Free Wooden Bike Rack Plans

If you have a garage that is getting out of control, you will probably find that one of the items taking up most of the floor space are the bicycles.

To get your bicycles under control, you should use a simple rack that keeps them in a fixed place along with keeping the bike vertical so that the lean (when on a kickstand) is not taking up an extra few square feet of floor space.

Our first free bike rack plan is inspired by a plan found at eHow.  The picture was terrible grainy (below), so we decided to create a 3d version of the plan using Sketchup.  We liked the style so much that we felt it needed a better view.  This bike rack can be moved to any space that it is needed.  In fact, when not in use, this rack can be leaned against a wall or hung from the wall to make room.

Sketchup Plans: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=1b3439be08b7897a9f0bbcf5509a5b66

How to:

Our plan is going to help you build a bike rack that is suitable for three bikes.  If you need more, you could modify the plan, or do what I do and simply make a second bike rack.  It is easier to story 2 small pieces rather than 1 large one.

Step 1) Cut 2 2 x 4’s (pressure treated or other suitable lumber) to 54″ length.

Step 2) Cut your 2 x 6’s so that you have 6 pieces at 24″. Note: If you have a 2 x 6 that is exactly 8′ long, don’t sweat wasting material trying to get an exact 24″ piece.  You will be able to get 4 2 x 6 x 24″ pieces out of 1 2 x 6 x 8′.  However, you might have to make them 23 7/8″ to account for the thickness of the blade (kerf).

You are going to need about 18″ of handlebar space for each bike. so the spacing in the sketchup plan should work for you.  Feel free to alter this based on your needs.

Step 3) Take the 6 24″ pieces and dog ear (chop the corner at an angle of about 45 degrees.  This step isn’t necessary but it will soften the look of your bike rack.  You are essentially trimming a 1″ x 1″ x 1″  triangle.

Step 4) Sand all rough edges with a 120 grit sand paper.  Paint, varnish, or finish if you are going to do so.  You could opt to leave things unfinished if this will not be exposed to weather, or if you material is suitable for weather (pressure treated, cedar, redwood, etc.).

Step 5) Assemble your rack.  I recommend 2 3″ screws into the end of each 2 x 6 cross piece. This should give you more than enough stability.  It is recommended to drill a pilot/countersink hole prior to each fastener going in.

Park your bike.

This plan might be lacking a bit of detail.  You might benefit from watching the creation of this plan since it is accompanied by a narration that might fill in some of the gaps.  Youtube video “Build a bike rack plan using Sketchup”

Plan Option 2

Here is another bike rack plan from the folks at Georgia Pacific.  These plans are a nice style and are ideal for an outdoor location.  If placed in an area this bike rack would allow for parking on either side of the rack.  This plan uses a bit more lumber than the plan above, but you might expect that with a plan from a lumber supplier.  Click the image for the full PDF bike rack plans.

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