Introduction

I live in a small apartment with several bicycles taking up a lot of space in my living room. Recently, I’ve been researching space saving ways to hang bicycles in an aesthetically pleasing way.

With this in mind, I decided to build a functional wall shelf that could support the weight of two bicycles, and appropriately space the hooks so the bikes do not hit each other when removed. My design was created with a combination of wood types from a nearby neighbor who was discarding used wood.

Step 1: What You'll Need

Supplies

· Tools

o Measuring tape

o Circular saw

o Drill

o 150 grit sand paper

o 5/64 drill bit

o Small block for sand paper

o Paint brush

o Cloth rag

o Hand saw

o Safety glasses

· Materials

o 2 pieces of 1x4 lumber 30 inches’ long

o 3 pieces of 2x4 lumber 4 inches’ long

o Wood stain

o 2 bicycle hooks

o 1 1/2in wood screws

Step 2: Getting Started

To start, I determined the distance between the hook placements by measuring half the length of both bikes’ handlebars and made sure the hooks were far enough apart.

With a 1x4 and a large 2x4 piece of wood, I cut the 1x4 into two 30 inch pieces which I used to make the ledge and back of the rack, and the 2x4 was cut into 4 inch pieces used to support the hooks.

Afterwards, I sanded them smooth with a 150 grit sand paper. I wrapped the sand paper around a thin block of wood to aid in my sanding.

Step 3: Wood Staining

The next step was to stain all sides of the two 30 inch pieces. I used dark walnut from Varathane wood stain. I painted an area and let stand for 2-3 seconds before I wiped the stain off with my cloth rag. Make sure to let dry for at least four hours as stated in the stain instructions.

Step 4: Angled Support Blocks

The fourth step, I made the angled support block. Unlike the last step, I sanded the large 2x4 lumber first because it was easier to sand the large portion with long strokes than cutting the 4 inch pieces and then sanding. I cut a total of six 4-inch-long blocks in case of error or if I wanted to add in more blocks later, but I ultimately decided to stick with using three.

Step 5: Cutting the 45-degree Angle

Step five, I cut the blocks at a 45-degree angle. I measured 1 ½ inches from both ends. There should be an inch between the two marks and this will be the flat part seen in the image. Cut along the 1 ½ inch line with the circular saw angled at 45-degrees. Then turned the block and cut the other side so it is makes a trapezoid. I encountered a problem while cutting the angle on the blocks. I used a 6 ½ inch 18 teeth saw blade, but it was not long enough to cut at an angle through the wood. To finish the cut, I used a keyhole saw instead. A few of my blocks came out a little shorter than the others so I picked the best ones to use in the finished project.

Step 6: Wood Staining Angled Blocks

Next step was to do a light sanding to fix any frayed edges from the saw. I then stained the blocks with the wood stain using the same procedure as previously stated.

After the wood stain dried, I attached the two, 30 inch 1x4 pieces. I placed one edge of the 1x4 to the side of
the other 1x4 to make a right angle. I used a 5/64-inch drill bit for the initial holes to prevent the wood from splitting and ensure the screws went in straight. I put in four screws along the wider side into the vertical 1x4 wood shown in the image.

Step 7: Making Wall Shelf

Step 8: Attaching the Angled Support Blocks

For the next step, I positioned the best three angled blocks in between the attached 1x4 pieces. The middle block is 10 inches away from the ends on each side. I did not drill any pilot holes like before, and just put two screws on both sides of the angled blocks.

Step 9: Attaching the Bike Hooks

Next step I used the 5/64-inch bit to drill into the angled blocks and screwed the hooks into the hole I started with the drill. I put the side with the most screws facing the wall because the other edge was slightly longer to accommodate bigger items set on top of the shelf.

Step 10: Mounting to the Wall

I then used eight screws to attach the bike rack to the wall. Make sure you screw into the wall studs and not just the dry wall as this will not support the weight of the bikes.