General Cycling Discussion - Bikes and apartments...

I'm looking at getting an apartment (my first) in six-or-so months; no later than the end of July. I'm intending to start small, and will be leasing a studio (-ish) apartment around 300-400 sq. ft. This should be no problem, as the my furniture collection consists of a futon, a papasan chair, two beanbags, and a small kitchen table (with chairs).

The only problem I can foresee is figuring out where to put my bikes; I've got two, and don't mind having both of them in the apartment. Any recommendations on bike racks that would fit this purpose?

Any other caveats for this anal-retentive little geek?

Performance Bike has several options for indoor storage.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/subcategory.html?Cat_ID=13&Sub_ID=6600&TS=9&Sort=1

Unless you really like stairs, I'd avoid anything over about 3 storeys high without a lift. Lugging an old raleigh up and down three flights of stairs is great exercise and all, but it does make me less eager to just go for a short ride if I'm short on time! :)

Best of luck flat hunting. It's not all that fun...

Ellie

I used to keep a single bike in a 5th floor apartment. Its a real pain.
Solutions include using a beater bike in the hallway or locked outside. This keeps the grime outside your flat.
Using a small wheeled performance lightweight like an Animal or Moulton which can be broken down or doesn't up much room.

Originally posted by Ellie
Unless you really like stairs, I'd avoid anything over about 3 storeys high without a lift. Lugging an old raleigh up and down three flights of stairs is great exercise and all, but it does make me less eager to just go for a short ride if I'm short on time! :)



Best of luck flat hunting. It's not all that fun...



Ellie

Actually, 'round here it's not that bad, and everything that I'm looking at is way below what I can "technically" afford. So what if I don't want to spend a bunch of money?

I want an older Victorian-style studio (hardwood floors), of which there seem to be quite a number in the area I'd like to move to. Advantage is that they are rarely over three stories, and my heaviest (and currently) only bike weighs twenty-five pounds with all my gear attached to it. Quite the luggable bike.

Our first apartment was a 450 sq. ft. one-bedroom flat on the second floor. My wife and I parked the three good bikes in a corner of the living room, and I kept my commuter/beater/junker under a tarp in the back yard. If the landlord would permit it and if the ceiling can be patched EASILY (many cannot), consider hanging bikes from "bicycle storage hooks" threaded into the rafters, as I do in my garage. You can also build a simple frame to hold a hook or two, to avoid ceiling damage.

My office has a typical suspended acoustical tile ceiling, so I put a hook into a block of wood and wired the assembly to one of the suspension beams. I wouldn't try this with a middleweight, but it should work great with any sub-30lb road bike.

I just keep my two bikes leaning against things and they seem happy that way. They don't seem to bring any "grime" in, but maybe I just can't tell. :eek: