab the exact tool you need without causing a tool avalanche. You can view our favorite broom, shovel, and rake storage solution on our product page.
What Is the Best Way to Lift Heavy Gear?
After reviewing over a dozen manual and electric pulleys for bikes and kayaks, we noticed a trend. Very few dedicated storage solutions are well-engineered, and many are just generic winches with a brand label.
An electric bike hoist is simply a winch with a strap to hold the bike. Why pay a premium for a “dedicated” tool when you can do it better, and for less, yourself?
We found a very highly-rated winch that comes with two heavy-duty straps that will easily carry any bicycle, kayak, or ladder. The price on this winch is significantly better than the branded “bike-winch” solutions.
I don’t know about you, but I’d like my ceiling storage solutions to be over-engineered for safety. I want a good price, but not at the cost of risking heavy items falling onto cars and people.
Check out my favorite make-your-own bike-ladder-kayak electric hoist here.
The Final Fix: Reclaim Your Garage with an Outdoor Shed
Ultimately, you have to decide: is the garage where you keep your stuff, or where you keep your cars? Did your brooms and skis cost more than your vehicle? If not, why are they in your garage while your car gets pelted by sun and snow in the driveway?
There is a final, elegant solution to all your awkward storage problems: move it all to a shed. We researched sheds for their strength, longevity, and ability to store all the stuff that’s currently cluttering your garage.
There are two shed types large enough to handle the big items: resin blow-molded sheds that look like little houses, and fabric-sided pop-up garage sheds. Both are perfect for storing everything from kayaks and lawn mowers to tractors and ATVs.
Our riding lawn tractor used to be in the garage, getting in the way. Now it gets parked in the shed, out of my way, and out of my car’s way. If you’re ready to prioritize your vehicle over your clutter, a shed gives everything the space it properly needs.
Check out our favorite shed choices here and reclaim your garage for good.
