Hello all

I've stored my bikes inside the house here so far. It's kept them from the humid salty and sandy air. (Anyone seen the pictures of the sandstorms we've been having?)

We have a sealed garage storage space, dust free. I'm thinking of putting up a batten on the roof there, and hanging the bikes up by their front wheels by S hooks.

Is this inviting damage?

Thanks

Only if you bang your head on the rear tires like I do......

If you are able to put a batten up there- Hang the bikes from the saddle.

The weight of some of my bikes would ovalise a wheel after a couple of months so I don't do it.

I've been hanging bikes by the front wheel for 20 years with no problems.

What makes you think this would happen? I have never heard of a wheel being damaged by hanging a bike from it. I store several of my bikes by hanging them from the wheel, including my tandem. I have never had a wheel become ovalized from this. Have you seen it happen?

Thanks all for responses

I should have specified..

We have a covered space like a 'car port', covered but open 360 degrees around. I don't want to leave the bikes there because of the windy salty circumstances.

At the back of the car port, there's an enclosed and lockable space about 8 feet tall, 3 feet deep, 6 feet wide. It'd take all the bikes (3 singles, 1 tandem) vertically but not horizontally.

So far, I'm encouraged to hang some butchers hooks to get the bikes out of the house. Mrs Beloved earns more than I do by running painting courses in the house, and the space currently bike occupied would give space to about 5 other paying art students!!!

I think that your space is going to be a little too small.

8' tall is fine for single bikes but I suspect it'll be too low for a tandem because you need to allow room for the hook the front wheel hangs from.

3' deep is also probably not going to be enough. My bikes take about 43" from the wall to the top of the saddle.

I don't think that my friend, stapfam, has thought that wheel ovalizing thing through. A wheel that isn't stout enough to support a 60 pound mountain bike tandem hanging from a hook won't be adequate to support two adult riders bounding down a singletrack trail either.

This is an old wive's tale. If it were true, your body weight, which is presumably a lot more than your bike weight, would have knocked your wheels out of round way before this. Sorry, the retired QA engineer in me coming out.

Hang 'em high!

So I guess my top tube will start to bend.

That's how I hang mine…



RG is right about the three-foot depth being insufficient. I have a 34" cycling inseam, and my saddles are 40½" from the wall.

+1 I hang the bikes by one or two wheels and have not had a problem. The spokes are under tension and the weight of the rider plus power into the drive train will stress the wheels far more than hanging them.

Maybe it is a peculiarity of British handbuilt wheels.

If you hang a bike by the rear wheel, all the blood rushes to the head(tube) which
can cause a head(tube)ache.
Hang it by the front wheel. Your bike will thank you.

I hang mine like tsl, except I alternate front-back wheels so I can squeeze in more bikes. If it's good enough for a bike shop, it's good enough for me. Like others have already mentioned, I think you're going to need a deeper space.

I hang mine by the Rear wheel as it allows the spine in the frame to streach.

BTW - allows excess oil to go down the chain and not accumulate on the cassette

How 'bout the Aussies, would this be true for them as well? Y' know - being upside down like they are.

Forget about hanging Aussies. They've been through enough already.

We tie poms to the rafters, get them to hold the front wheel and rotate it 1/8th of a turn every 2 hours. We tried using yanks but they couldn't handle more than a quarter turn rotation and the 1/8th is more effective ... besides which, they keep dripping pie juice on the saddle

Richard

And that's the Straight Poop from Down Under.................

And if you believe it, I've a bridge I'd like to sell you

Richard

Would be more interested in the Sydney Opera House.............got a good price for me????

I flip my garage every couple of months...to keep the wheels true.

How about a straight swap for Alcatraz - we're rather fond of prisons

Oh, fer CHRISESAKES! The guy asks a serious question and it turns into a jokefest!

Anyway. "S" hooks won't work. Go to the dollar (or dinar) store and buy "Bicycle hooks". You're hanging bicycles, not Ss. DUHHH!

No problems here. I have heard that some bikes with suspension forks should be hung by the rear wheel, though, since some forks might tend to weep oil past the seals. YMMV.

Single bike hooks are cheap at places like Home Depot.

If I were to happen to be in your neck of the woods , by chance would you have a spare bike I could ride?
Man you have a lot of bikes!!! Impressive