10 Best Ways To Hang A Bike (2024)

A bicycle, almost everyone in the Netherlands/Belgium, or anywhere else, has one. With the changing world, cycling has become increasingly popular. People recognise that sustainability is becoming more important, all infrastructure is starting to be closer together, not to mention, houses are getting smaller.

So where are you going to put all those bikes? There’s only one thing to do. Hang them up.

It is common knowledge that your bike is equal to a piece of art. Every one’s work of art is additionally different. from granny bikes to full suspension MTBs. Made of the most expensive carbon fibre frames that can be used to buy a decent car. That is why it is important that you research carefully which suspension system is best suited.

But not to worry, there is a lid for every pot. In this compiled article, we are going to explain in detail which wall brackets are best to choose from.

Simply put, there are two ways to hang a bike, on the wall or on the ceiling. Hanging on the wall is the best way. There, there is the most flexibility to hang a bike as desired. Also, with the ceiling, simply put, it is quite a hassle to get the bike there, you obviously don’t want to have to do a ‘work-out’ every time to put the bike away.

Horizontal or vertical?

To move on to wall bike hanging ways, there are again options here. Namely:

Hanging horizontally

@ Marco Verch Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic

Advantages:

• Takes up little floor space
• Easy to hang
• Looks like the bike is floating (looks nice)
• Many options of suspension systems

Disadvantages:

• Takes up more wall space
• Loses more space overall
• Most systems hang the bike from the frame. Women’s bicycles cannot then be suspended

Hanging vertically

@ Kgbo Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Advantages:

• Takes up little wall space
• Some systems can rotate so that the bikes can be folded against each other
• Saves more space overall

Disadvantages:

• Takes up more floor space
• Bicycles with hydraulic brakes can get an air bubble in the brakes
• More difficult to hang

Solutions for horizontal hanging

Hanging horizontally or vertically is the first important consideration to make. Leaving more floor space? Then horizontal is probably the best option. Retain more wall space? Then hang vertically.

Horizontal – Hanging from frame

There are several ways to hang a bicycle from the frame. This is one of the most common ways to hang a bicycle. Of course, it looks very nice, as if the bike is floating. Some systems even have the option of storing things like bike accessories on the hanging system. This way, everything is nicely organised. Those who like to go for a natural look, systems made of oak, for example, are nice options. So basically, you don’t have to worry about a lack of options. There is plenty on offer.

Is hanging from the frame the best solution for you? Here some important considerations.

Way to show off your bike especially.

This method of hanging may not be the most space-saving way, but it looks nice. The bike appears to float and hangs in the same position as it would be ridden on the road. This is ideal for people who want to put their bike up like a work of art, so it can be admired by themselves and friends. You will have to be able to afford the space for this though, as it takes up a relatively large amount of space and hanging several bikes above each other is a challenge.

Less floor space is taken up.

With this method of suspension, the bike does not protrude much from the wall. This is because the handlebars are the only thing that protrude much in this case. The handlebars are now perpendicular to the wall and therefore save more floor space.

The bike could be stuck to the wall even more if the handlebars are folded. It is just often a hassle if you have to give the handlebars a twist all the time when it needs to be hung up.

A lot of space is lost between bike and wall.

Because the bike hangs from the frame, it does have to protrude from the wall by the width of the handlebars. The systems have to be adjusted accordingly, so the bike always hangs out from the wall by around 35 cm. All the space behind the bike, i.e. between the wall and bike, is then lost.

Options

Now that it is a bit clearer which options are available. You can check which one would be best here at these links.

Best solutions: bicycle suspension system with total solution:

– Artivelo: https://artivelo.com/

Nice steel hanging system to organise all your stuff besides your bike.

– BOTL Amsterdam: https://www.botlamsterdam.com/nl/bike-hangers/

Beautiful wooden hanging system, where you can still put things on the hanging system.

Best solution: practical bicycle suspension system:

– Mottez: https://www.manutan.nl/nl/mnl/fietsenrek-opklapbaar-voor-aan-de-muur-mottez-a370466?gclid=CjwKCAjwur-SBhB6EiwA5sKtjtgz3hK6U0bT0SpFBqwPxdW0JpiTUYL8OaRD4pPHAwWg-TMfvb2niRoCdd4QAvD_BwE
suspension system for three bicycles

Overview

Plus points:

– Intended to display your bike like a work of art
– Easy to hang up
– Many hanging options

Downsides:

– Space behind the bicycle is lost
– Not every bike can be hung (women’s bikes, for example)
– Multiple bicycles cannot be hung one above the other
– If you don’t hang a bike, the bracket protrudes from the wall.

Horizontal – Flowter Pedal Hanger

This is our self-developed bicycle suspension system. The most space-saving solution for storing a bicycle.

Are we now just going to extol our own product and say other products are bad? No. This hanging system, like other hanging systems, is suitable for certain requirements and therefore not for everyone. This blog article therefore aims to explain which system would suit you best.

From the very beginning, our mission was clear, even before we developed a concrete product: to promote efficiency in the world. By living efficiently, we preserve what would otherwise go to waste. With that goal in mind, we designed our innovative product: the most efficient hanging system that doesn’t waste space.

This system works differently from what you are used to. The bike is carried by the pedal in the carrying part. This puts the bike at an angle against the wall, leaving the space under and in front of the bike free for other stuff. See below in the photo the space lost when the bike is not hung on this system.

In this case, the bike is on a cabinet and all the space on the cabinet is now lost. Also, the space between the bike and wall is now also unusable. This is also something that would happen if the bike is suspended horizontally from the frame as we told above.

Here in this picture, the bike is suspended from the pedal. The bike is set at an angle, maximising its pressure against the wall. Clear difference in cleared space, for example for a cupboard with some stuff on it.

The space above, between the wall and bike is also freed up, so space is reclaimed here too.

You can of course use this space for several things. Hanging multiple bikes above each other is most commonly done.

As can be seen in both examples, nothing of space is lost. The bike is optimally glued to the wall and protrudes minimally, yet there is still room left above it for another bike. This is therefore the most space-saving way to hang your bike.

When the bike is suspended from the pedal, there is a risk of it tilting forward, as no bike is perfectly balanced. Moreover, unwanted stains from the tyres may appear on the wall. To avoid these problems, the system comes with two Wheel Carriers.

Sliding system

Hanging from the pedal does have its limitations.
So what if you want to hang the bike as tight as possible against the wall (the handlebar width here determines how far it can hang from the wall). And now, instead of hanging the bike with wider handlebars, you want to hang a bike with narrower handlebars. Because the system is adjusted for the wider handlebars, it will hang further from the wall. Does the bike with narrow handlebars end up hanging unnecessarily far from the wall, when it could be stuck to the wall much more. So developing a universal system where every bike can be hung as efficiently as possible is difficult.

That is why we came up with a sliding system so that any bicycle can be glued to the wall as tightly as possible without any problems. Here, the system adapts to the bike and space.

Three bikes on top of each other also becomes much easier this way. The sliding system makes it easy to move one bike further from the wall, leaving more space for the other.

Sliding Wheel Carriers

The pedal bearing is not the only sliding thing.
If instead of a large bicycle, a small child’s bicycle is desired, it is soon clear that the suspended system is not sized for this.
If a smaller bike is then hung on the same system, the smaller bike will end up hanging above the Wheel Carriers, leading to streaks on the wall and dangerous situations, such as a bike that could tip over. A larger bicycle, on the other hand, will end up below the Wheel Carriers, preventing the bicycle from hanging.

We wanted to avoid this. By shifting the Wheel Carrier, larger or smaller bikes, i.e. with a different distance from pedal to wheel, can easily be hung.

Overview

Plus points:

• Can stick any kind of bike to the wall
• Designed not to waste space
• Easy installation with drilling jigs
• Easily accommodate three bicycles on top of each other thanks to sliding system
• Sliding system adapts to space and bike
• Fault-tolerant thanks to sliding system
• Made and tested in the Netherlands

Horizontal – Hanging from the saddle

Hanging from the saddle is a fairly new method of suspension, but is becoming increasingly popular among our ‘storage specialists’. This is because only specific bikes can be hung horizontally from the frame. Women’s bikes, heavier bikes and bikes with brake cables on the frame are excluded.

No voltage drop on brake cables

This is the biggest belief why people choose to hang their bikes from the saddle. With wall brackets that hang the bike from the frame, there is a lot of tension on the brake cables on certain bikes. This is obviously not good for a perfectly tuned bike, where the derailleur, for example, operates properly on millimetres.

Can hang up any bike

Not every bicycle has a perfectly straight running piece of frame from which the bike can easily be hung. However, every bike does have a saddle and so it will be easier to hang these ‘mavericks’.

Bike can fall off easier

With some systems, however, there is a chance that the bike could fall off if it is accidentally bumped. This is because the saddle rests on the tube by gravity and is therefore not clamped by anything. Incidentally, there are few complaints about this happening, but the chance does exist.

Options

– Feebackback sports velo wall post: https://www.futurumshop.nl/feedback-sports-velo-wall-post-ophangbeugel-zwart.phtml?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping%20feed&utm_content=6708-0025-001-N1712&gclid=CjwKCAjwur-SBhB6EiwA5sKtjkt4OkyjL8zIVM9fQ7l1Uae_pXrlwlUeGaJqadWzjNoJ5fl6Qdm-FhoC-1wQAvD_BwE
Suspension system where the saddle rests on the tube.

Overview

Plus points:

– Prevents tension loss on brake cables
– Any bicycle can be suspended

Downsides:

-Bike can fall off more easily

Vertical hanging solutions

@ Kgbo – Wikimedia commons – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Vertical hanging ensures that the bike is clamped with the wheel against the wall and it looks like the bike is riding on the wall. This ensures that the bike takes up relatively little surface area on the wall, compared to horizontal hanging which takes up more wall space.

Wheel hook

This solution is of the simplest, but certainly not the least. It works as follows: the wheel is suspended from a hook, so that the bike will hang vertically on the wall. Usually, the system comes with a wheel protector for the lower wheel, so that it will hang straight and not leave streaks on the wall.

Takes up less wall space and more floor space

As the bike is suspended vertically, the wheels are the only thing touching the wall. As wheels do not have a very large surface area, relatively more wall space remains. The downside is that it does take up more floor space and the bike can get in the way more easily when moving around in that space.

Efficient solution

If the bikes are hung with small differences from each other, the handlebars do not touch and can be hung without much spacing. This saves a lot of space and is therefore definitely a good solution.

More difficult to hang

The systems work, almost all with a hook passed through the wheel. This is therefore more difficult to hang a bicycle than, say, hanging it horizontally. This is because the bike will have to go into the air in a slightly more awkward way and then also pass through the hook with the wheel. For children or if you are slightly less strongly built, this can still be a challenge.

Options

BBB Cycling ParkingLot BTL-126: https://www.mantel.com/bbb-cycling-parkinglot-btl-126&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3v6SBhCsARIsACyrRAljVeinqUsy4GKkq8SUxwniV2yXs–Brxv_K8GDVhqyQmCIRazjXqAaAmnWEALw_wcB

Steadyrack: https://www.ismseat.nl/steady-rack-racefiets-of-atb-ophangbeugel.html

Overview

Plus points:
– saves wall space, have to sacrifice floor space for it
– efficient solution

Downsides:

– More difficult to hang

Swivel wheel hook

Just like a suspension system on the pedal, the wheel also hangs a hook, but now it is just a little different. The part where the bike is now connected to the wall can rotate. This gives lots of opportunities to fold several bikes together, so to speak, saving even more space.

Feedback sports Velo hinge: https://www.futurumshop.nl/feedback-sports-velo-hinge-pivoting-ophangbeugel-zwart.phtml?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping%20feed&utm_content=6708-0028-001-N1712&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3v6SBhCsARIsACyrRAmX5Twnx4cTIVnFx6009KJWyCp8-6ZnqnsCrdkXI1SfNnQU4DeBdw8aAjGDEALw_wcB

Making your own suspension system

This would be a nice idea if you have some spare time and have a good idea of your own to make a wall bracket. Further on the internet, there are plenty of great ways to tackle such a DIY project. There is then a choice of different ways to make such a thing. Which of course is cool because anything you want can be made. From slick wooden hanging systems to some simpler wall brackets. It’s all possible.

Steel products are relatively difficult to make as a do-it-yourself handyman, because of the heavy production techniques, unless you have certain machines for that, it becomes a difficult task. So that would probably leave you with wood hanging systems, which of course you can make very nice things with. However, you are limited to a few options of wall brackets. Because of the maximum force on wood, you could only design a system so that you hang your bike from the frame and wheel. Hanging from the saddle and pedal would unfortunately not work.

Below, I have put up some links with the best bicycle suspension system projects that you can get started with yourself.

Praxis bicycle suspension system to frame: https://www.praxis.nl/voordemakers/klusadvies/fiets-ophangsysteem-uit-eikenhout

Creative bike hanging system: https://thediyproject.nl/diy-fiets-ophangsysteem/

Conclusion

As has been seen, there are countless options for hanging your bike(s). But of course, which one is best depends entirely on what you need the system for. We discussed the two general options: horizontal or vertical hanging. Horizontal hanging is ideal if space needs to be left in the room itself, as the bike will then protrude less from the wall. On the other hand, vertical hanging is better if there is little wall space to use and you can afford for the bike to protrude more from the wall. As options for horizontal hanging ways, we started with frame-mounted wall brackets. A good option to turn the bike into a work of art. Then we moved on to the Flowter Pedal Hanger. Which is ideal for reclaiming space. Designed to adapt to any bike and space, providing organisation. Three bikes on top of each other on a wall? Or just your bike as tight as possible against the wall? No problem, with the sliding sections each bike hangs equally efficiently and easily on the wall.

As a final horizontal option, the bike can be suspended from the saddle. This is becoming increasingly popular as it keeps the brake cables from losing tension. For the vertical options, you have a choice between a normal wheel hook, which is perfect as a budget option and a swivel suspension system, which ensures that it can be hung even more efficiently. Not to mention, you can also create your own hanging system, giving you all the freedom to make whatever you want.
There is no such thing as a perfect hanging system, every bike and space is different, but the Flowter Pedal Hanger comes pretty close.