Bicycle Hoist or "How to get the wife's bike out of my way"

Step 7 Make Rope Tie-off Cleat

Now you will need to make something that will hold the rope after you hoist it and walk away. Or find someone who will live in your garage and hold the bike up there while you relish you new-found space.

I used two "U" hooks and just wrapped the rope back and forth a few times. You want something that will not slowly unwind or let go if some kid pulls on the rope. Again, err on the side of safety. No one wants to be killed by their wife's pavement cruiser.

You might need to use an extra eye hook to route the rope to the side of your room instead of having it come straight down to your tie-off. this also helps the rope approach the tie-off from a better angle. In my case, I happened to have a wacky joist set up so it worked out ok without that.

ADDED NOTE: Several people, probably people who sail or something, have found this step disturbing. Probably because it looks messy and is not the optimal way to hold a rope. I agree.

They suggested using a cleat. You can buy them at any boat supply place such as Boaters World, maybe your local hardware store or even an outdoor supply place that sells climbing supplies. I've added a few examples from google images below.

In the end, as long as the rope is held securely and cannot be undone inadvertently then you are good to go.

Thanks to theRIAA and Willofgod for the tips.

Comments

[Hycro]

When I built the lift for my bike, which weighs a monstrous 70-80lbs, I also needed a way to help out with lifting it period, so I tied an old lead-acid car battery to it, and it's heavy enough that it helps me lift the bike, and holds it in the air, but isn't so heavy it just takes off with the bike pulling it straight to the ceiling