Bike Storage

[BentMikey]

So, we've recently moved into a small ground floor 2 bed flat in Biggin Hill, and I thus have a bike storage problem. What options would you consider?

Here are the bikes:
miniMikey:
Trailerbike (tag-a-long)
KMX Trike
Islabike Beinn 20"
Mrs Mikey:
Trek MTB

Moi:
Recumbent
Fixed Wheel

Only mine get used frequently. At the moment, they are stored outside in our patio/garden area, locked en-masse and poorly covered by a car cover. This patio area is surrounded by a tall wooden fence hiding it from the outside, with a low divider from the neighbours.

I couldn't see it being safe to leave the bikes locked in the flat-provided bike parking, it's a wheelbender and is next to the car entrance.


So far I've thought about the following:

• Shed - to be big enough for all the bikes, including the recumbent, it would impose on the tiny garden quite a lot.
• Trimetals bike lockup - would probably hold all the upright bikes, leaving the two recumbents to be locked to a wall anchor and under proper bike covers.
• Large shared shed to replace the wheelbender bike shelter. I guess this would have a locked door, as well as ground anchors to lock the bikes to inside.

Got any better ideas?

 

[alfablue]

This is what I did (see this post). The shed would take up to 6 bikes ( I presume, maybe wrongly, a recumbent would take up slightly more space), I use it for 5 (and the rack has 5 slots, though the rack is not essential, just keeps "good order"). I am very pleased with the result. The sheds are available in larger sizes in various increments. The 2m chain is just long enough to go round 4 of the five bikes (the 5th is a heap of junk), for more bikes a second chain might be needed.

 

[NickM]

We went down the custom-built bike shed route many years ago and certainly haven't regretted doing so (even though there are still lots of bikes in the house...). Just be aware that planning regulations will probably restrict the floor area of any shed to no more than half the area of the garden.

We don't like gardening, so we would have turned the whole garden into shed if we could've

 

[bonj2]

do what i'm going to do and move house to a house with a garage. hang on haven't you just moved house?
what's the possibility of getting an extension?

 

[Spoked Wheels]

I also opted for a metal shed 10" x 6" to replace the old one and hopefully to be just for the bikes - maybe my wife would have other ideas later on

For us is the best solution. We have a large house but my wife is fed up with me keeping bikes in the house and we dont have a garage so a shed is the best idea. It's been delivered next week so I will be busy putting it together for a day or two


Rick

 

[bonj2]

10 inch by 6 inch? that's a bit small...

 

[Spoked Wheels]

10 inch by 6 inch? that's a bit small...

Yes the garden is very very small

Rick

 

[BentMikey]

I've gone for a Trimetals bike store for now, at least that can hold most of the normal bikes. I may hang the Langster from the wall in miniMikey's bedroom.

Mrs Mikey has even given permission for my recumbent, my best bike, to live in the bedroom!! What a lucky me!!! This hinges on us getting a laptop and getting rid of the current monster desktop and desk.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I'd be more excited about getting a new laptop....

 

[NickM]

Mrs Mikey has even given permission for my recumbent, my best bike, to live in the bedroom!!

Well, I think that's to your credit for marrying the right woman

Will you be bringing miniMikey to a race next year? He can't actually "race" until he's 10 (we don't encourage kids to take it seriously*), but he can ride round...




*some of our kids are in their 40s and 50s

 

[BentMikey]

I'd be more excited about getting a new laptop....

That's because you're a geek!! Actually, I'm quite excited about a new computer too, I used to be a geek for a living.

 

[BentMikey]

Well, the Trimetals bike store arrived on Wednesday, and miniMikey and I have spent the better part of three evenings building it together. The little guy is only 5, but he's really good with his hands, and did an easy 50% of the workload. He even told me I wasn't allowed to build it on my own when he was at school, LOL!

He built his own set of IKEA drawers this time last year with only a little help from me.

 

[fossyant]

Glad you've got a son like mine - let him loose this year with the big electric screwdriver when building a set of drawers - he loved it, and it made my part of the job easy...just don't like it when both of them are milling around the 'proper' power tools - it's usually a sign I'll loose a finger or two..

 

[Dave5N]

Well, I think that's to your credit for marrying the right woman

Will you be bringing miniMikey to a race next year? He can't actually "race" until he's 10 (we don't encourage kids to take it seriously*), but he can ride round...*some of our kids are in their 40s and 50s

Are you having a laugh?

Why shouldn't kids take racing seriously?