fishabroad

I just moved into my dormroom and brought along my bike that I use for commuting. Since I'm going to a city school where all the basic necessities are within a few miles, it seemed like the perfect solution for a car-less student. On arriving at the campus, however, I found out that I have 2 options for storing my bike, either keep it in the storage room (which involves asking to use a key to the room each time I need to put it in or take it out) or keep it in my room. I thought I could be fine with just proping it against a wall, but after moving it around a dozen times in just one morning there's no way I can do that without going insane. I need to have the bike stored vertically, but I also can't drill any holes in the walls. Is there anything out there that will work for this situation on a student's budget?

Paul Graham

Hi Fish -

Would you be seriously offending anyone if you went ahead and drilled the holes anyway? Make sure you're drilling into a wooden beam behind the wall (or above the ceiling) and not into empty drywall (you can use a magnetic stud finder if it's not clear from the echo when you tap the wall), and you won't do any lasting damage.

If someone calls you on it, just tell them "I'll take responsibility for any damage." Those words will do wonders...as long as you clearly mean what you say. When you move out, make sure you repair and repaint the wall and leave it at least as nice looking and as structually sound as you found it.

If you really can't drill holes -- you already gave word to your roommate or your resident assistant that you wouldn't, and there's no way to renegotiate -- then I'd try to rearrange furniture until there's a good spot to lean the bike against the wall without it getting in anyone's way. I would not park it outside overnight on a university campus, and the dorm storage room doesn't sound like a serious option at all.

If there's no space for that, and no money for a free-standing bike rack...how about a bungee cord wrapped around some existing feature near ceiling level, so that if you hook the end of the cord to your front tire, the bike hangs vertically in a convenient place? Or a coatrack purchased from a thrift store, again bungeed to an immovable object (bed headset? Bookshelf? Window frame?) so the front wheel can hook onto the rack?

- Paul

rideabike

Would something like this work?

https://www.prolineracks.com/Barrecra...bike-rack.html

Since you won't have a bike on the bottom rack, maybe you can put a dresser or something else against the bottom part.

77Univega

--- You can minimize the holes to just one hole with a ceiling hook.

rideabike

Here is something else linked to in the forums:

https://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=AZ0900