I’m in need of major clean-up and organization of my garage, of which a large part doubles as bike storage, workshop, paincave and just a place to store everything bike related. I don’t even know where to start and hoping for tips
I’ve got 10 bikes in the garage now (TT, Mtb, road & kid bikes), a dedicated rocker plate which take up a bunch of room. Then a few sets of extra wheels. Thinking of hanging all the adult bikes on the wall vertically, w some pivot mounts. That part seems pretty easy. How about extra wheels? Any good idea to get them not tilting against the wall on the floor?
What to do w kids bikes? Maybe a floor stand for 5 bikes?!
Shoes / helmets / glasses …
I also have so many tools now that are all in boxes on the shelves. Allen wrenches / torque wrenches sit w the bike stand, and the rest are in boxes. Any tips for tool storage? Thinking maybe hang the common tools on the wall, and put some of the other less common tools (bottom bracket tools, sealant, tire) in a drawer somewhere
How about all the various tires / spare parts / extra tires / etc. Most is big and awkward shaped … maybe just throw in a big plastic tub?
Grateful for all tips and suggestions on what you’ve done, where to start … anything at all
First, hold every item for 10 seconds and see if it gives you joy. If it does not, sell it or donate it somewhere.
Next, look at what you kept. Anything more than 2 generations old, sell it or donate it. (Seriously - you are NOT going to use those 10sp freehub wheels or 8sp rapid-fire mtb shifters anymore. Ditch them.)
Then have your significant other look at what’s left and have them sell or donate anything you can’t bear to part with.
Then look up the pain caves feed on Instagram for inspiration.
The swivel mounts are cool, but plain old hooks are much cheaper.
Set up a laundry line or dowel and hang wheels from it using carabiners.
First, hold every item for 10 seconds and see if it gives you joy. If it does not, sell it or donate it somewhere.
Next, look at what you kept. Anything more than 2 generations old, sell it or donate it. (Seriously - you are NOT going to use those 10sp freehub wheels or 8sp rapid-fire mtb shifters anymore. Ditch them.)
Then have your significant other look at what’s left and have them sell or donate anything you can’t bear to part with.
Then look up the pain caves feed on Instagram for inspiration.
The swivel mounts are cool, but plain old hooks are much cheaper.
Set up a laundry line or dowel and hang wheels from it using carabiners.
How large is your garage? I wish mine was as big as the one in the post above. For the tools, a large wheeled tool storage with multiple drawers will organize them. Put the frequently used tools in the top drawers and label the drawers for the less frequently used. I’m a big fan of the swivel mounts. They use less room than hooks. Kids bikes are okay on hooks, place them low so the kids can hang their own bike. Wheel sets that are frequently used can pair up on hooks placed near the bike they are used on. If you don’t use them, sell them. Tires have a shelf life. Make sure the rubber is still good, not dried or rotted. If you won’t be using them soon, sell them.
Paring down your stuff will help. That said, I just fixed a neighbor’s bike with an 8 speed derailleur and cassette I had sitting in a box for over 10 years. The likelihood of this is small, though, so better off selling or donating.
I’m actually in the middle of this process. The basement is a dedicated space at this point with a home gym for compound lifts, our trainers on rocker plates and endless in another room. I have my “workshop” that I desperately need to organize. I bought a nice snap on tool cart for everything and I’m very happy with that. I need some organization and racking system for wheels, bikes, etc.
I’m in the same position as the OP. Between the wife, kid and I we have 2 bikes on trainers, another set of TT/Gravel/Road Bikes (duplicates of them too) and a child’s Woom scattered between the garage and basement.
-for wheels, they sell those neoprene dipped hooks for garage storage. Screw some of those into the wall. OR, they sell a steel two arm neoprene coated bike all rack. In my shed I have that and instead of a bike, it can hold about 3 or 4 wheels per side. One for wheels, then one for tires/tubes. Hanging the tires/tubes allows you visual management to find what you want faster than digging thru a bin of rubber banded and folded tubes/tires.
-tools: they’re so few for bikes I use a clear bin labeled with the contents, or you can use a bag…otherwise pegboard with “shadows” manufacturing 5S style is the winner. You can also put cassettes on the longer pegs. A single plastic (the wood ones suck) pegboard from Lowes in 2’x4’ should do plenty of space with one of the large peg packs.
-helmets: also can hang from hooks on the pegboard
-electronics: I do bin these, but they sell bins with a lip on the back side that mates to a metal wall mount you could mount just under the pegboard to catch these…
-fasteners: labelled baggies of groups within one of those wall bins
That’s pretty much it. Maybe keep a small tool bag “go kit” for your vehicle so you don’t have to remove tools and replace all the time. Cheaper tools in the “go bag” and nicer ones on the beg board.
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses. I’d love to see pics if anyone is willing to share, of your garages for inspiration
How large is your garage?
I’ve got a two car garage, of which a big chunk is is filled with bike stuff. The little stuff is easy, but it’s the awkward shaped stuff (like ultrasonic cleaner, crockpot, long handled wrenches) that are throwing me thru hoops. Maybe just a big plastic bin like was suggested below.
First, hold every item for 10 seconds and see if it gives you joy. If it does not, sell it or donate it somewhere.
Great tip. I prob don’t need 4 different helmets or pairs of shoes … maybe just 3. Easy answer is probably to just get rid of most of it.
steel two arm neoprene coated bike all rack
I can’t visualize what this is. Any chance you have a pic?
shadow pegboard
Never thought about this. I’ve got a big ass wood pegboard that needs to get mounted to the wall, that I bet I can paint white and then do this “shadow” style.
pivot Mounts for the bikes
Is there a right way to mount many bikes side by side? Meaning, I’ve got mountain bikes with really wide bars and TT bikes with narrow bars. Obviously different tire sizes too. Are there any gotchas when mounting these swivel racks next to each other so you save the most space? Offset some higher / lower, or do biggest to smallest? I think how I mount these will be the most material in terms of space savings
The best bike storage system I’ve ever seen was a YouTuber who had vertical hooks on a track that could slide left and right. This way you can hang a bike by the front or rear wheel, and slide bikes left or right to make room. Completely reconfigurable. Wish I could remember who did this…
Seriously - you are NOT going to use those 10sp freehub wheels or 8sp rapid-fire mtb shifters anymore. Ditch them.
You might use all of those parts in our house. We’ve got 3 10 speed bikes in service and 1 7-speed w/ mtb shifters. The kid’s next bike will use 8-speed shifters based on the specs I’ve been looking at.
For the OP, a wheeled tool cabinet will change your life for tool storage. If you’re in the Midwest, the MasterForce line from Menards is a fantastic value. Get one that’s bigger than you think you’ll need. I’ve got a 42" and it’s jammed full.
