Skip to content

FAQs

ALL PRODUCTS:

Instructions

Instructions for all products can be found here.

Delivery and EU & International Customers

By default this website shows prices inclusive of UK VAT. However, EU & International Customers are liable to paying their own import duties, taxes, and VAT on delivery. More information on this, and delivery times, can be found here.

Care & cleaning

To clean laminated (e.g. Volcanic Black) plywood surfaces, use a microfibre cloth to remove fingerprints, smudges, or other marks. For more stubborn marks, slightly damp the cloth or use a small amount of Sticky Stuff Remover.

To clean the aluminium ‘v’-sliders, remove them from the rack before gently washing and rubbing clean with warm water and a drop of dish-soap. Do not use a scouring-pad or sponge, as these will scratch. Rinse clean with water and thoroughly dry before re-inserting into the rack.

Plywood care & is it waterproof?

Plywood is a fantastic material to both work with and look at. However, being a natural product, it must be looked after properly!

We use robust exterior-grade birch plywood, so using bikes with wet tyres or occasionally placing the rack on damp grass is absolutely fine. That said, our racks should not be exposed to periods of damp, rain, or humidity.

If you want to add a layer of protection, a wood varnish or sealer such as Osmo Polyx Oil along the plywood edges can help resist moisture.

Your rack shows as out of stock?!

Due to high demand, it is not uncommon for our products to be out-of-stock. We’re a small team making our racks in the UK – sometimes things take longer than expected!

If you want an out-of-stock item, sign-up to our Waiting List to be the first to find out soon as we’ve manufactured more!

Where is everything made?

We CNC machine our racks from sustainable birch plywood in-house in our unit here in Stourbridge, UK. We then carefully hand-finish and assemble each unit before boxing it up and sending out to a customer!

For any components we can’t manufacture ourselves, for example the aluminium v-sliders, we always endeavour to use local companies with the same attitudes as ourselves.

BIKESTOW ORIGINAL:

Will it fit in my van?

As a general rule of thumb, if you can fit your bikes in your van or space with both wheels on beforehand, then our BikeStow Original racks will fit.

Large vans, such as VW Transporters and Ford Transit Customs typically work with all Original sizes (Two, Three, and Four). Non crew-cab vans can be SWB or LWB, however, crew-cab vans must be LWB.

Smaller vans, such as VW Caddys and Ford Transit Connects typically work best with the Original – Two or Original – Three. These smaller vans must be LWB and non-crew-cab.

How does it secure in my van?

Each Original rack has two cut-outs on each corner of the back panel and comes with two tie-down straps. These can be used to secure the rack to the van’s cargo loops or seat anchors.

More details can be found in the instructions.

When using the BikeStow Original to transport bikes in a vehicle, you are responsible for securing it in the cargo area of the vehicle.

Which bikes will fit?

Being a family of multi-discipline cyclists, we designed the BikeStow Original to work with as many bikes as possible (e.g. road, track, cross, XC, enduro, downhill, electric).

As standard, the Original will accept standard wheel diameters, such as 700C, 26″, 27.5″, and 29″. For smaller wheels, like kids or BMX bikes, use our retrofittable Small Wheel Adapter to bring the minimum wheel diameter down to 20″.

In terms of tyre-width, the Original can take up to 3″ wide tyres on 26″ or 27.5″ wheels, or 2.6″ wide tyres on 29″ wheels.

How does it work?
  1. Raise the v-slider and drop the bike into the slot.
  2. Lower the v-slider and tighten the thumb screw to lock it in place.
What's the best way to stow multiple bikes?

MOUNTAIN BIKES

Stow mountain bikes rearwards with the handlebars & front wheels turned.

Start with the lowest top-tube bike, and finish with the tallest bike. Stow each bike with its front wheel turned away from the next empty slot along.

Lift handlebars over or around the previous bike’s and ensure cranks & pedals are all in the same position to avoid clashes.

ROAD / TRACK / CX

Bikes with drop bars should be stowed heads-and-tails, alternating between forwards and rearwards.

If putting a bike in rearwards, change gears into the smallest chainring and mid-cassette to minimise contact between the chain and plywood.

If putting a bike in rearwards, change the gears into the smallest chainring and mid-cassette to minimise contact between the chain and plywood

What about mudguards?

In general, bikes with mudguards must be stowed forwards.

Front mudguards don’t tend to interfere with the aluminium ‘v’-slider, whereas rear mudguards are more likely to.

If you’re wanting to stow multiple bikes with mudguards all forwards, you may have to loosen the stem-bolts and turn the handlebars to stop them from clashing.

If you’re unsure, please send us an email along with a photo of your bike and we’ll be happy to help!

Dimensions
  • Original – Two – 60cm wide
  • Original – Three – 85cm wide
  • Original – Four – 110cm wide

All measure approx. 5cm deep when folded and 74cm deep when unfolded.

Assembly

Original racks arrive pretty much fully assembled – just insert the v-slider thumb screws! Instructions for doing so can be found here.

Maintenance

Some occasional TLC will help your BikeStow Original look and perform the best for longer.

  • Regularly clean the laminated plywood surfaces with a microfibre cloth. This will remove fingerprints, smudges, or other marks.
  • Regularly check all bolts are tight.
  • Every 6-12 months apply a small amount of anti-seize grease to the thumb-screws. We recommend Fenwick’s PTFE Anti Seize.
  • If your aluminium v-sliders become loose and droop under gravity, you can loosen the slider guide bolts and push the slider guides inwards to sandwich the v-slider tighter.

Full details on how to perform the above tasks can be found in the instructions.

BIKESTOW UP:

What size strap do I need?

The strap goes between the front wheel and the frame to stop the front wheel from flopping about / turning when the bike is stored vertically.

To figure out what size strap you need, take a tape measure and wrap it around the wheel and frame, as if it were the strap, and measure the length:

  • Small strap – 25-50cm (normally for road bikes)
  • Large strap – 50-90cm (normally for mountain bikes)
Which bikes will fit?

As with our Original, the Up is designed to work with as many bikes as possible.

The Up will take 26″-29″ wheel diameters with tyres up to 5″ wide. This means standard road, track, cross, XC, enduro, downhill, electric, and fat bikes are compatible.

Will it work in my van?

No. The Up is designed for static bike storage and not for transporting bikes in a vehicle. If you need the latter, look at our BikeStow Original.

What about pannier racks, mudguards, and saddle-bags?
  • Pannier racks are not compatible with the Up.
  • Rear mudguards may be incompatible, contact us for advice.
  • Saddle-bags, rear-lights, or other seat-post mounted objects can interfere with the seat-post cradle which allows the bike to rest upright. If this is the case, they should be rotated around the seat-post or removed.

BIKESTOW STANCE:

Which bikes will fit?

The Stance will take 20″-29″ wheel diameters with tyres 0.5″ – 4.8″ in width. This means road, kids, track, cross, mountain, electric, and fat bikes are all compatible!

Will it work in my van?

No. The Stance is designed for static bike storage only, and not for transporting bikes in a vehicle. If you need the latter, look at our BikeStow Original.

Still got a question? Then please give us a call or email!

Don`t copy text!