How should I better organise my car port?

[sydneysider]

hi there

we have a carport where we park our car along with our bikes and the bins. 

Trouble is there is not a defined and protected space for the bikes - they are exposed to the rain and not getting much love. 

We share the port with the neighbour. When our car is parked, there is about 50cm clearance between the side and the wall , so not enough for the bikes.

I am looking for a solution to:

1) Store the bikes under cover with protection from direct rain  

2) Maybe replace the plastic storage cabinet with wall mounted shelves that can take some moisture . What I store there is just some car wash equipment, oil etc  . 

3) Unsure what type of rack/bike storage will be best, there will be 2-3 bikes . If I chuck the plastic storage, maybe bikes can be hung there

4) Other alternative, and I don't want to spend a lot, is to make a shed in the paved area where the bikes currently are. Its about 100cm wide. 

Attaching some photos and would look forward to suggestions.  thanks

[EricL]

Hi @sydneysider

Thanks for sharing your question about how to better organize your car port. I suggest taking some measurements and seeing if you can hang your bikes on the wall. There are quite a few bike hanging hooks at the store that should be able to go onto your brick wall. My best advice is to get a hook that allows you to place the bike flat on the wall, such as the Handy Storage Flush Wall Mounted Bike Hook. If there is enough space the bikes can be hung high so that you'll still be able to park your car in the garage. The bikes don't have to be all on one hook, I propose separating them so that they don't take up too much space.

Building a shed is also an option, however, after putting the bikes inside the shed there might not be enough space for anything else. Your plastic cabinet looks to be in good condition, I suggest keeping it as you mentioned earlier that it only contains your car cleaning kit and some oil. Unfortunately, you'll have to build a timber wall cabinet if you're using it outside. 

Let me call on our experienced members @Remarka6le and the @TheRenoDad for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Remarka6le]

Thanks for the mention @EricL , 

You have a couple of options, your front wall is the most obvious choice and you have an abundance of choices in that regard. Personally, I prefer being able to rotate a bike rather than it being a set piece, so systems such as the Steadyrack allows for you to pivot or swivel the bike into a position that best suites you and also makes placing it up or down super easy. 

Another option you can go for that not many people utilise is the roof. I got into contact with a mate who has something called a Mounted Glide Ceiling Bike Storage Rack for his own carport, which you just hook your bike onto and can slide the bike into a storage position or drag it out to take it up or down. 

Hope this helps  

[CSParnell]

Hi @sydneysider some fantastic ideas by @Remarka6le and @EricL another idea to throw in the ring is the Storease rail system as per below.

 

  

Rails would easily attach to wall with small dynabolts and then you can add what you need onto it.

Carl

[sydneysider]

Many thanks  @Remarka6le  @EricL and @CSParnell  - these are some really good ideas. 

Wall mounted hooks, or the swivel rack is a great choice - the only reason I was hesitant to far is I wasn't sure how much space the bikes will take with any of the wall mounting option and if the car will need to be parked to leave enough clearance at the front (near the bins) for bikes. I guess I will have to take some measurements.  

I quite like the rail mounted storage basket solution , will pop into bunnings to check it out.

In terms of the shed, maybe just with a roof and side panel, what would be the best way to do this on a budget? 

thanks

[EricL]

Hello @sydneysider

If you were to build a timber-framed shed from scratch it would theoretically cost you less. A typical timber shed with a frame size of 1m (d) x 1.8m (w) x 1.8m (h) will approximately need 35 linear meters. Depending on the roof you'll be putting on and what you'll be cladding it with will determine its final cost.  

I've placed a sample sketch below for you to have a look at, the timber size I used is 70x35. Please note that the sizes I've put in are for reference only, please adjust them to your needs.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric