Bicycle Stand

Don't want to fork out a couple of hundred bucks for a bicycle stand? This easy to make stand will not mar wall, ceilings or floors. You can probably have up to four bikes on it, if you're creative. The photo below shows one way to mount a bike on the rack.

Step 1 Parts list

You'll need a 4x4 for the base, some scraps for the pad block and legs, a piece of all thread (I recommend 1/2"), two nuts and a washer and four wood screws. I also recommend that you use wood that's as dry as possible or cedar for the base, as wet wood can split when drying. I had used pressure treated wood for a couple but have replaced them due to concern for chemicals used as preservatives. If you wanted to use pressure treated wood for a garage setup, that may be okay, just be careful to clean up the sawdust and wear a mask when doing the work. The schematic shows the general principle of how to put together the business end, the "pressing mechanism".

Comments

[struckbyanarrow]

cool track bike never seen brakes mounted like that on bullhorns, cool

[cavit8]

Thanks. I stopped using this and have cross levers mounted now. I tend to ride on the flats and getting to the brake when cut off by a fool in a car was awkward. You can also get levers that fit in the end of the bullhorns. This is just a standard drop bar lever reversed on the bar.

[ciaran.mooney]

I may be a bit dim here. How do you "force fit" the all thread? I just can't get my head around how to do it.

[cavit8]

Hi Ciaran

By force fit, drill a hole that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the all-thread. Then just pound it in to the support 4x4. When you tighten it, the axial compression will hold it in but if you drill a hole too large, you may end up with some play in it.

[wrenchead]

Its probably a good idea to aim for a joist or some sort of structure.  If you miss and you're cranking on it, you could crack the drywall.

[cavit8]

This and the comment below are important to consider for placing these things, which is essentially a home made  jackstand. I live in apartments and the ceiling construction is robust and typically concrete.  That said, the large pad at the top distributes the pressure over a fairly large area and you don't have to reef these things down super tight.  Try to place one at a joist and take your time when you tighten it up.

[broscro]

http://www.instructables.com/id/PVC-Bench-top-Bike-Repair-Stand/http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Home-Bicycle-Repair-Stand/
So, after searching instructables.com for a good storage/work stand for my bicycles, I decided to make a hybrid of this one and two others (see links). I even added some extras to it to make it super useful (like some old carpet wrapped around the bottom as a scratch post for our cat and some better lighting to help in toeing-in brake pads). You'll notice in the photos that I added a coupler (I think that's what it's called) to the clamping mechanism. This coupler allows me to spin the clamp and angle the bike at any direction I need while working on it. The extra prong-thing on the clamp adds the extra strength I lose I by using a PVC clamp. All in all, the materials were super cheap, maybe $35 total, I don't remember. Even the vertical bike hook was only like $7 at Lowe's. It works great for storage and maintenance.

[cavit8]

Very sweet! An elegant merger of storage and functionality. And for those who are concerned about marks, I recently moved after having two of these up for nearly three years - nary a mark.

[n0ukf]

Before you position and tighten the rack, be sure you're centered on a cieling joist, not between them. Sheetrock is not a strong material to be bracing against, many people have stepped through it by stepping between the joists in their attic (some seen on ABC's AFV).

[basscadetz]

this is a great idea. thanks.

[cavit8]

reiterating westernorbits comments, recheck often, particularly if the rack is loaded assymetrically. The wood will take a long time to dry unless you're using kiln dried wood :D. Doug, there's a couple options for horizontal mounts. The challenge is to find something that will support a wide enough area so the bike isn't balancing precariously. I'd used two rods embedded in the 4x4 and covered with innertube at one point, but found that it could be a bit of a balancing act if I wasn't careful. Two arms mounted on the sides would work like this. You could use the half circle or, probably easier, a v-notch. You could also fabricate a v-shaped trough that would fit in and extend laterally for extra stability. I also nipped down to the local dollar store and got some hooks for my helmet , hip bag etc.

[boss7696]

i like your plans. especially considering that the wood stand at my bike shop costs 160! i'm considering doing this in my apartment. i can buy a nice cedar (4x4) for around 10-15 bucks. i have 2 bikes and would need to mount them horizontally. it would seem that some arms would need to be made to cradle the top tube. do you have any suggestions for this? thanks again! doug from 100 degree austin texas

[westernorbit]

Do be sure to re-check the tightness after a little while. I bought a similar ‘jack’ style floor to wall stand and had it almost fed a chainring to my girlfriend. It seems the weight of the two bikes had caused it to compress the carpet a tad, allowing the top plate to slip away from the wall/ceiling. I made a few improvements after all that excitement. I added some no-slip drawer liner to the top piece. This also lessened the marking on the ceiling. I also placed the base on a piece of plywood. This made the carpet less of an issue. I also checked the tightness of the whole setup every afternoon. Props for the homebrew rack!

[KoolKat]

Sweet! Great idea.

[cavit8]

I've never had a problem with it. If you pad the top piece with a piece of old carpet, for example, there shouldn't be any problems. If your ceiling is textured (like with a stipple gun), I can't say for sure that it wouldn't leave a mark of some kind. Just be very sure to check the tightness after you've fist set it up.

[Branden]

I've been trying to figure out something to do for the three bikes I have in my apartment. I think I'm going to give this a try. One question... You really don't have any issues with marks left behind after removing the stand?