How do you store bikes at home without staining the floor or wall?

The best way to prevent the tyres of your bicycles from staining the floor or the wall of your house is to make sure that they are not stored with the wheels on the floor or lying against the wall.  This was how our bicycles were displayed when we first started the business at another location.

The red and yellow sheets on the walls are not for decoration only. They are light weight polycarbonate sheets commonly used for fabricating awnings. We installed each sheet just below the hook. Once the bicycles are hooked up, their tyres lie on these sheets and prevent them from staining the wall.

This was the type of rack we used to hang our bicycles up against the wall.

Do not made the mistake we did by installing the rack too high up the wall. If you do that, you will need to climb up on a stool in order to bring your bike down safely. It is dangerous and you will likely get a backache from handling the weight of the bicycle from a height.

You should hang your bicycles up on the lower hooks by their front wheels. Bicycles hung higher up should be hooked by their rear wheels. You want your bicycles on the lower row to be hooked high enough so that their wheels do not touch the ground. In that way your wheels will not be stained by water and dirt when you are cleaning your floor.

You can also buy floor to ceiling poles to hang your bicycles.

These are the other type of hangers you can consider buying if you like your bicycles hung up for display. They are perfect to be installed on the wall of your car porch as once your bicycle is hooked up, it lies flatter against the wall compared to the single hook wall rack.

There are also ceiling hooks for storing bicycle.

The best location to install it is above the low shoes cabinet near the entrance. This is how my customer stored his bicycle.

You can also use a tower rack for storing two bicycles. Try to avoid placing the hook lower down the pole if you do not want the wheel to be sitting on the floor.

If you use this L shape stand and you do not want the wheel to touch the floor, you can place it on top of a low cabinet or platform.

What is the best anti-rust for your bicycle?

The best anti-rust for your bicycle is the attention you put in taking care of your bicycle.

A well lubricated bike can reduce mechanical problems. However, you should check that the moving parts of your bicycle are clean before you lubricate them. The lubricant will not be effective if the parts are encrusted with dirt, especially after a wet or muddy ride. Should that be the case, remove the old lubricants first with a degreaser. Read the instruction on the bottle on how to use it correctly. After spraying directly on the parts, you can use a brush to remove the dirt.

Then wash the residue off with soapy water. While you are at it, check the parts for wear or damage. After washing, dry the parts before applying the lubricant. You do not have to worry that you are not able to dry all parts on your bicycle. A good quality lubricant should be able to displace moisture still on your bicycle.

Regular lubrication can help a bicycle run smoothly as it reduces friction. That can prevent excessive wear and tear of parts. As the lubricant can also clean, the best time to lubricate them is the night before your ride the following day. If you leave it overnight, you will notice that any excess lubricant that dripped onto the floor is blackened with tiny specks of debris in them.

Another reason why you should not cycle on your bicycle right after lubricating the parts is that dirt and dust can easily stick to the lubricant. That will create friction on the moving parts and your ride will not be as smooth.

The best lubricant will not be effective if it is not applied routinely. Do you have a “Bicycle Owner's Manual” to refer to? In it you will find a schedule for lubricating parts on your bicycle. If you do not have one, you can easily find one online by doing a search for “Bicycle Owner's Manual .pdf”. This is a page extracted from one of the manuals I have.

Note that not all metal parts on your bicycle can be lubricated. You will find the additional information I shared in the following question I answered earlier useful.

When should you apply lubricant on your bicycle

Where do you keep your bicycle? Do you often leave it out in the open facing the elements of the sun and rain? If you cannot store your bicycle under a proper shelter, make sure that it is properly covered for protection against rain.

If possible store it hung up above the floor so that the wheels will not become rusted by water from the rain or being splashed on while the floor is being washed. There are many type of wall racks and hangers in the market for bicycles.

If you are not going to ride your bicycle for a period of time, there are also bags which you can buy to store it. 

Check out this bicycle from the early 1970s sent to us for repair. The owner kept his New Model Sprinter Cooper in the space under the stairs of his home.

This is the condition of the emblem on it.

This is the condition of the emblem of a bike we restored. It was kept outdoor. We did not know that it is a Raleigh until we removed the dirt and rust on it.

Read the information I shared at the following link if you think that the WD-40 Multi-Use Product that you often spray on your bicycle is a lubricant.

Can you put WD-40 on a bike chain with a chain guard?

How do you choose the perfect cover to cover and protect a bike?

The best way to protect a bicycle is to place it in a bag.

Check out these bags for folding bikes. Most of the time, they are made for 20″ wheel size foldies.

You can also find bag for folding bikes that can be folded. This model comes packed in a bag which you can hang on the handlebar when not in use.

There are also similar looking models that are installed with rollers at the base to ease moving the bicycle around.

You can also find hardcase bags for bicycles in larger wheel size like this.

It is large enough to store a bicycle in wheel sizes of 26″ up to 700C. When bicycles are stored in such bags, the wheels are removed to be packed in a separate compartment.

This cover is a cheaper way to protect a bicycle.

As it lays open at the bottom, dirt and rain water can still get to it. The wheels can also be stained with dirty water when the floor it is parked on is being cleaned. Overtime rust will appear on some of the parts. So, when the bicycle is stored in this manner for a period of time, some cleaning up will still be required when it is time to ride on the bicycle again. For long term storage, it is best that the bicycle is located in an enclosed area to protect it from the elements of nature.

If you plan on not cycling your bike for a long period of time,  it is best that you find ways to hang up your bike to protect the tyres and tubes. This is because after 2 weeks or so, your tube will slowly deflate and your rims will sit on the tyres causing it to crack. The weight of the bicycle sitting on the deflated tubes may even damaged them.

It would be best if you could find a friend to ride your bicycle now and then while you are away. But if you can’t, make sure that you lubricate your bike properly before storing it away.

You may find the additional information at the following links useful in helping you keep your bicycle in good working condition:

How do we protect bicycle tires from cracking?

What are the best tips to maintain a bike in the proper way? 

How do we protect bicycle tyres from cracking?

Avoid doing things to your tyres that will age and dry them out and cause them to crack.

You should:

1) keep bicycle indoor to avoid exposure to the sun's heat or rain.

2) use the proper air pressure in your tyres to prevent overstretching them out.

3) not wash your tyres excessively with chemical cleaners that will remove waxes and other chemical compound the manufacturer used to protect the surface. If you like your tyres looking clean and new, shop around for polish or wax for tyres that will protect or prevent dirt and mud from sticking to them easily.

4) ride on your bicycle regularly so that the tyres are stretched to maintain their flexibility.

5) inflate the tyres at least every 2 weeks even if you are not cycling your bicycle.

6) remove the wheels from your bicycle and hang them up if you do not plan to cycle for a long period of time. This is to prevent weight of your bicycle from sitting on the tyres.

You can also find other ways to store your bicycle. My customer bought this ceiling hooks from our bike shop to hang his bicycle up in his parent’s home. He rides it only when he is free during the weekends.

You can also check out bike shops to learn how they hang their bicycles for display. This was how we displayed our bicycles at our former bicycle shop.

These are some of the storage racks for hanging bicycles up, that you should be able to find in the market.This rack is suitable for those with more than two bicycles to store, as additional holders can be purchased separately.

This rack is suitable for those with more than two bicycles to store, as additional holders can be purchased separately.

If you have to keep it outdoor, make sure that it is properly covered to protect it from the exposure of rain and sun.

You can also find such covers in shops selling motorbikes but I noticed that there are usually priced higher there than at a bike shop.

Where do you keep your cycling glasses?

There are small bags that you can hang on your saddle or handlebar or frame of your bicycle for stuff like glasses, tools, keys and wallet.

This is a handlebar bag.

This handlebar bag can be used folded or opened up to carry more stuff.



This saddle bag is longer for folding bike users.



If you are worried that your glasses will get smashed up because of the soft casing, you can consider using hard case carrier like this.



There are also padded handlebar bag meant for storing camera which should keep your glasses safe.



If you are not talking about your reading glasses, there are also helmet with retractable visors attached. These visors are more curved to prevent dust particles and smog from getting into your eyes.



I shared quite a number of photos on bags for bicycles on my instagram account.  Check it out for more storage solution.

What is so unique about bicycles?

Do you want to know what is so unique about bicycles as a form of recreation or exercise compared to other form of transport?

When you cycle on a bicycle, you can call yourself “The Champion of the Earth” because you do not require fossil fuel to get you around. It is a recreation where you can get everyone in the family involved because none of you will require a license to start cycling.

For the younger ones, who do not know how to cycle yet, an extension can be added to the bicycle.

You can even bring along a wee one on a front mounted child seat.

When it is too hot to cycle or if it is raining, you can mount your bicycle on a trainer to ride indoor.

Maintenance cost is low as parts and components are generic so you can easily find them in any bicycle shop and get your problem fixed no matter where you are. In fact, some repair work are not too technical that you can learn how to fix them personally.

While you are out exercising on your bicycle, you can also run errands. Just make sure that you have a carrier or a rack installed to hold any purchase. Here is a solution if you can’t install a carrier or rack.

There are many places in your home or its compound where you can easily store your bicycle as it does not take up too much space. You can even hang it from the ceiling right above your shoes cabinet.

You can ride your bicycle anywhere you want to build up your fitness without worrying about leaving a carbon footprint.