So you’ve picked up the two best fat tire bike racks you can afford for both your car, and for your garage. Now you’re standing in front of your garage wall wondering just how to mount the stationary set to prevent knocking and scratching.
Placement is an issue that always comes up. You need to ensure you’re installing your bike racks right so you don’t damage your bike.
How far apart should bike racks be placed? Read on to find out.
How Far Apart Should Bike Racks Be Placed on Your Garage Wall?
If you’re installing your racks perpendicular to the wall, they should have at least 50 inches between them. Measure this distance from the center of one rack to the center of the other. If you can’t afford 50 inches, try for at least 40 inches of distance.
Also, make sure your racks are at least 36 inches away from any other structure, and 40 inches away from the wall at the back. This will ensure you have enough space to dismount both bikes from the racks without damage.
How far apart should bike racks be placed? If you’re installing your bike racks parallel to the wall, there should be a minimum of 25 inches of distance between the wall and the rack.
Additionally, since the bikes are sitting parallel to the wall, their tires will be facing each other. You want at least 70 inches of distance between the two bikes. Again, measure this distance from the middle of one bike rack to the other.
How Much Space Do You Need Between Steady Racks?
You can place steady racks with as little as 13.78 inches (1ft 2in) between them. These racks hold the bikes perpendicular to the wall. Since most of the bikes are protruding outwards, they require very little distance between the racks.
Even though the bikes hang in the air, they do block off a certain portion of the floor. If you want to clear up space on your floor, you can press them against the wall. For this, you’ll need to put them 48 inches apart so they don’t overlap. Then you can simply press the bikes flat against the wall, and clear up space on the floor.
How far apart should bike racks be placed? Steady racks break all the rules with a requirement of only 13.78 inches between them.
What About The Fat Tire Bike Racks For Your Vehicle? What Is the Most Space Efficient Way to Mount Bikes on Your Car?
Hitch racks are the most efficient way to store bikes in your car. Although roof bike racks are sturdier, you can only have one bike with them at a time. With hitch bike racks though, you can easily carry up to four bikes depending on the size of your bike. Subsequently, though, roof racks allow you to carry a lot of equipment with the bikes too.
Finally, if you remove the wheels of your bikes, you’ll be able to save a lot of space and carry a lot more cargo. You can get your hitch rack to carry 3-4 bikes too, but you may have to use an extension with some of them to reach that capacity.
