Spacing Vertical Bike Storage Racks

When laying out vertical bike racks along a wall, start by placing the rack at a height on the wall where the rear tire would sit 8 inches off the ground, when the bicycle is seated in the rack.

The center of the rack should also be placed, generally, 15 inches away from a perpendicular wall,  to provide enough room for a standard handlebar.

Place the next rack 15 inches horizontally from your first rack and raise it up 10 inches.

Continue placing bike racks every 15 inches, alternating the heights of each rack, along the length of your wall.

It's important that the height of each rack is staggered. If the vertical bike racks are mounted at the same height, they will need to be spaced at least 24 inches apart. Otherwise the handlebars of the bicycles will overlap and be in conflict. Ultimately, making every other spot unusable.

For strut-mounted bike racks, follow the manufacturer's instructions. This will direct you as  to the height the channels will need to be mounted to the walls. Once the racks are adhered to the channels, they will hold the bicycle at the correct height.

With freestanding units, simply assemble per the manufacturer's installation directions and the racks will be set at the designed height.  

After you have properly spaced your vertical bike racks, you will now need to account for space for an aisle behind the stored bicycle.

A standard, full-sized bicycle from tire to seat is about 48 inches. You will then need a recommended  48 inches of aisle space beyond this that needs to remain clear. This aisle offers enough room to raise/lower bicycles onto the rack and maneuver them in and out of the bike storage area.

In total, 96 inches from the wall is needed to effectively use a vertical bike rack.