January 03, 2023

Indoor Bike Racks

There is simply nothing safer than the best indoor bike storage solutions. Getting your wheels through the front door and locked into place is miles more effective in the long run than the best outdoor bike racks, and when done right, you can hook up an indoor bike rack for small apartment spaces as well as in a big house in the hills. 

At the end of a good ride, chances are you’ll want to get off the bike and into the shower as fast as possible. It can be easy to pretend that leaning your bike up against the front fence is good enough at first, but time is not kind to improperly stored bicycles, especially when wheels and gravity are involved.  

Bikes are tough pieces of equipment, but nothing lasts forever. Modern bicycles, especially, can do more than ever before, but they also involve more minute parts to make the entire system hum.  

Garages, basements, and sheds go a long way towards mimicking the indoor feeling, and they’ll work great in a pinch. Still, these shelters don’t go to the same lengths as a truly indoor space does to protect against moisture, excessive temperatures, and theft threats. 

While not everyone has a large garage or plenty of basement space laying around, even the smallest studio apartment can rock proper bike storage with our help. Eventually, when the neighbor's frames start to crack and your biking buddy's chain rusts, you can ride on and meet them at the bar later, contentedly peddling away knowing your extra effort paid dividends.

Don’t wait until your fancy carbon frame starts to crack, your dropper level gets finicky, or your brakes fail to start thinking about proper storage. Let’s get your indoor wall bike storage squared away today so you can focus on the ride.  

We’ll cover indoor bike racks for apartments across the spectrum, perfect for deployment in homes with all sorts of floor spans. Everything from a simple indoor bike hook to a full-on adjustable bicycle wall hanger with an indoor bike shelf has a niche in a household somewhere, so we’ll shine a light on ideas of all shapes and sizes.  

We’ll take some time to talk you through some shortcomings of indoor bike racks as well. The bottom line remains the same; the best indoor bike storage small apartment solutions are up there with the best systems for any space.

Why You Should Store Your Bike Inside

Indoor bike benefits should not be understated. A few spins on a treadmill is a part of many rainy-day workout plans, and storing your bike is often best done inside, too.  

 

Sometimes we don’t have a choice, as most cities aren’t cranking out many new apartment buildings with included backyards anymore. Even if you’ve got 10 acres of space at your disposal, you’d have trouble finding a spot more optimized for bike storage than the great indoors. 

 

You should store your bike inside because if you take proper care of your bicycle, you may never have to buy another one. Nobody is going to take serious storage pains on a week-long rental, and even a few months of time isn’t enough to notice the benefits of indoor bicycle storage.

 

A Whole New Level of Weatherproof

 

Why do we store anything inside? To protect it from the elements. Nobody’s going to break down if they spend an afternoon in foul weather, but the constant mash of the elements will slowly eat away at anything that’s left outside the drywall. 

 

Even if the weather won’t stop you from riding, you should give your bike a break when you get home. While bikes are wind and waterproof as any piece of outdoor equipment should be, Mother Nature's slow and steady ride will leave anything man-made wrecked eventually. 

Rain, sleet and snow are the most obvious combatants. Just a few afternoon showers worth of raindrops will rust your essential components and set you up with a costly appointment at your local bike shop. 

It doesn’t just stop at precipitation. Sun, wind, and dust are equally capable killers, slowly and steadily wearing down your gears and slipping between the cracks of your chain until your entire bike breaks down on an uphill section. 

Garages and sheds can only do so much. The only way to completely avoid the elements is to store bikes with the same level of climate control that you protect the rest of your life. That means using the best indoor bike storage available. 

Your Bike is a Centerpiece

Bikes are beautiful, and they only get better with time. The more you ride them, the more memories you rack up. Anyone who can’t appreciate the classic stripes of a vintage Peugeot isn’t worth the invite. Don’t hide your bike away in the dark corner of your garage until even you forget it’s over there.

A bike nook bicycle stand next to the front door or horizontal bike wall racks are great ways to lift your bike up to its most flattering angle and remind yourself every morning why you’re waking up early. Keep your bike right where you can see it with the help of a well-designed indoor bike wall mount. 

Store more than just your Bicycle 

A proper indoor single bike rack won’t just get your bike on display and out of the way, but also provide a safe space for all sorts of biking accessories. It can be as simple as adding an extra bike hook or two for your shoes and helmet and or all the way up to a sturdy indoor bike shelf that can hold everything you need to get riding. Some bike wall mounts pack shelf spaces so grandiose you can store more than just your bike gear there. 

You can justify a slightly larger rack knowing you’re buying a bike rack, a splash of extra storage, and an art display, all with only a few minutes and a few holes in the wall required. 

The Nitty Gritty of Indoor Bike Storage

Hopefully, you’re starting to believe in indoor mountain bike storage. So let’s dive deeper and break down what marks truly cool indoor bike racks for apartments. Especially when it comes to storage in small spaces, the little things make a big difference. A bike rack for inside apartment spaces can be revolutionary or revolting, depending on the nuts and bolts of the operation.

Things To Look For

When done right, the crisp bamboo or Baltic Birch look of your rack will even further the good looks of your favorite bike. Here are a few key components that make up the most cool indoor bike racks. 

Minimalist Designs

There’s nothing that drives you crazy like a bike rack that’s trying to do too much. Especially when you’re talking about indoor storage, where every square inch of space is important. The best indoor storage racks won’t stick out too far from your wall, and they won’t include all sorts of straps and pulleys that take up space and look like an eyesore. 

 

You don’t need an extensive labyrinth of wires to pack in a whole lot of storage. A rock-solid indoor hanging bike rack can easily find space for two bike hooks, a bike storage shelf, and padded arms that will hold your bike in place without taking up more space than a Jackson Polluck painting. 

Natural Materials 

There's no better backdrop for a great ride than a smattering of trees whizzing by and the scent of nature spurning you on. You can store bikes in the same style. Natural materials don't just look great and help keep your passion sustainable, they also do a way better job serving as bike storage racks than anything created in a laboratory.

That's not to say it's as easy as going out to the woods or slapping together a set of 2x4s and calling it a day, but wooden braces are a great place to start. Even better than wood is Bamboo, which is technically grass but as powerful as anything else on the planet. 

Natural materials look good, serve as solid support systems, and last a lifetime. While they don't always pack the characteristics required to serve as a modern bike frame, they have more than enough in the tank to store bikes sustainably.  

Adjustability  

Bicycle storage in a garage or shed might not require the same amount of adjustability, but indoor road bike storage absolutely requires some flexibility. Now, unless you're rocking with freestanding bike racks, there's no way to create a completely portable bike stand. You'll have to drill holes in the wall at some point.  

Still, the right rack will make things as easy as possible for you. Look for your wall-mounted bike rack to be easily removable, so next time you want to repaint your space or rearrange the furniture you won't have to spend an hour dismantling your set-up.  

Red Flags 

When done right, there is no safer way to protect the long-term health of your bicycle.  It’s not all fun and games, though. There are a surprising amount of variables that make up a solid indoor bike rack wall, even after you’ve finally convinced your family it’s a good idea. There is no system that doesn’t involve sacrifice.  

Unfortunately, some DIY indoor bike rack methods are more trouble than they're worth. Here are a few things to look out for before mapping up your space and breaking out the power tools  

Plastic Pieces Can’t Protect Steel Frames

You wouldn’t trust a Wal-Mart bicycle to handle technical descents, so why would you trust cheap parts to protect your high-quality bicycle? When it comes to indoor wall-mounted bike rack options, the stakes are even higher.  

Not only are those hooks the only thing preventing your bike from crashing to the ground, but they’re also the only things in the way of the weight of your bike ripping a few brand-new holes in the walls. Your studs can only do so much on their own.  

The easiest way to guarantee your indoor bike hanger isn’t going to leave you hanging is to make sure it’s made with intelligent designs and quality materials. Not just in the grips that hold your bike, but in the minute details in the design from mounting to cradles.

Any bike rack that’s got more plastic parts than quality natural materials is an accident waiting to happen. 

Beware One Hook That Does It All

Minimalism is a great choice for an indoor bike storage rack, but there is such a thing as going too far. Some indoor bike hook options and DIY styles will put the entire weight of your bike on one cheap metal hook and call it a day. That’s going to be a ‘no’ from me!

That goes double for wheel hooks. Yes, it’s totally okay to hang your bike up by the wheels, and certain aluminum or carbon rims are more than capable of taking on the entire weight of your bike without cracking. Still, why play around with things?

One wrong bump in the night or roughhousing on a Sunday afternoon could really knock things off kilter if all the weight of your bike is in one spot. Several companies make an indoor single bike rack that’s nothing more than one hook, and while it’s technically a sound strategy, it’s also an accident waiting to happen. 

There are so many great indoor bike racks that use two arms for a reason. It helps spread the weight of your bike evenly and eliminates the risks that surround putting all the pressure on one point. 

 Different Indoor Bike Storage Ideas

So what is an indoor bike rack, anyways? Anything that locks your bike into place while taking some pressure off the wheels can be considered a bike rack. As you’re about to find out, Indoor Bike Racks: Home Edition can mean hanging your bike using various methods. 

There are several different strategies and styles that make up the best indoor bike storage solution, and they’ll all involve an indoor bike rack of some kind.  

Freestanding Indoor Bike Holder 

Indoor road bike storage can be really easy if you’ve got plenty of floor space. Free Standing bike racks require minimal installation and zero holes in the walls, which makes them an incredibly appealing option. 

 

These racks can stow away your bikes either vertically or horizontally, and you can also find plenty of freestanding bike racks with additional bike shelfs or hooks that help you store more. They make a whole lot of sense as a bike nook bicycle stand or a portable storage system, but they are the least space-efficient ways to store your bike. 

Vertical Bike Rack For Inside Apartment

A wall-mounted bike rack can either hang your bicycle horizontally or vertically. Vertical racks are generally more minimalist designs, better suited for packing a whole lot of bikes into not so much space. This style will typically hold your bike up by its front wheel to keep the bars up high and out of head-bumping level, sometimes with a bike hook or a rubber bar. 

Some vertical bike racks take things a step further by holding onto your bike in two separate spaces, from the front wheel and the back wheel typically. When it comes to indoor storage, this is a critical distinction. 

One bike hook holding your front bike tire means the rest of your bike is going to move about freely. That can work to your advantage, but it can also be a pain if you’re dealing with tight spaces or constantly bumping your bike in the night. When going vertical and storing indoors, you’re better off looking for something that holds your bike in two different places. 

Ceiling Storage

This is an indoor specialist that is the most space-efficient but least convenient way to store bikes. It’s most typically spotted as garage bike racks to hang above your car parking space or workbench, but you could pull this off in any room of the house with high enough ceilings.

 

Now, ceiling bike storage rack’s efficiency is clear. There’s not a whole lot you can do with a ceiling besides hang a nice chandelier, so storing bikes up there helps you keep the walls and floors clear for couches and countertops.  

Unfortunately, it comes with a big sacrifice. Unless you have nice and tall ceilings or short inhabitants, you’ll have to do a lot of planning to find an out of the way spot for a ceiling system. There’s also, typically, a fair amount of hardware (hooks, wires, and/or pulleys) that goes into the mounting.

Indoor Bike Hanging Racks 

Horizontal bike storage is the goldilocks option. You simply can’t beat the balance of space-saving and convenience that a quality indoor bike rack hanging from your wall provides for single bike storage. When done right, this option will turn your wall into a bike home base complete with helmet hooks, a tool shelf, and two padded arms lifting up your favorite bike. 

 

But don’t just take our word for it, let’s take a look at one wall mounted bike rack that’s done it all right. 

It Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated: Our Rackcycle Will get the job done 

Small flats or voluptuous villas have one thing in common: they both work best with Bamboo. A wooden indoor bike rack, or one using natural grass, checks off all the boxes while staying sustainable to create the best indoor bike racks on, and for, the planet. 

We spent a few years heading home from our rides and leaning our bikes up in the corner before we decided to do something about it. The market was saturated with cheap hooks that we wouldn’t trust to hang our car keys, let alone our bicycles, so we started to dream up our own indoor bike rack.  

After years of testing, The Rackcycle was born. Over the past decade, we have re-designed, tweaked, and perfected our bike shelf design to make sure that it’s the best-looking, strongest and most functional bike shelf design on the market. The cherry on top, it’s made with all sustainable materials. That makes it a perfect choice for an indoor bike rack, but it doesn’t stop there. 

Every Rackcycle supports your bike with two padded and secure points of contact. Delicate carbon skeletons and hefty alloy frames alike will sit comfortably for decades, right at eye level.  

Above the bike storage section of the wall mount is a shelf that brings plenty of storage space without taking up any more of your wall. You can use the shelf to pack everything you need to take care of your bike or to make your bike rack double as a bookshelf. 

Below deck are two additional hooks that will keep your helmet, pack, and windbreaker constantly at the ready.  It’s all finished off with a locally sourced, super eco-friendly Vermont Natural Coatings…coating, that helps the brings out the gorgeous bamboo color and grain. And, of course, it’s all proudly made and made in the U.S.A.