5 Ways to Store Your Bike When Living in a Small Apartment

Biking is a popular activity in the U.S., both as a form of recreation and means of transportation — there are around 52M bicycle riders in the U.S. currently, and Americans spent almost $7 billion on bicycles and accessories in 2020 alone.

For many, especially for those living in cities that are bike-friendly, biking is an everyday activity, a practical way of getting to work or other places. However, the people who tend to use bikes the most are the same ones who are most likely to have issues when it comes to storing their bikes — bicyclists living in large urban hot spots, where space is at a premium. If you’re one of the Americans using a bike for your daily transportation needs, but you live in a small apartment, you need to be creative about storing it. Check out these ingenious ways of storing your bike safely and easily:

1. Wall-mounted bike rack

A wall-mounted bike rack is a simple and effective way to store your bike in a small apartment. These racks are small contraptions that allow you to secure your bike horizontally or vertically on the wall. There are multiple types of wall-mounted racks, and even ones that can hold several bikes, in case you have roommates or significant others that are into biking as well.

It’s important to find a rack that’s strong enough to support the weight of your bike, or bikes, and to mount it correctly and securely to the wall. Check how much weight the wall-mounted rack can hold before you buy it to ensure that it’s sturdy enough for your bike. Then, pick a comfortable spot and height for the wall-mounted bike rack — you should be able to easily put the bike away without having to climb on furniture and such to reach it. The hallway is an ideal place to have it installed. Follow the mounting instructions provided by the manufacturer carefully to avoid accidents while using your rack. One of the major downsides of using a wall-mounted bike rack is that you need to make sure your bike is thoroughly cleaned when you put it on the rack — you definitely don’t want dirt on your walls.

2. Floor bike stand

A floor bike stand is a compact and stylish option for storing your bike in a small space. Such bike stands are available in different materials, such as wood or metal, and can hold one or multiple bikes. The main advantage is that they’re easy to use. No installation is needed for most — you simply place them on the floor. However, you do need a bit of floor space to use one, so they’re not quite as space-saving as wall-mounted racks.

3. Ceiling-mounted bike rack

Ceiling-mounted bike racks might not be on your radar when it comes to storing the bike inside an apartment, as people usually use them in garages. However, if you’re really pressed for space, you could install one in your apartment. The most basic ones consist of a small rack that you mount on the ceiling, complete with hooks that hold your bike, usually upside down. It’s a good solution if you have high ceilings, and you can minimize the visual impact by installing the rack in a hallway.

4. Using your furniture creatively

If you have limited floor space, you can store your bike under the bed when it’s not in use. A bike bag or bike cover can be used to protect your bike from dust and scratches. It’s a good solution if you don’t use your bike on daily basis. Another simple solution is to store your bike between the sofa and the wall. Or, if you want to make your bike part of the décor and the main focal point of your living room, you can “store” it as a room divider — whether by building a wooden frame large enough to store the bike and adding some shelves on top, or simply by using a floor stand to support it.

5. A self storage unit

Sometimes, storing your bike inside the apartment is simply not practical. Maybe there’s no space available for your bike, or access to the apartment is too difficult (for example, you need to climb two or three stories and the building doesn’t have an elevator). Your roommates might be put out by the idea of you hanging your bike on the living room wall. In such cases, your best solution is to rent a self storage unit located as close as possible to your apartment. This way, you can keep your bike safe and sound and reasonably close to your home without having to haul it up the stairs and clean it every day before bringing it inside the apartment. Most self storage facilities have very generous access hours, and many are open 24/7, so you’ll definitely be able to find one that suits your needs. A 5’x5’ storage unit is generally large enough to store a bike plus some other stuff, such as camping equipment, holiday decorations and so on. Renting a small, 5’x5’ storage unit costs around $56 per month at a national level, according to Yardi Matrix. However, prices vary significantly depending on location — check out the prices and the availability in some of the country’s major cities:

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If you are a bicyclist who doesn’t want to give up your active lifestyle, choose a storage solution that works best for your space and needs, and make sure it’s secure enough to keep your bike safe.