How to Install Your Wall or Ground Mounted Bike Rack

Wall Mounted Bike Racks

First, determine how high your bike rack needs to be mounted on the wall to ensure your bike is completely off the ground when sitting on the rack. This will vary depending on the rack you are installing and the size of bikes you have.

For concrete walls such as in a parkade, mark your holes and install with 3/8″ concrete anchors.

For regular drywall, use a stud finder to locate the studs inside the wall. You want to anchor your bike rack into the studs rather than the drywall to hold the weight of the rack and your bikes. If this is not possible, cut a piece of 3/4″ plywood that can be anchored to the wall studs. You can then anchor your rack to the plywood.

Mounting Bike Rack with Plywood to Wall Studs

Ground Mounted Bike Racks

Choose a flat surface and put your bike rack in place to mark the holes for drilling. Bike racks should be spaced away from each other and other obstacles to make enough room for the bikes locked into them. A good standard is to allow a length of 6 ft for a bike This includes the depth of the bike rack.  You also want to allow an additional 3 ft aisle behind the bike to allow people to walk around the bike rack area.

Installation on Concrete

Concrete sidewalks are the most common surface that bike racks are installed on. Hammer drill the appropriate size holes for 3/8″ tap-in concrete anchors and secure the bike rack in place with your anchors.

Installation on Wooden Decks

For wooden decks constructed from beams or ties that have a small gap in between each beam, line up your bike rack so all the mounting holes sit in the center of the beams (at least 3/4″ away from the edge). Mark your holes and drill pilot holes so you can install 3/8″ or 1/2″ lag bolts without splitting the wood.

Installation on Asphalt

A section of asphalt should be cut out and replaced with a concrete footing at least 4″ deep. The bike rack can then be secured using the standard concrete anchoring procedure. Concrete footings can be painted with black paint to blend them into the surrounding asphalt.

Installation on Interlocking Pavers

The first step is to remove the pavers and dig out the layer of sand beneath them. Next, pour concrete footings or an entire concrete pad to anchor your bike rack to. The footings or pad should be even with the top of the pavers. Your pavers may need to be cut to fit around the concrete neatly.

Installation on Landscaped Areas

To secure your bike rack in a landscaped area, you will need to build a concrete pad underneath it. Choose an area the bike rack will fit in comfortably. Dig out the area and insert wooden forms around the edges of your pad location. Your forms can be built using 2″ x 4″ or 2″ x 6″ boards sitting on edge.

Your concrete pad should be at least 4″ thick and level with the surrounding ground. Once your pad is in place, you can anchor your bike rack to it as you would any concrete surface.