apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Take the bus. Just kidding.
Can you hang it on the back of that door I see?

The pic doesn't help much.

How about hanging maybe a curtain or Indian-print bedspread in front of the bicycle, then pulling the other end back (under the bike) towards the wall and attaching it there with velcro, to make a sort of exotic tent effect (while keeping it easy to get the bike down when you need it)?

Does your building have a garage or storage area where you can keep it?

I would either look into a banner/poster/art of some sort... but that would be a little iffy in my opinion.

If it was my space I would use one of these
http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Michelangelo-Two-Bike-Gravity-Stand/dp/B000ACAM38/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1235504143&sr=8-5

Integrating the bike into the room as an art it is, instead of trying to hide it, and you can place your desk against it (where the lower bike would usually go) as you only have one bike.

We have this exact model to hold two of our bikes in our living room. Really adds nice texture to the room, just make sure to put your helmet somewhere out of site, they save lives but dont look good in a living room.

Paint the entire bike and rack white.... duh

i like the idea of bold print wallpaper.

Or paint the wall the same color as the bicycle.

I don't think it's an eyesore. Just leave it the way it is.

A start would be to paint the rack white, I think the hardware on the ceiling is more an eyesore than the bike itself.

Unfortunately I've come to the conclusion that the only solution to this predicament is to make more money and move oneself out onto bigger quarters. Believe me, the artsy type solution ( that is incorporating the bike into the decor) does not work for a small space, it does for a large one. I've lived in a small apartment with my five bikes for years and have been giving this some thought since bike #1 a decade or so ago. Would love to hear it isn't so...

Paint the wall a color to reduce the contrast between the bicycle and the wall...(For example, in the photo - those white candles disappear against the wall)

A deep blue grey might be a lovely color.

Could you make a hollow console table to store the bike in? So basically a large box that you could keep against the wall and use it as a desk/table/console/etc. I'm not sure if that'd be too large for your place or even be your cup of tea but you could always create curtains and hang them from the ceiling to hide the bike.

I’m not sure if you’re a daily commuter but if so the pulley would be a pain. As a commuter with a small place, I keep mine close to the door leaning up against the wall. If your bldg has an unused basement/garage, you can ask the landlord to put in a bike rack which will increase their rental value. Btw, I'm sure the other commenter was a joking but painting a bike white would make it a ghost bike which is obviously not good.

your apartment allows you to drill into the ceiling? Usually that is a big no no...

None the less, painting the rack seems to be an idea on here that might work. Unfortunately you don't really have a bike that I would call pleasing to the eye. It's not a nice vintage road bike or anything. Other then that, all I got is live with it. I have a 2 bike rack i put in my home office because I don't have anywhere else for them. It's ugly as hell, but it beats my bikes getting ruined.

I think, with all due respect, that there is no solution. It is what it is. I shudder at the thought of what my wheels squash through here on the streets of NY, no matter how carefully I maneuver, so I wouldn't want it at head level. But if that's where it is, there's no hiding it.

For a fun approach, paint a giant polka dot that is 2/3 on the wall and then goes 1/3 onto the ceiling. Choose a dark-ish browny/grey colour, then the bike will look like a piece of art on a custom mat!

(Or just paint the wall dark.)

I think wallpaper is awesome, but do it on another wall, so it then becomes the focal point and you can avert your eyes away from the bike!

Could you not attach the bike to the pulley in such a way that the bike lies flat against the ceiling instead of hanging down?

I don't know if they're totally last year or something, but hanging a Tord Boontje curtain parallel with the bike might work to hide it while not making the room feel much smaller.

I'd like to point out that it could be worse, you could have a cyclist boyfriend and have two of his bikes (he has a total of approximately six) and one of yours in your one bedroom apartment.

Speaking of which, does anyone have good suggestions for multiple bike storage options? I actually like the ceiling idea here but with three bikes, it would feel like a metallic meat locker.

belongs up corner wall

I have the same problem Meggie and am considering the pulley system for our two bikes in the hallway. For your space, I agree with Joshish, it would make a nice feature mid wall with the desk under it.

If you have the room, you can get a large table ( door size ) and get extra tall legs so that you can store the bike underneath and use the top surface for other things. In my case (I'm the fellow with the five bikes who posted above ) I store two bikes plus other bike frames and parts underneath and three bikes above on the table surface. I use a table that that I've had since the eighties. It is about 70" by 30" and the legs are 40" -- it does not have to be that long, you can tell by measuring your bike. Prior to bike #3 I had two huge computer monitors on the table surface and used a drafter's chair making up my computer workstation.

What about a hospital curtain track hung from the ceiling that goes around the bike. You could hang a curtain from it that goes to the bottom of the wheels. Paint the wall to match the curtain (or get a white curtain to match the wall - but it may get dirty) to make it disappear.

i think it's great right now - at least it's off the floor.

suspend a large pretty painted picture frame in front of it and call it art!

One commenter suggested painting the bike white. I'm thinking along similar lines — trade in that one for a cool, arty-but-functional bike.

It's not the cheap option, but I think it would be fun to ride and would look like functional art in your home.

E.g.: http://www.dutchbikeseattle.com/html/bikes/transport.html

I agree with doublejack - get a cuter bike. Not the one that has been linked to though, it weighs way too much for you to be pulleying up and down all the time.

Only a few choices.

The best one I can think of (without having to recreate part of your place) is to move to a larger place or at least to a space that has some outside storage.

Hang it on the back of that door we see if possible...at least get it out of the living room.

Try to disguise it behind your bed or sofa.....probably won't look good, but it would get it off the ceiling.

Get rid of the bike.

Marcelor,

Thanks. A high table is a great idea. I'm going to go home and think about how to fit it into my apartment.

I'm deeply amused at how people recommend buying a prettier bike to deal with the problem. Maybe I should go out and get a new, non-bike riding boyfriend? Or tell him that his road bike clashes with my decor? I'm sure he'd be completely okay with painting his bike matte white. Chris King headsets do come in a few different colours, I'm sure one would match.

Then again, this is a design website, so I shouldn't be all that surprised.

I hope you've come up with an idea by now, and I again hasten to say I am not a designer, but I've always lived by the idea "if you can't hide it, paint it red". Not literally in this case, but like someone above suggested paint a large square of color right behind the bike so that it appears that you are framing it. Or http://moderninmn.blogspot.com/2008/01/bike-room-wall-bling.html shows where she used a projector to add "decal" art to that wall. Looks cool. If you can't be with the house you love right now, love the one you're in. ;-)

Work on creating a room you like. Give it some color! Add some artwork. Declutter if needed. When you transform the room into an inviting space, the bike won't attract as much attention!

Maggie, try a folding bike that will fold down to fit in small places. A good resource to go is:

http://www.bikecommuters.com/2008/07/16/big-fun-in-small-packages/#more-1179

Trying to solve a problem often means changing what's causing the problem instead of changing things to fit the problem.

These (cyclocs) are nice simple storage solutions, but expensive for what they are. Check out the gallery link

http://www.cycloc.com/cycloc-features.html

Buy these three posters, frame them, and hang them on the wall under the bike to echo it visually. If you can't hide it, go with it!

http://www.theposterlist.com/images/poster_webike.gif

I like the guy...well not actually the guy...but his idea for graphics on the wall behind the bike...if that doesnt work for you...a high console behind the bed seems pretty cool...maybe a lacqued piece with leather pillows affixed...or if the bike is cool to look at...and your budget would allow...a console out of lucite/plexy.....good for you that you use a bike!!

lacquered piece I mean...like you didnt get that

I actually like that pulley system for the space, esp if your ceilings are high enough to get the tires out of your headspace. I'd suggest using a simple hospital-style curtain system to literally hide it away from view. Then, if you wanted to elimate any dirt from falling off the bike onto your computer, you could simply run a ribbon through the bottom hem, gather it tight (think drawstring) and attach it to an eyelet anchored to the side wall. This would softly envelope the bike while still allowing you to use the pulley system.

We're short on space at our place and use the Michelangelo Gravity Stand (suggested by joshish above) in our living room. It's great, but not babyproof.