Note: This is a small section taken from my Guide to Cycling in London. I wanted to post it up here as a bit of a preview of what people can expect from the guide. If you haven’t yet grabbed a copy you can see this post for details.
In my first London apartment we had 3 bikes in the hallway. It looked cluttered, made it hard to move around the flat and caused plenty of scratches to our bikes. What I’ve since realised is that this age old problem has been addressed by a number of manufacturers. Therefore, it’s not something you have to put up with. Various bicycle storage solutions are available and luckily most cost less than £20.
Pulley system
Also sometimes called Bike Lifts. This solution makes use of the ceiling for bicycle storage. You simply hoist the bike up and it is stored off the ground. It’s a good solution to the problem and costs around £20.
Hook or a Vertical Bike Rack
Storing a bike upright saves floor space and looks less messy. It also means the bikes are not leaning against each other which can cause dents and other damage. There are various hooks specifically for bikes. Alternatively you can improvise and make your own but be sure to cover it with padding so as not to cause any damage.
Anchors
If you have a shed or a garage then this provides something sturdy you can lock your bike to. It should be attached to a solid wall or floor.
Cycloc
Whilst a little overpriced at nearly £60 the Cycloc is a handy and clean looking invention allowing you to store your bicycle on the wall. It is designed so you can quickly slide the back in and out of the stand.
Take a look at some of the different designs
Shelter
If you have a garden then you might want to consider a bicycle shelter such as this one. This allows for security and some protection from the elements.
If you’re storing your bike in the longer term then you can shop around for storage units at www.findstoragefast.com to keep your bike safe. This also might be useful for someone with too many bikes that are starting to take over their home!
Soon I also want follow up with some quirky bicycle storage solutions as well as talk about how you can DIY your own bike storage.
See also:
Good post…. I have had one of the trimetal sheds in my garden for the last three years.. but added a bit of extra security on the front in the shape of a hasp and heavy duty padlock.. No ones had a go as yet!!! Touch wood… You can get two mtn bikes sensibly in there and not the three the manufacturer claims
I can also heartily endorse the Trimetals enclosure. Can fit a bike, a Croozer trailer, and all sorts of other crap in there, We have padlocks either side, which seem to do fine at the moment.
we have a trimetals store, can’t recommend highly enough, shame it’s slightly too short to house the mamafiets with buggymee attached though… http://www.sparta.nl/Pics/Dynamic/Collections/2010/Sparta-Amazone-Trendy-Black-D-L2.jpg
The problem with lifts and anchors, is there is nowhere to lock your bike.
I’ve found with all insurance companies, they require that you lock the bike to an immovable object whilst it is at home or stored.
Therefore, if you get your house/flat/garage broken into and you don’t have it locked, you are no longer covered.
That doesn’t sound right…
The various insurance policies I’ve had to cover my bikesT(whether home/contents cover or cycle specific e.g. Cycleguard, ETA) do require locks if the bike is outside your private entry – so, if it’s in the garden or in communal areas such as entry hall, then yes it must be locked. But if it’s behind a private (i.e. not shared) and locked door, then it doesn’t.
Anecdotal evidence: my neighbours have had their shed at the bottom of their garden broken into twice in the past few years. Bikes were stolen both times. And the insurance paid up for replacement bikes both times, without question.
So does your insurance say otherwise?
3.1 B) ii.
3.1 Security requirements at the Insured Location
Accidental Damage or Theft of the property insured whilst at the Insured Location shall only be covered in circumstances where the Bicycle is:
a) at an Insured Location as described in 1.17a house, 1.17c flat and 1.17d room in a communal residence, the Bicycle is kept inside and any security devices are in operation
b) at an Insured Location as described in 1.17b. private garage, and 1.17g privately accessed wooden shed and You have complied with the following Security Requirements: i) all external doors must be secured by a minimum of a 5 lever mortice deadlock to BS3621 standard or a 5 lever
padlock, or ii) the Bicycle must be secured through the frame by an Approved Lock to an Immovable Object within the building
c) at an Insured Location as described in 1.17e communal hallway and 1.17f communal outbuilding the Bicycle
must be secured through the frame by an Approved Lock to an Immovable Object within the building
“the Bicycle is kept inside and any security devices are in operation” – so putting the lock on the bike is good enough. It doesn’t need to be to a unmovable object. That’s how I read it.
Try Marks and Spencers Content insurance for less stringent conditions. No mention of locking bikes in houses/garges. Worth a look. Granted not the cheapest but worked well for me because I’ve got a few bikes and insuring them individually would have costs me loads.
I get what you mean. I think i’m rather over protective after a bad experience with an insurance company in the past.
I had a bike stolen from a garage when i was younger, which was fully locked and my bike lock was only around the frame and wheel.
They deemed that as unlocked and i had no money back.
Anyone got any ideas for multi-bike family friendly storage? We have a total of 6 to store and no garage to kick a car out of. Those tri-store sheds are great but never big enough, and sheds never seem to provide the right shaped space and access.
I have a Trimetals cycle store in my front driveway, and it was broken into a couple of months ago. The thieves cut through thge metal hasp behind the padlock, and I think it must have been pretty easy for them to do so. I have emailed Trimetals asking if they have a hasp made out of tougher metal. Hoping they’ll say yes and send it free (what are my chances?)
I just received a cheque from my insurance company – supporting the thread asking if insurance typically covers bikes stored outside the main entrance.
When I store my new cycle in the shed I’ll be aiming to use 2 or even 3 locks on the outside, and locking the bikes on the inside too. Not such a convenient solution, unfortunately.
Tempted also to booby-trap it commando fashion, but know it’ll only be me who triggers it and ends up skewered on some pointy stick of bamboo.
I thought you might like this.
http://www.elistmania.com/still/20_innovative_bicycle_parking_techniques/showall/
New product coming out now is Bike Vault which can be bought with a Sold Secure ground anchor inside. Great looking! http://www.bike-vault.co.UK
Yes, i’ve seen one of these in Leigh on Sea in a front garden, looks good, sounds pretty secure too looking at the website.
The bike storage unit from Asgard was recently reviewed by Descent World Magazine as part of their security series..the link is
http://www.descent-world.co.uk/2010/08/07/safe-as-part-1-asgard-secure-bike-storage/
We bought an Asgard Bike Store about a year ago – Been a great investment, we have had 3 attempted breakins – not one got in – We have nearly 4 k of Carbon bikes in ours plus Camel backs etc. So far so good. Cost £399 from memory. I know we reseached a lot and Asgard was the only one with a built in metal floor and made in the UK I think most others are made over seas
Sara
Going back to Neil Jones post earlier, I’ve seen the Bike Vault for sale on Bikedock Solutions website.www.BikeDockSolutions.com
Looking at their website (Bike Vault) it looks like the insurance side is covered by the use of a ground anchor and sold secure silver accessories.
I gave them a call and they were well keen and most helpful.
Tony
Nicest off-the-shelf solution I’ve seen:
http://www.frontyardcompany.co.uk/products/bikeport.html
I’ve got one of the pulley type bike lifts in my very small flat.
£4.50 from Lidl, it fits in the hallway perfectly, although I am 5’5″, so not much chance of banging my head on it…..probably not so good if you’re a strapping 6′ lad… 🙂
Following on from my comment Aug 15th 2010….
My TriMetals bike store was broken into a total of 3 times over the 4 years I had it, and eventually damaged to the point of destruction after the swing arms for the lid were cut. This time last year I switched to an Asgard bike store, as per Sarah, above (Aug 29 2010) and agree that it is a much better solution and a very similar price to the TriMetals store.
The construction is much more solid than the TriMetals bike store. The metal is thicker, it has a metal base, the padlocks are circular and partially recessed so there is very little opportunity for thieves to use bolt cutters.