How to Hang a Bike on the Wall

Installing a Bike Rack

Get a wall-mount bike rack online or at your local hardware store. Choose a vertical or horizontal wall mount depending on how you want your bike to be stored. A vertical bike rack is a good option if you're trying to conserve wall space. Choose a horizontal bike rack if you want your bike to hang flat against the wall. You can even build one if you want. You can find a wall-mount bike rack online here.

Measure the bike with a tape measurer. Measure the length of the bike if you're using a vertical bike rack, or the height of the bike if you're using a horizontal bike rack.

Hold the bike rack on the wall where you want the bike to hang. Don't put the rack up too high or the bike might touch the ceiling when it's hung up. Once you have the rack in position, mark where all of the screw holes on the rack line up with the wall. Most bike racks have two screw holes. If you’re using a horizontal rack, make sure the distance between the floor and the bike rack is greater than the height of the bike. If you’re using a vertical rack, make sure the distance between the floor and the bike rack is greater than the length of the bike.

Use a drill to drill into the wall at the points you marked. Make sure the holes you drill are deep enough that the whole length of the screws will fit in them. Use a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screws that came with the bike rack. You can find power drills online here. For example, if the bike rack came with 6mm screws, use a 5mm drill bit.

Push a wall plug into each hole you drilled. The wall plugs will give the screws you’re going to use to mount the bike rack something to grip onto. Use wall plugs that are the same size as the screws that came with the bike rack. You can find wall plugs at your local hardware store.

Line the rack up over the holes and screw it into place. Use a screwdriver to screw the screws that came with the bike rack into the wall plugs. Continue turning the screwdriver until the screws won't turn anymore.

Hang the bike on the bike rack. If you’re using a vertical bike rack, hang the bike by the front tire. If you’re using a horizontal bike rack, place the top tube of your bike frame on the rack.

Using a Bike Hook

Get a bike hook that can hold the weight of the bike. The packaging on the hook should say the maximum load capacity. Don't use a hook that's not meant to hold the weight of the bike or it could pull out of the wall. You can find bike hooks at your local hardware store or online here. Use a bathroom scale to figure out the weight of the bike if you're unsure. Weigh just yourself on the scale, and then weigh yourself on the scale while holding the bike. Subtract your weight from the weight of you plus the bike - the number you're left with is how much your bike weighs. EXPERT TIP "There are a lot of options for mounting your bike, but I prefer bike hooks. They're only a few dollars apiece, and they're simple to use." Peter Salerno Peter Salerno Installation Expert Peter Salerno is the owner of Hook it Up Installation, a professional installation company, which has been hanging art and other objects around Chicago, Illinois for over 10 years. Peter also has over 20 years of experience installing art and other mountable objects in residential, commercial, healthcare and hospitality contexts. Peter Salerno Peter SalernoInstallation Expert

Use a stud finder to locate a stud in the wall. You can get a stud finder at your local hardware store. Place the stud finder on the wall and slowly move it across the wall until it indicates that a stud has been found. Usually stud finders light up or make a beeping sound when they’re over a stud. Read the instructions that came with your stud finder for specific directions on using it. You can find a stud finder online here.

Use a tape measure to measure the length of the bike. Measure from the furthest tip of the front tire to the furthest tip of the back tire.

Mark with a pencil where you want the bike hook to screw into the wall. Make sure it's somewhere along the stud you found. Because the bike will be hung vertically, make sure the distance between the floor and the bike hook is greater than the length of the bike.

Use a ⅜ inch (.95 cm) drill bit to drill a hole where you made the mark. Make sure the hole is deep enough that the entire screw end of the bike hook can fit into it.

Screw the bike hook into the hole you drilled until it’s secure. Insert the screw end of the bike hook into the hole and continue turning the hook clockwise until it won’t turn anymore. You want the hook itself to be parallel with the floor.

Hang the bike on the bike hook. Place the front tire of the bike on the hook so that the tires are touching the wall and the seat of the bike is facing outward, away from the wall. Grant Petersen Grant Petersen, Bicycle Designer To keep your bike safe and secure while saving space, consider mounting it on the wall. Strong anchors installed into studs can hold a bike horizontally. For lighter bikes, you can use specially designed hooks that grip the wheel rims.