Finding the ideal electric bike garage storage solution for your needs can be difficult given the large number of electric bikes available on the market today. The good news is that by streamlining the process a bit and taking into account factors like space, number of bikes owned, accessibility, etc., riders may much more easily be able to select the ideal storage solution for their needs.
Whether you use your e-bike every day or store it for when the weather is great, the bike storage options discussed below provide some great ideas for everyone.
Also Related:
Why are Electric Bikes so Expensive? Worth the Money? [Comprehensive Buying Guide]
Ideas of Electric Bikes Garage Storage
1) Floor stands
Floor stands offer one of the most convenient methods to store e-bike. Just walk your bike’s front wheel into the stand’s arms and it’ll hold your bike in place.
Most bike floor stands available on the market today are designed to hold just one bike, however, there are some that can store up to five bikes at once.
Pros
- It is easy and convenient to use.
- Some bike floor stands are compact enough to be carried and used on the go.
Cons
- They take up a lot of space.
- You might struggle with storing fat-tire bikes in one of these.
2) Vertical and horizontal on-wall storage
This electric bikes garage storage solution involves hanging one’s bike on hooks attached to a garage wall. These hooks (or mounts) are available in various designs and are usually easy to install.
Depending on how much wall space you have to work with, you can opt for a vertical wall mount or horizontal hangers. The former saves more space because it suspends bikes vertically while the latter stores bikes parallel to the wall.
Pros
- They can hold bikes of all wheel sizes.
- They are a more space-efficient storage option than floor stands.
Cons
- Little kids might have a hard time hanging their bikes on both. vertical and horizontal wall mounts.
3) Ceiling storage
Ceiling storage is the best electric bikes garage storage option for bikers who don’t have much floor or wall space. You simply hang the bike on hooks secured to the ceiling or hoist it using a pulley system.
Pros
- Helps you save floor and wall space.
Cons
- This storage model requires that your ceiling be at least 12 feet from the ground for it to work.
- Using regular hooks might be a bit inconvenient since it requires that you carry your bike all the way to the ceiling to store it.
Also Related:
What Are the Different Classes of Ebikes and Which Ebike Class Is Best?
Photo Credited by liveenhanced
How to Store an Electric Bike Over a Long or Short Periods
If you want to prolong the life of your ebike, one thing you need to learn is how to store it well. E-bikes are not like regular bikes. They’re fitted with electronic components that have a high risk of catching fire if exposed to certain conditions.
This is why you have to take good care of them whether or not you use them regularly. In the sections that follow, we will discuss some of the best ways to store your electric bike over short and long periods of time.
Electric Bikes Garage Storage- Best Practices for Over a Short Period
1) Do not leave your e-bike outside
No bike, regular or electric, should be kept in an area that exposes it to the elements. Just because your electric bike is built to the IP67 water-resistance standard doesn’t mean it’s designed to be parked outside.
I mean besides the risk of it getting damaged by extreme weather, the bike could also get stolen. Some people might argue that leaving an electric bike outside isn’t a bad idea as long as you purchase a waterproof cover for it and secure it to something rigid.
Well, they’re wrong because extreme temperatures actually affect a lithium-ion battery’s ability to store and discharge energy. So, unless your e-bike comes with a detachable battery, I strongly advise against leaving it outdoors – even if you have a cover and a bike lock.
The best option would be to store your e-bike(s) indoors. This could either be inside your house or in a garage.
Also Related:
Electric Bikes Net Weight and Riders Weight Limits by the Numbers
Ideas for how to store e-bikes in a garage
There are several ways to store an electric bike in a garage. You can purchase an e-bike wall mount and hang your bikes on there or install a floor stand and walk your bike into it.
Some riders even suspend their bikes from their garage ceiling. There are several ways one can achieve this; you can purchase a simple pulley system (or bike hoist) from Amazon and attach it to your garage ceiling or drill hooks into your ceiling.
The only downside with storing bikes using the latter is that it usually requires a lot of heavy lifting (you will have to carry the bike over your head). Doing this with a regular bike can be very uncomfortable and impractical considering the fact that it requires a considerable amount of strength (regular bikes typically weigh between 20 to 35 lbs)
Now imagine how hard it’ll be for a regular person to lift an electric bike to the ceiling.
Also Related:
How Long Do Electric Bikes Last: Expectations vs. Reality
2) Clean Your E-bike Before You Put It Away for Storage
Leaving dirt and grime from previous rides on your electric bike can speed up the corrosion of its frame and rust vulnerable components . This is why it’s important that you clean your e-bikes regularly.
Even if you plan on storing your e-bike for only a couple of weeks, it’s always a good idea to give it a good wipe down before eventually putting it away. The good thing is you don’t need any fancy tools to get this done.
All you need is a soft cloth, a bucket of water, and some lube. Remember, however, that there are some components on an electric bike that must never be exposed to water or any other form of liquid.
A few of such components include the bike’s motor, its brake pads (this is very important if you own an electric bike with disc brakes), its battery pack (and compartment), etc. You also want to prevent water from getting into the bike’s frame through any of the openings in the frame e.g. the seat tube.
Besides these considerations, every other component on an electric bike can be cleaned with a wet cloth or sprayed with a low-pressure nozzle. Just make sure that you apply some lube to your drivetrain after washing it and allowing it to dry.
It’s also best that you don’t use a pressure washer because most e-bikes on the market today are not resistant to strong water jets.
Also Related:
Best Electric Bike Brands Made in the USA
Electric Biles Garage Storage- Best Practices for a Long Period Storage
Enter your text here…
If you don’t plan on riding your electric bike for a very long time — say between three and six months — there are a few tips you might want to add to the ones discussed in the preceding section.
1) Store your battery at room temperature
As mentioned earlier, extreme temperatures affect the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Storing an electric bike in a very cold place will increase the internal resistance of its battery.
This affects how well the battery is able to hold a charge and might even lead to an overall reduction in capacity. Extreme heat, on the other hand, speeds up the chemical reaction in a Li-Ion battery.
This boosts the performance of the battery but also quickens the natural degradation of the pack by almost 2X. So, what’s the best temperature to store an electric bike?
Generally speaking, the best condition to store an electric bike is at room temperature. If you can’t remove your bike’s battery from the frame, store the whole bike in a room with a temperature of no more than 20°C (68°F).
Conversely, you want to make sure that the temperature of the room you plan on storing your e-bike (or its battery) is not below 5°C (41°F).
2) Charge your e-bike before storing it
Before putting your e-bike away for a long time, you want to make sure the battery level is within a certain range. Some manufacturers specify the charge level they believe is the best for long-term storage in the owner’s manual.
If your owner’s manual doesn’t include this information, you can stick to the generally-accepted range which is between 30% and 80%. If you find it hard to track your battery’s display increments, just charge your e-bike full and ride it for a few minutes.
This should drain the battery a bit and prep it for storage.
Also Related:
Best Ebike Brands – Unbiased Electric Bikes Companies Comparison
Photo Credited by evocycles
Electric Bikes Garage Storage- Is It Ok to Hang Ebikes Upside Down?
Generally speaking, hanging an electric bike upside down does not affect its components. The only exceptions are electric bikes with hydraulic disc brakes.
When you flip an electric bike with hydraulic brakes upside down (or vertically) air bubbles begin to form inside the hydraulic system. These bubbles travel throughout the reservoir and impede the efficiency of the system.
So for example, if the bubbles travel to the levers, you might have to squeeze them a couple of times before the system starts to function normally again. This isn’t something you want to happen when you’re speeding down a steep hill – the outcome could be fatal.
Electric Bikes Garage Storage- How Can Electric Bikes Be Stored Vertically
One of the biggest issues a lot of riders face with storing their e-bikes indoors is that they usually don’t have enough space to fit these large machines. Vertical racks offer some of the most space-efficient bike storage solutions to this problem.
Simple vertical bike racks can store up to five bikes and still take up less space than a floor stand. These low-cost hangers are available in different designs and can be purchased on Amazon.
You can even create your own DIY bike mount with some heavy-duty hooks, some screws, and a long piece of wood (all of which can be purchased at a hardware store). Just make sure that whatever products you’re getting are capable of holding up something as heavy as an electric bike.
Also Related:
Best Electric Bikes For Snow And Winter Commut
Photo Credited by nytimes
Electric Bikes Garage Storage in Winter
In general, electric bikes are best stored indoors during cold weather conditions. Remember we mentioned earlier that extreme temperatures affect an e-bike battery’s ability to store a charge?
Well, if you want to preserve your battery’s cells through the winter, it’s best that you store it indoors at room temperature. You also want to make sure that the bike’s frame (and its other components) is free of mud, water, salt, etc.
This is especially important if you’ve ridden your electric bike in the snow or under wet conditions. Also, don’t forget to lubricate the bike’s chain and cogs after cleaning.
Electric Bikes Garage Storage- How Do You Hang an E-bike From the Ceiling?
There are various types of bike storage options to choose from if you plan on hanging your e-bike from the ceiling. The best approach, in my opinion, would be to suspend the bike off a pulley system.
This is probably the most practical way of suspending electric bikes from a ceiling. You can also choose to drill bike hooks into your ceiling and hang the e-bikes on those or purchase an overhead bike rack.
The only issue with this approach is that it requires that you manually raise your e-bike all the way to the ceiling every time you want to put it away; yeah, that 75-pound e-bike.
Final Thoughts
There are multiple ways to organize and store your bikes indoors. The first step to figuring out the perfect electric bikes garage storage solution for you is understanding how much room you have at your disposal.
If you have more than enough space in your garage, you can purchase a floor rack big enough to accommodate five to six bikes (they’re very accessible and easy to use – even for kids).
However, if you’re working with very little space, your best option might be to hang your bike on the wall or suspend it from the ceiling.
