Looking every inch like a scene from a New York loft, the Stowaway bicycle hoist scoops up your bike and stores it flat against the ceiling.
A nifty counterweight pulley system means you only ever lift half the weight of the bike and a braking system means your pride and joy won’t crash to the floor if you let go of the pulley straps.
According to the designer of the Stowaway bicycle hoist, Sinead Geraghty, “With 3 bikes and no external storage options, my house resembled a bike shop and every day we were tripping over at least one of them. It got me thinking that there had to be a better way of storing the bikes without taking up valuable living space. I started researching options to buy and soon realized that there was nothing suitable available. That’s pretty much where the Stowaway concept grew from and for the last 18 months we’ve been working hard developing and refining it.”
The Stowaway is currently available to pre-order for £70 via Kickstarter with delivery expected in September 2016 should the project reach its funding target.
What’s wrong with keeping your bicycle in the shed?
Assuming you have a shed, thieves now target them specifically for the bicycles within and as a result, many cycle insurance companies now insist on a high level of door lock security. Cycle insurance from the ETA has a sympathetic policy towards keeping bicycle sin a shed; you can use any type of lock to secure the door and the bike doesn’t have to be locked while left inside – although if it’s visible through a window you have to cover it with a blanket or similar. Read more about storage requirements.
Win a Stowaway bicycle hoist
We have a Stowaway bicycle hoist to give away. Leave us a message at the bottom of this page and we’ll pick a name before Christmas.
Protection for you and your bike
Bicycle insurance from the ETA is a robust policy that includes as standard everything that will be important to you. We never devalue, we don’t charge extra for things like third party liability, personal accident or friends and family cover, and we have a sympathetic policy on storage in sheds and garages.
For 25 years we have been providing straightforward, affordable bicycle insurance. We have been voted to provide the most ethical insurance in Britain. Whether you use your bike to commute, shop, race or amble in the park, ETA Cycle Insurance has you covered. We never devalue bikes no matter their age, we allow you to buy a replacement bike wherever you like, we replace stolen quick release components and we handle claims in-house. Can your insurance provider say the same?
Furthermore, every cycle insurance policy you buy helps support the work of the ETA Trust, our charity campaigning for a cleaner, safer transport future.
Stuart Lamb
This would certainly help with the lack of space I have in the spare room where I store my bike
rodders
Great idea
chris deacon
Will it hold my electric bike as well as my ordinary bike ?
Merry Christmas to the ETA gang
Chris
My wife is always complaining about my bike in the hallway. This could help restore marital harmony.
John
YES PLEASE, JOHN CLEESE! 🙂
Merry Christmas, too
Tim
Love it.
Euan
Would be perfect as I’m currently doing up my spare room in a New York apartment style and that the room my bike sits in.
Tom
My poor bike has been in storage since I moved into a small flat. This is the solution I’ve been looking for – absolutely amazing!
Fran
How I’d eat my bike for one of these. Nearly…
Peter Clark
Dear Father Christmas,
I have (generally) been very good this year.
I would like for Christmas a bike hoist to store my road bike as I don’t use it that often and it gets in the way.
I will leave you a mince pie and a carrot for your reindeer.
Thank you very much, Peter Clark aged 48
Andy Wadsworth
That’s a very smart idea.
John Hoare
Great idea, I wish it could take more that one bike
Paresh
That’s a pretty neat way to store your bike, saving space and not bumping your head!
Paul Love
Looks perfect for when the new baby is parking his pram in your bike space
andy lee
would stop my wife falling over the bike every time she comes in the front door.
David
Fantastic idea. Hope the kickstarter is successful.
stewart kerr
This would be very nice, save the bike taking up space
Daz
This would make a great addition to the bike cave. One off the floor means space for another (if iam allowed a new bike
kirsty B
Genius! Would love one for my pokey London flat! I how resourceful cyclists are.
Jane
We currently have one bike on the wall, one on the floor in a narrow corridor, and one in a cellar (there are of course only two of us). This would revolutionise our flat!
Richard Barber
Seems to be the answer to storage problems.
Paul smith
Great idea. Can it take more than one bike? If not the folder can stay in the corner of the kitchen.
Lisa Taylor
My moaning flatmates would be very pleased!
Owain
This would solve my storage problems instantly!
T.Shaw
Wonder how any of these I can get on the ceiling!
Sarah
Wow
Lee Treadwell
This would save me lugging my bike up flights of stairs! Would really appreciate winning this prize.
foudespaves
Neat.
Sarah
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease 😀
Joe
Awesome! Ninja bike storage!
Nate
Would be very useful thank you!
Darren C
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!
This prize would be great in my garage, I could them put my car away!
Keith G
Brilliant piece of design. Fingers crossed that the project reaches its funding target.
Mark D
Good idea. Would go great in my garage, but guess you can only use with one bike, tho
James Tinsley
Looks great would be a good addition 🙂
terence riley
what a great idea. one will be a perfect storage solution when i eventually move into a sheltered housing apartment. hopefully i will still be cycling.
Sarah-Jane Lock
“With 3 bikes and no external storage options, my house resembled a bike shop…” I know the feeling. One (or perhaps even THREE) of these would come in very handy…!
Leslie Ross
Sounds a better solution than the telescopic pole bike holder I currently have – even with 3 metre ceilings I have to be careful where I put it!
Pablo
Exactly what it will solve my space issue at my pad… currently having the bike in the narrow corridor 🙂
Doug Milsom
I love it! I keep my bike in a tiny but secure garage, and it would be a major space saving to hoist it onto the ceiling.
Tom A
This is perfect, one bike on the ceiling means more bike space on the floor!
carl
Nice idea, looks secure
Frank Lee
I just had my bike nicked from the garage – my next bike needs to be stored indoors !
Soooooooo…Hang em High! (the thieves and maybe my bike)
Rry Mrrsn
Looks good. I will try to make my own one from balsa and rubber bands.
julie
hoist looks great and helpful with storage and getting it up higher – would love it
David Carroll
Love it! What a super idea and great use of redundant space. Up, up and Stowaway.
Iain
Great concept! Will need one to store my bike at my new place.
Cati Smith
Oooh, cool idea 🙂
Nick
Great idea!
Keith G
Great idea.
Mark B
Space savingtastic. This would be great.
Lynne
Great Idea! You could also impress visitors to your home, telling them that the bike on the ceiling is a new art installation!
Alastair Seagroatt
Interesting fun idea
Alison
Speaking as someone who lives in a flat, this looks brilliant!
david
Me me meeee!
TheCyclist
Yay! At last! A place where I can store my bike without anyone falling over it. 🙂 Yes please. I would love one of those hoist devices.
Jayne
Was just thinking how useful something like this would be for space saving but don’t really have enough spare wall space to use one of those hooks for hanging a bike on, hoist is a great idea.
Helen Allen
I love my bike
My bike loves me
Except
When I squeeze past
And it smacks me on the knee!
Peter Chisnall
If you saw how jam packed my garage is you’d know I need one of these!
Asha Stokes
Living in a flat with a small corridor downstairs. This is what I need, indeed!
Katie
I want one of these so much!
Raf
My friend obsered that the number of bikes he owns is always one greater than the number of bikes he needs. this would be a great present to sort out his storage needs : )
Rory Harkins
Yes please. Gimme
Greg
My bike needs a lift
markymark
merry xmas to everyone, except bike thieves naturally!
Cheryl Buxton-Sait
A fantastic idea. I would love this.
Paul Montgomery
Looks perfect for my small high ceilinged study, where my bikes live. Great idea
Mike Croker
Neat: unless you are running an oil filled SA hub gear, that is :~
John Mills
Dear Santa is it too late to ask………..
Helen Smith
My boys would be fascinated by the mechanics of this and it would also mean I would have to spend less of my time trying to prevent the bike from toppling on to them as they try and play with it in the living room (Its current storage spot).
giuseppe
Wonderful!!!
Gwen
That would make a great Christmas present!
Richard
I’ll take two!
Georgia
This is a fantastic idea. I could really use this in our student house. 5 students, 5 bikes. It would be very appreciated!
norma
I want one, how much and where do I get one
Gail
Genius, I hope I see these in bike shops soon
Richard
Good way to keep it indoors !
James Russell
Had a hoist in a very high roofed garage that allowed me to store it above the car, but this takes the idea to a new level. How about storing it in the hall, and seeing how many people who come through the front door notice it?
Bridget b
As I’m fast fulfilling the N+1 theory of bicycle ownership, in my tiny London pad this would be beautiful and clever! Can’t wait to have one.
Alex Alexander
A great idea, at the moment I’m OK with a garage but when I downsize it will be really useful.
christina
Prefect – would solve a whole lot of problems and make more a more hamonious household.
mark d’emmanuele
I need one of these!!!
Andrew
This would be an awesome way to store bikes in a flat where space is limited.