Thought I would go for the trifecta.

We've discussed: (1) hanging bikes by one wheel in the garage, (2) issue of unheated but insulated garage for storage, so for (3) what is recommended as the distance between bike hangers if you hang them front wheel/handlebars, rear wheel no handle bars, front wheel handlebars, etc.?
I know it depends on handlebar width, mine run 38-44.

Thanks for your recommendations.

Take Care

No set distance. Just enough to provide clearance. I hang mine, alternating front wheel hang, rear wheel hang.

I'd guess about eight inches. I base that on a hanger kit I have where the bar is, I think, 48" long and holds six hooks. Bikes get hung staggered front up/front down. Depending on surrounding clearance, hanging and removing can be a bit dicey.

I've got everything from 2 wheels on ceiling hooks spaced 12" center to center. I also have a 16" offset between bikes. I'm sure 9' center to center would work, but 12" makes it easier to get them in and out. 9" would probably be fine with a wall rack and enough space to handle them in an ergonomically correct manor.

I settled on 12" between hooks, and am content with that. Some bikes are a little snug, but it's not a big deal to swing one neighbor out of the way with my shoulder while hanging one up or taking it down.

I can't figure out why this is a question?

The bikes on the wall are spaced at about 15". I could probably go a little tighter if I was trying to make things more compact.

I don't recall spacing on this configuration. I had the problem of height limitation. Removed the front wheel to rotate the bar and then hang the wheel on the pedal. Worked fine.
P8031673 on Flickr

Now the spacing here is 10" which is a problem with upright bar bikes. This also allows alternating direction of the bikes or not.
P1000485 on Flickr

Great question ! I am getting ready to install hooks for hanging my bikes. Very helpful to see the examples.

For those hanging them on the wall, how do you keep them from pivoting back and forth against the other bikes? Or you just push them aside when needed?

Names of all posters here will be noted as having a greater problem that has created this problem.

Gravity pulls the bike against the wall with enough force to keep them in place, but they are still easy to push aside, when needed.

You mean bike hoarding? I resemble that remark, and I am one of the small players in that game.

That's your answer right there. The space between the hooks should be the width of your handlebars. I've got mine lined up, handlebar-to-handlebar, with a second row that let's me use the space in between. I tried hanging alternate bikes from the rear wheel, but that's awkward to hang or take down. The second row is also tricky, since it needs to squeeze between two sets of handlebars, so you might want to leave an extra couple of inches if you plan to do that.

BTW, the RubberMaid FastTrack system lets you move the hooks.



If you're just screwing hooks into the wall, you'll either need an additional board to screw into or you'll be limited by where the studs are.

I thought the problem was lack of additional garage space, extra sheds, or shipping containers in the back yard. I mean, obviously the bikes aren't the problem....

Thanks posters for your advice and the pictures really help.

Why ask the question?

The wealth of perspectives and solutions provided above.

Take Care

P.S. Will post when I've got the garage storage done.

Point well taken. I do envy folks with ample storage and workshop space.

AndyK and BFisher what wall hook rack systems do you use?
Are they still available?
I like it that you can adjust the hanger placement to fit different bikes as your collection changes without making more holes in the garage walls.

Take Care

Absolutely. It is also under-estimating how extra bikes do not follow the law of diminishing returns...! I should have bought a house with double garage.

I built that awesome custom bicycle holder when I thought I would limit myself to 6 bikes....oops. Now I have to figure out another system and sell/rehome the custom, wheeled monster.

I use the Rubbermaid FastTrack Rail system. It's still being sold at places like Home Despot.

I started out with a 4-foot rail and two hooks. Then N+1 happened.

40 foot rail?

Sort of expanded like the US railroad systems in the gilded age?

I hang mine all by the front and stagger the heights. (Makes putting them away far easier.) 11" apart, heights staggered 12". Lower hook at 72" off the floor. I could narrow up the spacing but hanging my heavy farmers market bike and road bikes hammered from rides is easier with a little extra room.

I don’t have a garage but instead a 170-year-old basement with a relatively high ceiling. My hooks are spaced 12” apart, and I stagger hanging by front and rear wheel.

The objective is to pack them as closely together as possible. Some people are in the unenviable position of being limited in their bike purchases by storage space. For those people I recommend making friends with those that have more storage room than bikes (I know, how can this be?) and bone up on the Zero Bike concept.

standard 16" stud spacing works if you stagger the hook height
The ones to the right work good, the ones to the left are a little too close together vertically