How to install a bike rack in your garage?

Before installing your bike rack on your wall, floor or ceiling make sure that you have all the tools and fixings required to finish the job. 

As you might know, a bike rack like the Koova, Gear-up, Delta, or the Steadyrack is a simple way to save space and help declutter and organize your garage using only your garage wall or ceiling. But first, you need to make sure that you have what you need to make it work.

Let’s say for only a single bike you pick the famous steady rack It doesn’t matter if you pick the Classic rack, Fender Rack, or the Fat rack. The same tools and fixings are required to mount your bike onto your garage wall.

Let’s say you have more than 1 bike to organize – Like most people, then again the same tools and methods apply for the Koova.

The fixings you need to install a garage bike mount

All the fixings you need should be included with a wall bike rack set. This consists of the right-sized coach screws for wall mounting onto timber framing. And “raw plugs” for fixing into masonry, brick, or concrete surfaces. Both fixing types can easily be installed and removed at any time.

Keep reading for more details on each bike mounting type below.

There are better ways to mount your bike than this.

Fixings needed for a timber wall or ceilings

Coach screws are included with a bike wall, or ceiling mount; they are a robust and straightforward fixing option for connecting brackets to timber.

First, pre-drill your holes using a small drill bit, and insert and tighten the coach screw using a hand socket set or a socket set attachment for your cordless drill. The large thread on coach screws will dig in and hold onto any timber surface with no problems.

Just so you won’t get confused, here’s a good list of set of drill bits and all you need to know.

Tips:

1. Ensure not to pre-drill a hole too large, or the coach screw won’t bite and hold on the last turn.
2. You can pre-drill a bigger hole only through any linings to stop it from cracking.
3. Test a drill bit, and coach screw combination first on a scrap piece of wood to make sure it’s easy to screw and that it “bites” at the end. Start with a drill bit half the diameter of the coach screw.

A coach screw is basically just a large screw designed to take high amounts of verticle pressure due to the width of the screw it needs a predrilled hole to to not split the wood, then use a socket set, impact driver, or an impact wrench to drive it in.

Fixings required for a concrete, masonry wall, or floor

The plastic raw plugs that should be included with a ceiling or wall bike rack work like this. First, drill the right-sized (10mm hole for the steady rack) into your masonry wall using a masonry drill bit and a cordless drill using the hammer function. The plastic raw plug is then inserted into the hole.

This now means that when you drive a screw at this exact point, the screw will grip the raw plug, and as it tightens, the width of the screw will expand onto the surrounding concrete for a strong grip.

Tips:

1. When pre-drilling a hole into masonry, brick, or concrete, make sure the width of the drill bit is the same width as the raw plug (10mm for the steady rack)
2. Screw slowly and tighten just once. If you reverse and remove the screw you need a new raw plug to be installed for tight holding.
3. It’s important not to get a metric-sized drill bit and imperial mixed up, both are slightly different sizes, and when it comes to raw plugs and concrete it needs to be exact. The steady rack kit requires a 10mm sized masonry drill bit. A ⅜ imperial-sized drill bit is the closest imperial match however the hole might be a little too tight for the screw, so you need to use a metric masonry bit if you want to fix the steady rack to concrete.

Although some mounts come with and recommend raw plugs and a screw for fixing into concrete, the strongest method is to use a concrete anchor, such as a dyna bolt (like above). As you do the nut up the sleave gets pushed down and expands on the wider bottom edge creating a much stronger hold than just a plastic raw plug.

Tools required for installing a bike to your wall

Have the DIY tools you need for an easy DIY installation ready. The only power tool you need is a cordless drill, this is for pre-drilling, and driving the screws.

You will then need a few basic hand tools like a tape measure, craft knife, pencil, Phillips screwdriver, and the right-sized socket bit (for timber).

Most power drills will work, however, if you will be fixing your garage bike rack onto concrete, masonry, or brick. You will need to make sure that your cordless drill is equipped with a hammer function, for more information on finding the right cordless drill have a look here .

However, this is a DIY cheaper alternative for drilling small holes in concrete. Generally, builders would use a dedicated Dyna-drill for drilling into concrete.

Wear a mask and sweep away the dust, instead of blowing it. Concrete dust is hazardous to breath in.

Required tool list for installing a garage bike rack

1. Tape measure and pencil.
2. Optional stud finder (Or tap the wall to find fixing points inside a wall).
3. Cordless drill (With a hammer function if fixing to a masonry wall).
4. A masonry drill bit for concrete or a timber drill bit for wood. (10mm for the steady rack).
5. A socket set OR a socket set attachment for your drill and the right-sized bit.
6. Craft knife.
7. Phillips screwdriver.
8. A handheld level or better a laser level for serious DIY’ers.

Positioning your bike rack

Now that you know what tools are required, and you know what fixings should be used for your wall type. Make sure to get the positioning right.

First, you need to make sure you know where there is fixing in your ceiling. Such as ceiling battens, or floor joists from the floor above, if you want a ceiling hung bike mount, or if you want to install to a wall for easier reach, you need to make sure you know where there is solid fixing behind the wall linings using a stud finder or by tapping the wall. 

You should measure the distance of your bike from the point of the wheel your bike is hanging from and the end of your back tire.

From this measurement you want to add a decent amount of clearance, let’s say 6-8 inches to make sure your bike can hang freely, and so that a slightly bigger bike you might have in the future will as well.

If you opt for a steady rack make sure you account for the mechanism’s movement.

Sometimes, it’s better to stick to a bike rack with fewer moving parts, unless the quality is good. This is to maximize durability as fewer moving parts mean there’s nothing to break.

You might want to position your bike rack in an area to allow for storage underneath so you have to take that into consideration, or for overhead storage. 

Basically, install your garage ceiling or wall bike mount with enough clearance for your back tire to not hit the ground.

The most important thing is to keep a wall mount plumb so that it looks good. This means vertical trueness, VS being level which is horizontal trueness. For this, you can use a handheld level, a small magnetic level (just watch out for scratches), or for more serious DIY’ers you can whip out your laser level like the DeWalt green laser  for a hands-free leveling experience!

Conclusion

If you haven’t already got a bike wall mount you have to read my review and find out what’s best! Otherwise enjoy a tidy garage with your pride and joy neatly hanging on your wall so as to not scratch your car.

If you use your bike less frequently or if you are a little tighter on available space in your garage then consider looking at my ceiling bike rack recommendations for an effortless bike storage idea.

And lastly, a garage is the practical place for most people to store their bicycle, however for some they want their pride and joy in their room, or on their tiny house ceiling. The same methods apply to any wall or ceiling space.

If you haven’t yet got a garage bike wall mount you can find out my best recommendation here.