Bike storage: gimme more

August 31, 2017 3:43 AM

Looking for product suggestions for a better, bigger bike shed

I am a keen road cyclist and I am the proud owner of a relatively pricey bike. A few years ago I bought a trimetals shed to keep my bike in, as well as associated tools and spares. They're awesome..super secure and small footprint.
I live in a terraced house in a UK major conurbation where space is somewhat at a premium.
Then....kids happened, and more importantly, they learned to ride bikes of their own.
Now I need a bigger shed. I have a little more room either side of the shed (~50cm both sides), but not in terms of depth. I've contacted trimetals to see if they can make me a longer version of their bike shed, but no dice.
Any suggestions out there, either for alternative products, or for small-footprint sheds that can house 2-3 adult bikes and 2 kids bikes?

posted by 5imon to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

You might want to take a look at the storage range from Asgard to see if anything fits your space and needs.
posted by simonar at 5:32 AM on August 31, 2017

Assuming your planning office allows it and you are willing to do the work (or pay to have it done), it is actually a really easy project to build a shed, and that is much more likely to let you creatively use every inch of space without the compromises of a prefab shed. I built a shed, probably larger than your space will allow, in a couple of weekends working alone, for about half the price of a prefab shed.

That also let's you open up the can of worms of space-efficient bike storage (eg hanging from the ceiling, etc) and make sure that your new shed allows for not only the current crop of bicycles, but also the new ones you will probably acquire over the next decade or so.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:38 AM on August 31, 2017

My friends keep their bike storage footprint small by hanging their bikes on hooks to utilize vertical space. This doesn't work for me, since I ride a heavy bike and am short and weak, and would not work well for the kids for the same reason. But you might be able to store the adult bikes that way and the kid bikes in your current shed.

Kids' bikes are not at significant risk for theft in my area so I don't need enclosed storage for them. So I just built a sloping metal roof for them to go under.
posted by metasarah at 5:40 AM on August 31, 2017

+1 to Dip Flash. I hang my bikes on wall hooks in my garage. If you're really tight on space, you can fit 3 bikes into the width of 2 by staggering the hooks high/low.
posted by adamrice at 8:38 AM on August 31, 2017

We bought a bike shed 3 years ago, not only because of additional kid's bike but mainly because of security. Someone broke in tried to steal my pricey bike. I was just so relieved he was not successful. So my uncle advised me for better security, to buy a bike shed. I got a nice one / already 3 years old and security still at its peak. Last winter, there was a leak but just minor fix it's all good as new.

Your bike is expensive and personal, and losing it can be heartbreaking. So my advice is:
Keep it securely locked down. Keep the building it’s in secure. Make sure it’s insured.
posted by reekbeek12 at 5:12 AM on September 28, 2017