Bike Storage Site Evaluation

Once you know the number of bicycles spots and municipal code requirements, you will now need to consider the physical properties of the bike storage site.

Walls

Walls are going to be the main concern. If you plan to use wall-mounted bike racks. The material of the wall will determine if bike rack can be used and how it can be mounted to the wall.

For wall materials, poured concrete is ideal. Generally, you can anchor bike racks directly into the concrete.

For concrete blocks, brick, as well as steel and metal studs behind drywall, these might require specific mounting hardware not available with certain bike racks.

When anchoring into a wall is not an option, a freestanding bike rack will be the best solution. We'll get into more details about styles of bike racks and the best situations to use them in the next section. But for now, it's worth noting not all bike racks require anchoring to walls.

For those that do, again, make sure to check local ordinances on what is allowable for drilling and anchoring into walls.

Obstructions

The next item of note with walls, would be any obstructions. Like mechanicals, plumbing, electrical fixtures, windows and so on, that would inhibit a bike rack from being installed on the wall.

With individual racks, there is more freedom to work around these obstructions and place the racks where you would want them.

Obstructions become a greater challenge when you want to install a system with bike racks on a u-channel or a freestanding unit. These would require a smooth length of wall.

Ceiling Height

Ceiling height will also need to be taken into consideration. With vertical bike racks and two-tier bike racks, there needs to be enough clearance above the rack to lift the bicycle onto the bike rack. Your municipality's codes may also specify the necessary amount of clearance.

Room Shape

The shape of the room also affects the outcome of your bike storage area. This comes into play with the amount of space behind a parked bicycle that needs to remain clear, also referred to as the aisle. With room shapes that narrow on one end , the number of bicycles that can be stored may be reduced due to the necessity of the aisle.

Other objects within the bike storage area, like pillars and beams, must also be accounted for, to ensure these do not limit the needed spacing behind a bike rack.

It would be a good idea to write down and have all this information together. As these items, along with your overall goal, will direct you to the type of bike storage rack solutions you can use in building out your bike storage area.

Which is what the next section is all about – rack selection. We'll see you over there.