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Bicycle Shed ideas wanted

964haus

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
498
Location
Vancouver, BC
Hello all,
I will be moving to a new house in a few months, and will finally have a one car garage (it's huge to me!!!). One thing I'll lose from my old place will be additional storage under a portion of the house for storing bikes. So I figured I'll just build a new shed at the new place....yay.

Here are my requirements:
- accommodate 8 bikes
- smallest footprint possible (my lot is only 33'x112')
- secure storage (we have about $20K invested in the bikes...)
- vertical storage would be nice
- Not cost a lot, but look 'finished'
- Likely on a temp foundation

I'm thinking of a shed with a shed roof, but I'm stumped on the access/door. Should I invest in a roller and have it open to the long side? Should I use a standard door at one end and have maneuvering space inside?

Did a search, but would love to see some examples of what people have done or seen. Really early stages of planning, so looking for some inspiration.

Thanks all!

Matthew.
 
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CJ7VFR

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
2,939
Location
Central New Jersey
Hello all,
I will be moving to a new house in a few months, and will finally have a one car garage (it's huge to me!!!). One thing I'll lose from my old place will be additional storage under a portion of the house for storing bikes. So I figured I'll just build a new shed at the new place....yay.

Here are my requirements:
- accommodate 8 bikes
- smallest footprint possible (my lot is only 33'x112')
- secure storage (we have about $20K invested in the bikes...)
- vertical storage would be nice
- Not cost a lot, but look 'finished'
- Likely on a temp foundation

I'm thinking of a shed with a shed roof, but I'm stumped on the access/door. Should I invest in a roller and have it open to the long side? Should I use a standard door at one end and have maneuvering space inside?

Did a search, but would love to see some examples of what people have done or seen. Really early stages of planning, so looking for some inspiration.

Thanks all!

Matthew.

First thing you have to do is find out if your town requires a permit to put up a shed. Some towns will require a permit if any type of "out building" has a base/floor that is over 100 square feet in size. If that is the case, then the largest shed you could have, without getting a permit, is something like 8'x12'.

If your town does require a permit for any size out building, like my town does, then you can get pretty much whatever size you want as long as it meets the zoning requirements of the town and meets the qualifications of the permit, such as if they require a concrete foundation or a foundation made from some type of pressure treated wood along with stone. Then you decide if you want a permanent (concrete) foundation, or a non-permanent foundation (wood and stone).

As to the doors, every shed door I have ever seen swings outward, so getting a roll up door to try to save space inside the shed is not necessary, and would only add to the cost.

As to the "Not cost a lot" part, you have not given any information about your budget for the shed. How much do you want to spend? That will determine the "Not cost a lot" part of your question.

You can get some cheap plastic sheds that cost under $500, but they are very easy to break into, as the doors are plastic also. Or you can spend thousands on a wooden shed, with real doors with locks, that would be more secure for your bikes.

Below is a picture of the foundation I made and my shed. It is 10x16, and sits on a 6x6 base filled with 3/4 crushed stone. I had to get a permit for any size shed, so I went with this size to store my lawn equipment, patio furniture (in the winter), Christmas decorations (in a loft I made) and all my garden equipment.

This shed was built by the Amish in Lancaster PA to my specs, and they delivered it right to the base I made from the 6x6's filled with stone. It cost me $3000 for the shed, which they custom painted to match the colors of my house, the delivery fee, and the materials I needed for the foundation.

All in all I am happy with it, and I use it every day.

Jim
 

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Stuart in MN

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Joined
Sep 8, 2005
Messages
23,088
Location
Minneapolis
Will it be for the bikes only, or will lawn mowers and other stuff eventually end up in there as well? Storing just the bikes, especially if they're hung vertically, won't require a very big shed, but the other stuff will increase your size requirements. Will you use the shed for bike maintenance? If so that will take extra space, too.
 
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964haus

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
498
Location
Vancouver, BC
Thanks guys - this is strictly a bike holding shed. No lawn equipment or working space required. (The new place has no grass (yay!) and is a tiny yard) And we're allowed to do 120 sq.ft without a permit as long as it's on a temporary foundation.

I built a 10x16 shed for my motorbike (see link below) but I'm just trying to visualize what a compact bike shed could look like. Or what should be included.

My budget is small - if I could stick to $500-$1000 I'd be happy.

M
 

Squashfest81

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
1,475
Location
MA
Here’s one wall of 8ft hanging storage in an 8 by 12 shed. 11 inches between hooks and I’ve got 7 bikes stored.
If I were in your situation I’d be thinking more “closet” and less shed. So, like 7ft tall, 4ft deep, and as long as you want. Shed roof to the back. Open a door and choose your ride from a hook!
DD13_D303_97_EE_440_A_8_A86_8_CE16_FF81_E11.jpg
 
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kbs2244

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2006
Messages
14,065
For easy access to any bike, think about the long wall being sliding doors.
 

jimf909

Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2014
Messages
10
Location
Seattle, WA
For security, space savings and acces to a long row of bikes a steel roll-up door would work well. It's just not the most attractive or easiest opening option.

16' - 20' long by 4' wide with a roll-up door (or two for easier opening) on the long side provides easy access to a growing quiver of bikes.

Looking forward to the build!
 
Last edited:
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9

964haus

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
498
Location
Vancouver, BC
Here’s one wall of 8ft hanging storage in an 8 by 12 shed. 11 inches between hooks and I’ve got 7 bikes stored.
If I were in your situation I’d be thinking more “closet” and less shed. So, like 7ft tall, 4ft deep, and as long as you want. Shed roof to the back. Open a door and choose your ride from a hook!
DD13_D303_97_EE_440_A_8_A86_8_CE16_FF81_E11.jpg

Good tip on the closet - just what I was thinking...

For easy access to any bike, think about the long wall being sliding doors.

Would love them to be a sliding door, as it makes it the most accessible. Just thinking about max security and sliding door. Would likely need a few locks.

For security, space savings and acces to a long row of bikes a steel roll-up door would work well. It's just not the most attractive or easiest opening option.

16' - 20' long by 4' wide with a roll-up door (or two for easier opening) on the long side provides easy access to a growing quiver of bikes.

Looking forward to the build!

Great tip, thanks. I would love a roller door. I think 4' would be totally doable and a length that houses the bikes plus the bike rack (a vertically mounted, North Shore Racks 4-bike model. They are fairly bulky to store - and heavy! But they work a dream.
 
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