I volunteer at a bike coop. We installed this beast recently.
The rack uses sliding gate hardware so we can move the bike side to side easily and 'file' through our various offerings. It allows much easier access to the bikes, much more compact storage than other optinos (if you're not fussed about them bashing each other a bit) and should work out significantly cheaper than similar official systems.
We've got space for around 15 bikes on a 3 metre rail, which should give a little eactra space for moving them.
The channel is soft enough to be drilled easily enough, so you can modify to suit your needs.
The downside of this method is the bikes can pivot pretty freely, so they're not 'locked' in palce until they're up against bikes either side. Might be an issue in a domestic setting.
Thanks for showing this and including links - looks like an economical solution
Do you have also a link to the hanging hooks, or were they made bespoke ?
Thinking that some sort of protective curtain sheet between each bike could be used if needed in a "domestic" setting, like Tyvek or budget Karrimat type foam
The hooks are just M8 threaded bar from Toolstation, washers a couple of locknuts with some deaf inner tube wrap and electrical tape to secure it.
Looks pretty ok given the setting, although I can imagine the highly advanced bending technique I applied if 'chuck in vice and use an old seatpost to get the angle' might've created some weak bends. We'll have to see if they fatigue over time.
I initially attempted to add a thread onto some modified utility hooks, but I think the M5 die was blunt and the nurse kept slipping over the M6, presumably due to insufficient material on the bar after I filled off the original thread. It worked ok for a couple, but the M5 looks a little wimpy so I think those ones will get replaced since the M8 is reassuringly chunky.
Yes a good shout that one
You can get Similar via inistruut and trolley wheels so it's the same idea however your links to the shop provide much better value as there a lot cheaper
Well done
Tanglefist wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2025 7:00 pm
The hooks are just M8 threaded bar from Toolstation, washers a couple of locknuts with some deaf inner tube wrap and electrical tape to secure it.
Looks pretty ok given the setting, although I can imagine the highly advanced bending technique I applied if 'chuck in vice and use an old seatpost to get the angle' might've created some weak bends. We'll have to see if they fatigue over time.
I initially attempted to add a thread onto some modified utility hooks, but I think the M5 die was blunt and the nurse kept slipping over the M6, presumably due to insufficient material on the bar after I filled off the original thread. It worked ok for a couple, but the M5 looks a little wimpy so I think those ones will get replaced since the M8 is reassuringly chunky.
I'm all over this as I plan the same for my basement. Thanks for the post. I take it the bar is easy to bend into hook shape? I've got an "OK" bench vice but nothing industrial.
You might be able to find some off-the-shelf hooks. They use similar for fixing stuff to concrete purlins in industrial buildings. You'd need to google for them, try M8* J hook or M8* square hook.
Thanks everyone, it's fun to use. They do swing and rotate a bit, so it's not without flaws.
You can get trolley with a threaded attachment protruding, but the ones I linked with just have an open slot so you've got a lot of freedom with attachments.
The threaded bar coats 2.80 a metre from Toolstation and I get about 3 or 4 hooks per metre. FH Brundle does 3 metres for about 2.40 so even better, but I didn't think of it till later.
All bent by hand with a bit of tubing for support and extra leverage, I just followed the angles on a beefy utility hook. The home version will have bigger hooks to accommodate a front Assegai comfortably.
