04 November 2011

at home: bike storage using IKEA and DELTA racks

Over the years we've had a number of bikes come and go in our apartment but all in all there have never been fewer then five at a time -- hence the need for super compact bike storage. I am finally getting around to posting some photos of the set up in our living room for three of our nicest (as well as lightest)...
 
Fortunately we have a doorway we don't ever use which turned out to fit three of those super minimal Delta Leonardo Single-Bike Racks side by side! As for the assembly... using a 1.5" thick board which spanned the entire door frame, I screwed each hook 15" apart (center-to-center) which is the closest you'll likely get away with -- though partly depends on your handle bar style/width. Once the hooks were in place on the board, I pre-drilled the holes into the board, and used 4" long screws to anchor it into the wood framing of the door. Drilling directly into the wood door framing created a super secure attachment. 

And to deal with the all the bike tools which were previously spread amongst two different toolboxes and under the sink storage bins -- I was able to consolidate almost everything into one of IKEA's "ALEX" drawer unit! It has six shallow drawers and comes with casters so you can easily wheel over your tools to wherever you please. Little enhancements I made included lining some of the drawers with industrial felt padding to help keep them in place and used some old petri dishes to keeps tiny parts organized. One thing I'm considering doing is reinforcing some of the drawer bottoms which are holding lots of tools since they began to bow a bit.

Spending the $161 ($14 (x 3) on hooks + $119 on drawers) was well worth it for space saving benefits!!! If you've come up with a crafty indoor bike storage option - do share!

 
For those of you who know me well, I know what your thinking... what happened to the Bike Utility Bench you designed? What can I say, there is really that much stuff to store at home -- and use the bench for larger items like extra helmets, gloves, accessories!
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