Storing bikes in the house... :-)
 

Well, necessity IS the mother of invention!

This weekend has been devoted to turning our little house into a Christmas ornament, and it's been fun. Stringing lights on the outside, and setting up a tree on the inside, along with the Christmas Story village, and so on.

But living in a small house can be a logistical nightmare, because when you want to do something here, you have to move something over there. Take the Christmas tree, for instance.

We wanted it in the dining room, so that it would also be visible from the outside of the house through a window. Well, that meant finding a new place for the Globe Vienna 2, which has occupied this place of honor since first coming home. We found a way of putting the bike in the master bedroom, which even has a door leading outside, and I realized that this might be a good permanent parking spot for the Globe.

(The Roubaix and DD's carbon schmarbon bike live in her office.)

And then it struck me -- once Christmas is over, and the tree is packed and put away, we'll have room for a fourth bike indoors -- in the dining room, where the Globe paved the way. Since DD is looking for her own errand bike (and leaning lately toward a 21 speed Electra), we may be able to do N+1 without too much hassle -- even in a small house like ours!

Woohoo!

A couple of years ago, I put one of the bikes up on a trainer in the living room and strung some lights over the frame and wheels. Even da wife approved. Might try that option again.

[QUOTE=Digital Gee;7934454And then it struck me -- once Christmas is over, and the tree is packed and put away, we'll have room for a fourth bike indoors -- in the dining room, where the Globe paved the way. Since DD is looking for her own errand bike (and leaning lately toward a 21 speed Electra), we may be able to do N+1 without too much hassle -- even in a small house like ours![/QUOTE]

Deege. You've got BAD*.














*Bicycle Acquisition Disorder.

At some point you may discover your bikes need a shed. Yes last week I was forced to part with enough to buy a Tuff Shed. When I got the Revive in early May it wasn't too bad to keep in the house. Then Came the Haro Escape. Now whe my wife wanted to get to a craft or a file a bike had to be moved. Found a place so that wasn't necessary and then the Jamis in July. Now some minor grumbeling started. When the topic of the Trek came up a promise of a shed resulted. Now any new addition would hardly be noticed. The Jamis can still come inside because it is on the road the most.

My husband would NEVER keep the bikes out in the garage, they MUST stay in the house where it's safe and warm (when the wood stove is going). The tandem is in the small dining room, (we never invite people over so we don't have to use the area). One of the Colnago's is in the living room at the far end sharing a space with the Holland. The other Colnago is in the dining room next to the bar (which isn't really a bar) and my two bikes are down in the office. The only time they are allowed to venture out into the garage is for a good cleaning, then they must come right back in the house. The only things left outside are the dogs (who have their own houses). We will have to decorate up the tandem again this year and ride around San Diego Bay (our yearly tradition). The holidays are for sharing--even with the bikes.

^^^ I assume you have a detached garage.

Right- that shed- Think of a size you want- measure up very carefully and allow for the N+1(2)

And then double it.

Where there's a will (and space), there's a room for N+1. :)

All of our bikes are in the house. We're now at N-1 since Hubby took the Roubaix to the LBS to sell. We'll be at N-2 when I sell the Giant Cypress. Then, we'll be down to only 4 in the house, and ready for the N+1........ recumbent? tandem? I'm happy with the two I now have, the Roubaix and the LHT.

You speak well from experience, O Master of Many Bikes. :)

I built one of those bike hanger items that allow two bikes to be stored one above the other. They seemed a bit costly and not much too them so I used a picture of one from the Nashbar catalogue and made one out of 2x4's and some stain I had laying around. Probably cost me $15 bucks. I used a bit of felt I had laying about to cover the bottom and top and built it just tall enough to free stand against the wall kinda/sorta mildly wedged floor and ceiling.
It held my two bikes perfectly, took up very little room and was easily taken down without leaving a mark...we were living in an apartment with a cranky land lord.
Perhaps something like that would give the storage room you need while reducing the "bike footprint"...kinda/sorta like the carbon footprint?...in your home.

Whichever way your relationship is headed, a tandem will get you there quicker. Mrs Grouch and I have been riding tandems together for 32 years. I recommend it.

With the exception of the bicycles used on the stationary trainer / rollers in the exercise room over the garage.....

http://www.thetandemlink.com/article...e/garage5s.jpg

The rest of the bicycles are kept suspended from the garage ceiling where they can't be knocked over or have anything fall onto them.

http://www.thetandemlink.com/article...e/garage3s.jpg

When I built a second attached two-car garage (so that I could convert the first one into my wife's art and ballet studio), I set the slab about two inches below that of the house, but made the eve line match. The extra height came in handy for hanging the bikes from the rafters. With 1400 sq. ft. of living space excluding my wife's art studio and with son #2 still living part-time at home, there is no room for bikes in the house.

Kai has a good idea here, the racks that lean against the wall can be turned into bike art. Drop bar bikes don't take up a lot of room against the wall and if kept well cleaned look sort of artsy.

Gosh, I only have six bikes. I feel like such a piker.

My shed is at least twice as safe as my house and maybe warmer. It is a bit like my Gun Safe in that regard. But in our old house the bikes would have had a room for themselves. So I understand keeping the bikes inside. The place we moved to has half the space of our old house. But one thing that hasn't happened in the last 35 years is for one of our fur people living outside. They provide company for my wife when I was traveling and they do now when I am off riding my bike. They work better than a door bell and will pick food off the floor if you happen to drop it. The one we have now is a traveling companion as well. I have even been known to hook up the bike trailer and give the fur person a ride just for kicks. But I have thought about making a web page to journal my bikes like I have for my molly.

http://mysite.verizon.net/reszpj1d/mollytheratterrier/

The thing that made us to decide to buy this particular condo was the bike shop/storage room adjacent to the garage.

Come to think of it, the thing that made us decide on the particular car that we bought was it's bike hauling capability.

I think there might be a trend here.

The reason we bought our Honda Oydessy was because the tandem would fit in it. Salesman thought we were crazy but he got a sale out of it.

We own an Odyssey for the same reason!!!!

Yes, now that is a good reason to buy a vehicle. But I am putting more miles on my bikes than my car this year.

All of my bikes are in the utility room in the basement. Six are around the furnace/water heater/freezer in the corner (3 hanging on front wheels from wall and 3 on the floor). I have 5 more wheel hangers in on the rafters (in two other sides of the room) and a bike stand.