How to Hang a Bike on the Wall

By Richard Thomas

Plenty of enthusiastic road and mountain cyclists live in apartments where space is at a premium. Yet even if you have a large garage, it is always a good idea to make the most of your space and organize your bike storage. Hanging your bike from a wall-mounted hook is the best solution. Here is a simple way to install a bike hook that should not take more than an hour.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You'll Need:

Tape measure
Stud finder
Drill
Bike storage hook
Fine-grit sandpaper
Spackling paste

Step 1

Measure the length of your bike from the outermost ends of its tires with a tape measure. Your bike will be hanging vertically off the floor, so the hook needs to be placed at a height that is the length of your bike plus at least 3 inches.

Step 2

Use a stud finder to locate a stud behind the wall in the area you want to hang the bike. Mark both outer edges of the stud, and use the tape measure to mark the height you want to place the hook in the middle of that stud.

Step 3

Drill a hole in the wall and stud using a drill bit that is a full size smaller than the screw head of the hook. If you are installing a used or old hook, making a rough-size comparison will be good enough.

Step 4

Drive the hook's screw head into the wall. The hook is big enough that you can do this simply by turning it manually. You need to keep the hook level, so take your time in turning the hook and driving the screw head. Get on a step ladder and use a level to spot-check your work if you feel the need.

Step 5

Patch up the drill hole around the hook. Smear some spackling paste into the empty spaces around the hole and then smooth it out with a putty knife. Allow this to dry for a few hours, and then smooth out the surface with fine-grit sandpaper.

Tips & Warnings

Sometimes it isn't possible to use a stud for a job like this. In that case, use a dry-wall anchor rated to bear a load of 75 pounds.

It is a good idea to take your bike, hold it up by the rear wheel and compare it to the mark made in Step 2. If you cannot easily lift the bike into this position, a bike hook is probably not for you, and you should look at other storage options.

About The Author

Richard Thomas has been writing since earning his M.A. in international affairs in 1997. A former cheap travel blogger for eHow and senior travel editor for Associated Content, he has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam. Thomas usually writes about boxing, hiking and scuba diving, as well as on the food and wine of his current home of Portugal.

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