How to Build DIY Bike Storage That Swivels (Cheap and Easy!)

In my garage, space is at a premium. Between storing seasonal gear and squeezing in my (thankfully small) car, I ask a lot of this little space — and bike storage is yet another thing to figure out.

Storing bikes can be tricky, especially when you’re working with tight quarters. If I hang them perpendicular to the wall, there’s no room left to park the car. I knew I needed some kind of swivel solution to swing the bikes out of the way — but most of the options on the market were way too expensive. (Let’s be honest: one of the bikes I’m trying to store was a freebie someone left behind at my uncle’s place when I was a kid.)

That’s when I came up with this ridiculously simple swiveling bike storage system. Honestly, it’s so easy to build you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. And the best part? It’s made from basic materials you probably already have lying around your garage!

1. Scrap lumber (dimensions considerations discussed in step 1)
2. Wall-mount storage hook (rated to support the weight of your bike — more on that in a minute)
3. Two sturdy door hinges
4. A handful of wood screws
5. Drill
6. Pencil

Start by picking out your scrap material you want to use for the swiveling rack. I started by grabbing a piece of 2x6 from my scrap lumber cart. Consider the chunki-ness of your tire when choosing the dimensions you want to use for this; the chunkier the tire, the wider your lumber should be.

I chose to use a 2x6, since I wanted a wider support surface for the tire, plus I had a nice sized chunk sitting in my scrap lumber cart (which you can see the build for here, if you're curious).

The hinges are the stars of this design — they're what make this swiveling system actually swivel. I had some left over from swapping out some old ones in my house, but you can use whatever ones you have laying around, provided they're good and strong.

Attach the two hinges to the long edge of the board you chose in step one. Space them evenly apart, with one closer to the top of the board and the other closer to the bottom.

Note: Make sure you attach these in the right direction! If you put them on backwards, you bike won't swivel properly. Once attached, they should be able to fold together like a book (see photo for reference) just like they would on a door in your home.

Flip your board over and find centre. Then mark one point about two inches from the top of the board— this is where the bike hook will go.

Drill a pilot hole and twist the hook in nice and tight. I mistakenly tried to add two hooks to my original attempt at this design, but that was unnecessary (plus it makes it so you can't properly mount the wheel to the hook). So learn from my mistakes and just use one!

Note: Make sure to use bike hooks that are rated for the weight of your bike. When I built this, I mounted two bikes — the first was a lightweight carbon fiber frame, so no issues there. But the second bike was much heavier, and the hook couldn’t handle it. It just slowly bent completely out of shape like it had simply given up on life. Luckily, I was in the garage when it happened (and yes, I caught it on camera — you can see the moment in my YouTube video of the build!).

My garage is unfinished, so I have access to the studs for this next step.

Mount your swiveling bike system to the wall using a few wood screws, being careful to secure it directly into a stud (whether you can see yours or their hidden behind the drywall). Once it's mounted, test the swivel action to make sure it's smooth and moves in the direction you want before adding your bike.

Lift your bike up, using the hook to catch your wheel. Then gently swing your bike in towards the wall to see the swivel in action and free up some valuable real estate in your garage!

Optional step: Though not necessary, you may choose to add a little extra support to help better distribute the weight of your bike by adding another hook lower down on the wall and securing it around the bike frame.

I chose to do this (especially for my heavier bike) just to give me a little more piece of mind. If you're taking your bike on and off the wall frequently, this may prove a bit clunky, so just do what works best for you!

You just built a super simple, effective swiveling bike storage system for the cost of an hour of your time and a few scrap materials!

If your garage space is limited like mine, this little swivel system will change the way you use your space.

You can see the full build (and the hiccups along the way) in the build video: Watch it here.