Types of hangers for storing bicycles (hook, lift, bracket)
One of the main problems with bike storage is the lack of free space. Standard corridors are generally narrow and there is little room for passage. Not everyone has balconies and garages, and many things accumulate there. A good solution is to mount the bike to the ceiling. There are several options for hanging. The choice of the best one depends on the size of the room and the bike itself. You can not only buy the mount but also make it yourself. How exactly - we will tell in this article.
How to store bicycles under the ceiling
The main point that is taken into account when choosing is the height of the room. It is desirable that there is a passage at the bottom. Alternatively, you can arrange a parking space above a plot where the floor is already occupied by something else.
Horizontal bike storage
The bike sits flat, along the floor, and is usually held by the bottom and top of the frame (or handlebar). Adult models will take up to 60 cm in height. In typical apartments, there will be enough space to go downstairs. This option for storing your bike under the ceiling is suitable for a balcony or hallway if there is enough space in width.
Vertical bike storage
In this case, the bicycle is suspended by the wheels, turned upside down, or by the handlebars and saddle. A pair of "iron horses" will fit in the same area across the width, but the ceiling will drop more. Vertical parking is suitable for tall apartments or garages.
Important! Long (seasonal) suspension of the bike by the wheels is not recommended: this will deteriorate the tires and stretch the spokes. If there is no other way to store it, make sure that the cameras are not deflated (periodically pumped up).
Ceiling bike suspension options
Mounts can be both elementary and budgetary, and complex in execution. But the suspended ceiling will not support the weight. All methods can be used only with overlapping or fixed with anchors through the decorative cladding.
Bike storage hook
This is one of the simplest systems. Buy specialized holders or make them yourself. Two hooks are attached to the ceiling, taking into account the size of the bike (between the distances of the wheels). As a rule, they take a curved steel rod, which is screwed through the dowels (like self-tapping screws). There are specialized mounts for wood (BTwin).
- low price;
- simple and quick installation;
- reliability - the mount will withstand up to 40 kg (Btwin - up to 15).
The disadvantages include the fact that you have to lift up with your hands. Heavy models are not easy to hang, especially for girls.
Sometimes the hooks are not screwed to the ceiling, but to the movable profile. Then you can change the distance for different models.
Bicycle storage lift
This type has a lifting mechanism for easy parking. The most common option looks like this: two rollers are attached to the ceiling, hooks are suspended to them through a strong cable. Hooks hook a bicycle handlebar and saddle, and then gently lift, pulling the rope. The free end is wound around the block on the wall. Thanks to such a system, 2-3 times less effort is sufficient.
Attaching the bike to the ceiling with a bracket
You can get rid of problems with storing a bike in an apartment for a long time ago - by installing it behind the frame on ceiling holders. Ceiling mounting a bike is usually not a big deal for people outside of cycling, but in fact, it is the safest option for both owners and technicians. Moreover, the bike by its design is very well suited for storage on the ceiling.
How to store your bike properly
The main complaint you hear about overhead storage from cycling enthusiasts has to do with what they think is the incorrect position of the bike when using the ceiling mount. In some cases, the bike is provided horizontally under the ceiling, this mounting method is more economical.
There is a lot of truth in such claims. Even if mounting a bicycle to the ceiling in a horizontal position involves fixing only to the frame, the bike's headset still experiences lateral bending loads, which in theory can lead to bearing deformation.
Most manuals and manuals for the use and storage of a bicycle require three conditions:
- Fastening the system of minimum load on tires and wheels;
- When hanging the bike, the force must be in the plane of the frame.
- It is allowed to mount the bicycle to the ceiling by units equipped with rotation bearings, provided that the force of gravity is directed perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hub or carriage.
We know from experience that most cycling enthusiasts prefer to plan for fixing the bike to the ceiling so that maintenance, inspection, and diagnostics can be performed, ideally even minor repairs to the equipment.
Even in a modern apartment, there is not much space to tinker with a bike, the easiest way to do this is by placing the car on a suspension from the ceiling. In old Soviet apartments, such an implementation is extremely difficult, therefore, most often they are fiddling with a bike on the balcony.
Important! The bike, even with perfect care, avoids options like the one in the photo below.
How to hang a bike from the ceiling
There are a variety of ways you can attach your bike to the ceiling surface. Usually, the methods and means of fixing are divided into two types:
- Fast or instant attachments. It only takes a few seconds to set up your bike. This kind of fastener is used as a parking space, but not on the street, but within the apartment. They are not suitable for long-term storage of equipment;
- Devices and devices for long-term storage of a bicycle. The most difficult to install, but guaranteeing the safety of equipment for several months and even years.
Recently, mechanized types of fasteners have become popular. They cannot be attributed to any of the above, since the systems are focused on providing maximum comfort during the installation of the bike for storage under the ceiling.
Roller Ceiling Bike Mount
One such device is an elevator or roller winch. In fact, these are two pulleys fixed to the ceiling with brackets. The distance between the axles is 90-120 cm, depending on the suspension method of the bike.
A cable is passed through the rollers, one end of which is fixed on a traverse with clamps. The other end is in the hands of the owner or launched into the winch drum gate. To raise the bike to the ceiling, it is enough with a little effort, only 2-3 kg, to pull the cable or start the winch. After lifting to the ceiling, the frame is automatically fixed with a metal hinge. To remove the bike, you need to flip the lock and slowly unwind the cable. Both procedures take a maximum of 6-10 seconds.
The construction of the lift and the mount are absolutely safe to use, while the bike can be stored under the ceiling for an almost unlimited amount of time.
Important! The system is inconvenient because the bike is raised to the ceiling in its working position, as a result, the transport, even when suspended from the mount, takes up a lot of space, so they try to store bike bikes on elevators in secluded places, for example, on balconies, verandas, loggias.
Ceiling Bike Bracket
The next type of attachment is even more popular than elevator and roller lifts. Structurally, the ceiling mount is a metal frame consisting of a stationary and movable part.
The base of the frame is rigidly fixed to the ceiling with dowels. The movable arm can be rotated on bearings and lowered to floor level. In order to secure the bike, it is enough to install it on the console, pull the bike with a latch and raise it to the ceiling. Since part of the structure is used in the lever, the effort required to lift the bike to the ceiling will be 40-50% less than if you just try to raise the bike to the same height with your bare hands.
The device is very reliable, and most importantly, the fixing of equipment under the ceiling occurs in a horizontal plane, which allows you to free up much more space in the room.
Ceiling Mount Bike Brackets
The use of mechanical drives and consoles that facilitate lifting equipment to the place seems to be something redundant and unnecessary. This is partly true, a modern bicycle can weigh within 7-15 kg, so one physically strong person may well put the bike on the rear wheel and raise the rest of the height with his hands.
For such sports enthusiasts, usually use metal brackets or, more simply, install a bicycle hook on the ceiling. The shape and dimensions of the suspension depend on the characteristics of the bike, the height of the tires, and the wheel rim.
The most common hook is a steel half loop that is attached to an adapter bracket.
The hook can swing to prevent the rim from rubbing against the suspension surface. More complex modifications can be equipped with a mechanical lock, as in the photo.
In order to suspend or remove the bike, just press the wheel on the orange support platform. The sides of the hook will open and release the rim from the mount.
For lovers of more advanced versions of brackets, a mechanism with a breakable vertical stand is used. Unlike consoles, this system can store the bike in a vertical or temporary position, or in the long-term storage mode horizontally under the ceiling.
Ceiling mount for multiple bikes
With the development of family cycling, the problem of storing two or three bicycles at once in one place of the apartment arises. Simply increasing the number of hooks or holders on the ceiling solves the problem, but only partially.
Even with such free space, there is little. The bicycles can be suspended on two-wheel hooks if the height of the room allows. In the conditions of apartment storage, single hooks-brackets are most often installed for suspension by one wheel. Convenient for long corridors. If the apartment is supposed to store more than two bicycles, then the optimal design will be shown in the photo below.
To be continued: Rules for hanging a bicycle from the ceiling
