Could Vertical Bike Storage be the best solution for your bikes?

If you’re looking to store your bike – or bikes – vertically in a garden shed, there are a few things you might want to consider. It may not be as easy as buying a bike hook from a hardware store and attaching it to your potting shed.

Discover the best ways to hang your bike in a bike shed. Check out our Vertical Bike Shed, made for upright cycle storage.

Space saving bike storage

If you have more space in your back garden and several bikes this can often be ideal for upright bicycle storage. Floor space often comes at a premium, and an upright bike shed can house many bikes in a relatively small footprint.

You can design a vertical bike rack to fit any number of bikes side by side. Vertical cycle storage with staggered hooks allows handlebars to alternate in height. This provides the best form of space saving bicycle storage.

The depth of shed should be no less than 1.3m for vertical bicycle storage because of the height of bikes hanging up.

A well designed vertical bicycle storage shed will be that depth. The numbers of bikes at approximately half-meter intervals will dictate the width.

Is your shed able to accommodate bikes this way?

Most average garden sheds will most likely not have enough height to allow you to hang your bikes vertically inside. In sheds with a peak roof, this problem gets worse. There is only a small amount of maximum height available as the roof slopes down on both sides.

You should check if there are strong enough timber supports inside. These need to support the bike hooks or racks for upright bike storage inside the shed.

We designed our Vertical Bike Shed with enough height to hang even the biggest bikes comfortably. It has strong timbers built into the back wall, to hold the bike hooks and the weight of your bikes.

Will your bikes be secure in your bike shed?

Security should be one of your main considerations in thinking about bicycle storage solutions. So before you hang your beloved bike in your shed, check whether it’s secure enough to protect it.

Does it have a window that someone can easily break to allow access to the inside? Does it have a secure lock and doors that can withstand a crowbar? And is there any immovable object inside that you can lock your bike up to? If in doubt, check out our standard security features for more details.

Is there enough ventilation in your shed?

In cold and damp conditions, bikes can rust surprisingly quickly. Make sure to store your bike in a dry place. There should be enough ventilation to stop damp from building up.

We design all of our sheds to keep the damp out and allow ventilation from air flow inside. Our slatted bike stores are great for this. The gaps between the slats let air flow while keeping out the rain. 

What type of hook or rack will you use?

Lots of different hooks and racks are available for a vertical bicycle shed. These vary in degrees of complexity and budget.

In our vertical bike sheds we use simple hooks which allow you to hang bikes by their front wheels. An alternative to these hooks is Steadyrack. It is a stronger and more expensive option. This solution lets you swivel the bikes and store them at an angle from the wall.

This will reduce the depth of space you need to store your bikes by a metre, but does require a metre of extra width.

Hanging your bikes in a garage

If you’re lucky enough to have a garage, this can seem like the perfect place for an upright bike rack. After all, it’s secure and has solid walls for an upright bike stand.

All the advice above also applies to garages. Garages can be damp and often used to store other items. This can make it hard to access your bikes.

And increasingly, people are contacting us when they choose to convert their garage into an extra bedroom or office. If you do choose to repurpose your garage, a bike shed gives you a convenient, dedicated storage solution for your bikes.

Check out our vertical bike sheds for some inspiration!