Hanging bikes from the ceiling
 

Hi Guys,

Just got some of these hooks to hang bikes off the ceiling. Planning to hang some bikes by both wheels.

Was wondering how you guys do it? DO you measure the wheel base of a cycle and fix the hooks at that distance apart? So, are each set for a given bike? Or, are you able to put any bike on a given pair of hooks? Don't want to make the holes and then realise that I screwed up.

http://cdn.pushys.com.au/media/catal...f-2-CAS500.jpg

I do this in my garage. The hooks were already there when I bought the house, but they seem appropriately spaced for my bikes. Note that as wheels can rotate, the exact spacing isn't critical, I've hung two bikes with difference wheelbases from the same hooks, and it works fine.

I would drill into the beams studs and not use the plastic expanders. The beams are going to dictate the spacing. I have kids and adult bikes hanging withe the same spacing

Thanks. I was just wondering that if the wheelbase is too different, it might land up with lateral pressure on the spokes.

In India all ceilings are reinforced concrete. So, I need to drill into that.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about that, but it's probably best to by default put the hooks about the same distance apart as your front and rear axles.

You will need lead or plastic expander plugs to insert into the holes in the ceiling. It is easier if you only need one hook per bike and let it hang down. That way the spacing between the wheels is of no concern. But if there in no clearance to allow the bike to hang that low, you have to hang it by both wheels. I like the one hook method the best.

If you have studs in the walls and space there, you can screw in the hooks high up on the wall protruding horizontally. Once again either on hook with the bike hanging down or two. Some folks put the bike perpendicular to the wall as if it were riding down it with one hook through the rear wheel high up on the wall.

Lots of ways to do it.

If they're concrete, you could always use a small dab of epoxy on a flat bottom hook and be just fine.

I've got three bikes hanging with hooks at the same distance and don't get any lateral pressure. The difference is so small, horizontally, that it doesn't matter whether I put a road bike (size 58) or my daughter's 26 inch mountain bike on the same set of hooks. I'd not worry about mounting the hooks at different distances apart.

Picture to illustrate:

http://i.imgur.com/bWlzbUUl.jpg

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-1...6277/204695687
I use those hooks you posted. In conjunction with these straps from HD, wheelbase doesn't matter. You can pretty much hang any bike without moving the hooks. No chance of scratching your wheels either.

Is anyone doing this with CF wheels? I've got 2 of mine hung vertically by one hook but would be afraid to try that with my new CF wheels.

Thanks everyone. Lots of ideas that have helped. Using a single hook seems like a great idea which I had not really given much thought to.

Sure, I hang a bike by the rear CF wheel. Why not?

If the CF wheels have the spoke beds at the inner radius, then they're plenty strong to hang the bike by. If the CF is just a fairing, then be very cautious about hanging the bike from them. Hanging the bike from two hooks in the ceiling spaced apart the same distance as the axles puts the least force on the rims. Hooks closer together or further apart increase the force. Probably the worst typical case is hanging the bike vertically from one hook in a wall. The force placed on the rim can be several times the weight of the bike.

Actually the force cannot be greater than the weight of the bike. The pressure, however, can be elevated due to the small contact area of the rim on the hook. No matter, the rims are plenty strong enough to withstand such treatment. Think about the pressure exerted by a single spoke nipple on the very tiny surface area around a spoke hole. 120 kgF over a small fraction of a square inch is far more pressure than exerted by an 8 kg bike on the area contacted by the hook. Two hooks would divide the force about in half which would be an improvement, but not a very significant one.

Just get them close to wheelbase length. I hang multiple bikes with different wheelbases from the same hooks, and it works fine. Don't worry about damaging the wheels, you'll be fine.