When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I rode my bike everywhere, but since I lived in apartment complexes, I didn’t have anywhere good to store it. As a result, it usually sat on the back patio or locked to an outdoor bike rack.
Living in small, shared living quarters, I didn’t have a lot of choice over where to keep my bicycle. But if you own or rent a home, there is a better way to keep your bike stored, one that protects your bike from inclement weather or potential theft.
In this review, we compiled information from independent media and Amazon to give you a glimpse of what bike rack you need.
It wasn’t easy picking the best bike rack out of all these different options, but we believe the Torack Bike Rack offers the most solutions for the most consumers.
It’s a great tool to store your bike securely and put it out of the way. Bike racks protect your valuable bikes and enable you to save space in your apartment. But how do you separate a good bike rack from a poor one?
How to Buy an Indoor Bike Rack
There are two main types of bike rack: horizontal and vertical. The first thing you need to decide is which type is better suited to the needs of your household. We’ll discuss the factors you need to consider in a moment, but we first need to discuss your options.
1. Horizontal Bike Mounts
Horizontal bike racks keep your bicycle parallel to the ground. They use folded hooks to secure your bicycle and are generally padded with foam so as to avoid scratching it. These are a great choice if you have a heavy bicycle, as they can be difficult to lift for a vertical mount.
Horizontal bike racks are a good choice if you don’t have limited space, such as a small garage or even shed where you store your bike.
2. Vertical Bike Mounts
Vertical bike racks use hinged plates to secure your bike by its wheels. Some racks hold your bike at a right angle from the wall, while others hold your frame parallel with the wall. Right-angle vertical racks are best used when you have plenty of space to store your bike, as they take up a lot of room.
Parallel vertical racks are better for limited spaces, but are not recommended for heavy bicycles, because it’s hard to lift a heavy bike.
3. Other Bike Mounts
Not all bike mounts attach to your walls. Some vertical mounts attach to your ceiling, and others are freestanding and require no installation at all. If you don’t like the amount of space a horizontal rack takes up or want something a little easier to manage than a vertical mount, some of these other options may be desirable.
4. Other Considerations
While you’re deciding whether to purchase a vertical or horizontal rack, here are some other factors to take into consideration:
- How many bikes are in your household? Do you need to buy a multi-bike rack?
- Find out how much your bike weighs, and test how easy it is to lift.
- How often do you use your bicycle? If you use it regularly, a horizontal bike rack might be more convenient.
- Visit a bike shop and bike enthusiasts about their preferences.
- Do you need additional racks for storing bike helmets and other accessories?
Why You Should Buy an Indoor Bike Rack
Bike racks are not an essential purchase just because you own a bike. Depending on your living situation, you might be perfectly content to leave your bike outside on the patio and cover it with a tarp when it rains. Or you might live in an urban apartment complex where a bike rack and a dependable bike lock are your best friends.
Although bike racks are typically installed in your garage, they can be installed in any room of your home or apartment, and some people choose to install them in a closet or bedroom if they don’t have an appropriate garage or shed that works. If you live in a high-crime area, mounting a vertical bike rack in your closet could be a good solution.
If you have the room for a bike rack, however, you should go for it. They are typically inexpensive and are a great way to protect your bicycle from damage while also giving you more storage space.
QUICK OVERVIEW
The Best Garage Bike Storage Racks
| Products | Features |
|---|---|
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EDITOR’S PICK
4.4 150+ 150+
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at Amazon
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MOST REVIEWED
4.4 2,230+ 2230+
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at Amazon
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TOP PICK
4.8 1,445+ 1445+
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at Amazon
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BUDGET PICK
4.6 980+ 980+
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at Amazon
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BUDGET PICK
4.5 1,520+ 1520+
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at Amazon
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It wasn’t easy picking the best bike rack out of all these different options, but we believe the Torack Bike Rack offers the most solutions for the most consumers.
Under $20
Dirza Wall Mount Bike Hanger Storage System
Features
- Vertical position
- Holds up to 65 lbs
- Powder-coated steel and rubber hook
If you’re looking for a simple bike rack that’s simple to install, the Dirza Bike Hanger Storage System is a great value. This horizontal bike rack attaches to the wall of your garage or a shed with just a few simple screws, and its hook design lets you detach your bike quickly and easily.
Made with durable metal with a rubber-coated hook, the bike hanger weighs just 1.25 pounds, yet is rated for bicycles up to 65 pounds. While this won’t work with some heavy-duty bikes, it’s perfect for standard road bikes or for kid’s bicycles as well.
The bike hanger also comes with a lifetime warranty and a quality assurance guarantee. If you aren’t satisfied, you can return the hanger at any time for a full refund. This is a great bike hanger for anyone with limited storage space, and is an excellent hanger for the price.
Delta Cycle Leonardo Da Vinci Storage Rack Hook
Features
- Vertical position
- Holds up to 40 lbs
- Powder-coated steel and custom molded cover
If you’re looking for something in the price range of the Dirza Bike Hanger but prefer something better suited for apartments and small spaces, the Delta Cycle Leonardo da Vinci style hook hanger may be right up your alley.
Unlike most vertical hangers, it secures your bike with a hook rather than a hinged plate, but the hook is coated with rubber to protect your bike. The rack can support a bike of up to 20 pounds and is ideal for small spaces like an apartment. This is a perfect hook hanger for securing your bike in the closet of your apartment.
The hook hanger mounts to a wall stud, and the mounting hardware is included with the purchase. The hook attaches itself to the tire of your bike, holding it in place. The bike rack weighs 1.3 pounds. This isn’t nearly as heavy-duty as the Dirza bike hanger, but if you don’t have a lot of room for storage, this space-saving bike rack is quite economical.
Under $30
Hornit Bike Clip Indoor Outdoor Bicycle Rack Storage System
Features
- Vertical or horizontal position
- Holds up any weight as you need one wheel on the floor
- Plastic
If you’re worried that some of these bike racks may not be able to fit your bike, the Hornit CLUG may pique your interest. Billed as the world’s smallest bike rack, the CLUG is available in three different sizes, so whether you’re riding a roadie, hybrid or a full on mountain bike, CLUG has a solution for you.
The CLUG is both inexpensive and easy to mount, making it a great way to store bikes of any size or weight. Unlike other bike racks that are hampered by weight limits, each variety of CLUG is especially designed to work with heavier and heavier bikes, making CLUG an inexpensive and effective bike rack for almost anyone.
The main downside of these hangers is that you have to keep a careful eye on your tire pressure. Since the CLUG fits your bike tires snugly, a loss of tire pressure can result in your bikes falling to the ground, so you have to make sure you check your tire pressure before mounting your bike.
Under $40
Torack Bike Rack
Features
- Vertical position
- Holds up to 100 lbs
- Vinyl-coated steel and rubber sleeves
The Torack Bike Rack is quite different from the wall mounts previously reviewed. This model offers a great value for less than $40. It can fold up to a wall when you’re not using it and it can hold up to two bikes. What’s more, you’ll get a helmet with this model.
Made with durable vinyl-coated steel and a rubber sleeves, the bike hanger weighs 4.99 pounds, and can support bikes up to 100 pounds, which is plenty in comparison to the previous racks. It is a vertical bike rack that is easy to install.
If you’re looking for a great value, it’s hard to beat the Torack bike racks. They’re affordable, durable, and easy to install.
Ibera Horizontal Bicycle Bike Wall Hanger
Features
- Horizontal position
- Holds up to 39.6 lbs
- Aluminum with non-scratch frame holders
Most of the bike racks so far have been vertical wall-mounted bike racks. These are the most commonly used, but if you’re looking for a horizontal bike rack, you need some recommendations as well. One of your best options is the Ibera.
This horizontal bike hanger comes highly reviewed and recommended on Amazon, and for good reason. This hanger features a durable aluminum body. The ABS arms are padded to prevent damage or scratches to your bike’s paint, and the rack is easy to mount and install on your wall. However, due to its design, this wall mount is not suitable for most indoor uses.
It is not rated for plasterboard or dry wall, and should only be hung on walls made with wood, brick, concrete or some other durable material. While this is perfect as a garage bike rack, if you’re looking to mount your bike in your house, you’re best off looking elsewhere.
Under $50
CyclingDeal 5 Bicycle Floor Type Parking Rack Stand
Features
- Horizontal position
- Floot storage stand
- Powder-coated steel
If you’re not a big fan of wall- or ceiling-mounted bike racks and you have enough space in your garage or shed, you might want to consider a more traditional storage rack for your bicycles, especially if your family owns a lot of bikes and uses them regularly.
This bike rack functions just like a bike rack you might find in a park. The bike rack can support up to five bicycles, or they can be separated into five individual bike racks, making this a perfect gift for family and friends. The rack is made of solid steel and comes with a 10-year warranty, so you can purchase with confidence.
The biggest problem with this bike rack is that it doesn’t support child-sized bikes very well. While they do fit, they aren’t very stable, which is a problem. This bike rack would be a lot better if it were designed to accommodate a family, rather than a group of adults. Nevertheless, this bike rack is quite affordable, making it a good fit for anyone with the storage space to use it.
Pro Bike Tool Bike Wall Mount
Features
- Horizontal position
- Holds up to 48.5 lbs
- Steel and rubber arm cradles
If you’re looking to maximize storage space in your garage, the Bike Wall Mount from Pro Bike Tool is the right choice. You mount it to a wall to support your bicycle, attaching it to the frame. The adjustable arms and hanger beam enable you to hang bikes of different frame geometry, bike sizes and handlebar widths.
Unlike the last two bike racks, the mount is made with steel, so it is quite durable. Thanks to its sturdy mount, it’s less likely to experience accidental impacts, as well as wears and tears. The main problem with this bike rack is that you have to attach it to a wood panel to hold up better to a wall.
The mount can support a bicycle of up to 48.5 pounds and has an adjustable hanger beam (from 8.7 inches up to 12.6 inches.) There’s no denying that this rack saves a lot of space. It’s not for everybody, but it works well for what it does.
Under $100
Goplus Two-Bike Storage Rack
Features
- Horizontal position
- Holds up to 100 lbs
- Black coated carbon steel
If you’re looking for a durable multi-bike storage rack that secures your bikes from floor up, then the Two-Bike Storage Rack from Goplus might fit the bill. This freestanding adjustable bike rack is 79 inches high, but you have adjusting holes on each side on different levels for different bikes.
One of the advantages of the Goplus model is that the bikes it supports don’t have to be the same size. It’s durable and easy to install, and you can set it up or take it down almost anywhere. Because of its portable design, it can fit in your garage or your apartment.
The bike rack weighs 20 pounds, so it’s much more than previous models, but considering it is a freestanding model, it’s not as much. It’s a little more expensive than other bike racks but offers convenient access to your bikes and you don’t need to drill holes in your walls to install it but rather lean it to the wall.
Monkey Bars Bike Storage Rack
Features
- Vertical position
- Holds up to 300 lbs
- Powder-coated steel with rubber-coated hooks
If you have a lot of bicycles in your home and are looking for an efficient way to store them, the Monkey Bars Bike Storage Rack may be the solution. The Monkey Bars storage racks are available in several sizes.
You can purchase 1-rack, 3-rack, 4-rack or 6-rack models, so no matter how many bikes you have, Monkey Bars offers a solution. Even better, each rack has a very high weight limit. Each rack can support a bike up to 75 pounds, making these suitable for almost any bicycle. In addition, the solid stainless steel construction is durable and built to last, ensuring you get a long life out of these bike racks.
The biggest problem with the bike racks is not the racks themselves, but the mounting hardware that comes with them. The 2” screws that hold them in place don’t inspire confidence, and you’d be better off going to the hardware store and buying bigger 3” or 4” screws. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to space.
Mounting six bicycles is going to take a lot of room, so be sure you have room on the wall for it. The Monkey Bars bike rack may not be perfect, but they offer a durable, long-lasting storage solution for your bikes.
Racor Pro PLB-2R Two-Bike Stand
Features
- Horizontal position
- Holds up to 100 lbs
- Powder-coated steel with rubber-coated skids
The Racor Pro Two-Bike Stand is a freestanding rack that can support two different bicycles. The rack is made with metal for durability and coated with vinyl to protect the finish of your bikes. It features a curved base to support it on the floor, and also comes with mounting hardware if you’d prefer to attach it to the wall.
At 20 pounds, the bike rack is fairly heavy, but it needs to be strong enough to support two bikes of up to 50 pounds each. The rack is a good way to store multiple bikes in a smaller home or apartment where you don’t have easy access to a garage. The arms are easy to adjust, so you can support bikes of all shapes and sizes, men’s or women’s, and the bike rack is backed by a lifetime guarantee.
There are certainly cheaper bike racks available, but few of them are as durable as the Racor Pro. While this may not be the most space-efficient rack, the horizontal bike storage offers easier access to your bikes than a vertical mount.
Conclusion
Buying a bike rack is neither an expensive nor a complicated purchase, but with so many options available on the market, it helps to know what your choices are.
No matter what your living situation may be, we are confident that you’ll find what you’re looking for in these reviews.
