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Standing up a bike can be a hassle if it doesn’t have a kickstand. It can be stressful when you’re outside on a bike run. It can also be an annoying eyesore when you can’t stand it properly in your own home or small apartment.

This article will take the stress and annoyance out of standing up your bike. Here we discuss the many different ways you can nicely prop your bike up at home and out on the road.

So, how do you stand up a bike without a kickstand? If you have the budget for it, you can buy bike accessories for standing up a bike. Like a bike stand, rack, or bike mount, for instance. You can also DIY cool items you can use to stand up your bike. Like a hanging wire or a parking slot made of a wooden pallet.

Now, how do you DIY those? And what exactly are these bike accessories that you can buy or create that will stand up a bike without a kickstand? Let’s look over the following suggestions in detail.

What are bike accessories you can buy to prop up your bike?

Try the Upstand

The Upstand is strong but lightweight. It’s also detachable. This is US made. Use the Upstand to park your bicycle at any place.

You don’t have to worry about going to the library, store, and school, or even your office. You won’t have to lean it far away against a tree.

Just install it where you want to park. Then, remove it when you’re ready to go. It takes about a minute to install or detach the Upstand.

Use a Lineup Stand

There are lineup stands you can buy on the market. Sizes vary, from compact to regular. You can get portable ones to use outdoors. This one above is from Topeak on Amazon.

It’s for 20” to 29” wheel diameters. It’s lightweight and tubular. Use this stand to park or display your bike.

Use multi-bike racks

Depending on your budget, multi-bike racks are on sale. You can choose large, heavy-duty ones. You can also pick lightweight compact racks that stand up multiple bikes in a row.

Use a two-up bike stand

This is great for small spaces. You get to stand up two bikes, one above the other. Different companies sell this type.

The sample above is from Topeak. It’s solid and sturdy. It’s both a multi-bike storage system and a work stand.

Use a Scorpion stand

This Scorpion bike stand is portable and lightweight. You can use this indoors and outdoors.

It’s easy to clean and maintain. So you don’t have to worry about placing it on dirty or rough surfaces.

What are some DIY ideas for standing up your bike?

If you’re in a creative mood, then break some sweat with these DIY ideas for standing up your bike.

Hang your bike from your ceiling:

You will need to drill through the ceiling on this one. Here’s how to do this cool DIY.

Install two large closed hook screws on the ceiling where you plan to hang your bike.
Attach either a small rope or a chain to each of those closed hooks. It should hang down long enough to keep your bike off the ground. Or, keep your bike however high you wish.
To the end of that, place an attachment that is strong enough to hang your bike from its crossbar. You may use a hook, high-grade carabiner, or Velcro strap for that.
Hook your bike in.

Instead of its crossbar, you can also hang the front part of the bike by its handlebars. This is an option if the bike’s front wheel tends to move while it hangs.

Just make adjustments to the length of the rope or chain. This should look something like the picture above, but with two ropes hanging.

Stand up your bike from a helmet & accessories shelf:

Showcase your expensive bike and helmets on a bare wall. This is also a space-saving DIY hack for storing your bike accessories and parking your bike at home, especially in a small apartment.

Here’s how you do it:

Get a 1” X 8” to 12” (depending on what else you plan to shelve there) plank of wood that will serve as a shelf. It should be long enough to space the number of bikes you plan to hang from it. The bike or bikes will hang vertically.
Install three to four heavy-duty shelf wall brackets on the wall of your choice. Make sure it is high enough to keep your bikes off the floor as it hangs vertically.
Place the plank of wood on the wall brackets.
Weld a long steel pipe on the brackets below. Or, slide the pipe or pole through the brackets if the design allows for it.
Slide a hook, a carabiner, or a Velcro strap through the pipe. Use ones that are large and strong enough to hang your bike from.
Hang your bike or bikes vertically and place your helmets and other gear on the shelf.

This should look something like the picture below.

Alternatively, you can also attach a 2” X 2” wood underneath the shelf plank. Then, install large, closed hooks to hang your bike with.

DIY a vertical bike stand

This DIY stands up your bike and parks it with convenience in your garage or a corner room inside the house. Here’s how to do it.

Gather your materials:

one piece of 2”X 3” wood. This should be about the same length as your bike
one piece of 1”X 4” wood. This should be about the same vertical height of your bike.
one piece of 1”X 2” wood. This should be about 2 feet or a little longer.
two pieces of 1”X 1” X 1’ wood.
one large heavy-duty shelf bracket
one closed hook screw
one large heavy-duty Velcro strap or carabiner.
wood glue, nails, or screw. Use whichever you prefer to attach the pieces of wood with.

DIY steps:

Attach the 2”X 3” wood with the 1”X 4” forming a large L shape. The width of both items should face the same side.
Reinforce the joint with the shelf bracket.
Attach the middle part of the 1”X 2” wood to the back of the 2”X 3 (attach at the very end to make your L-shaped creation stand) opposite its attachment to the 1”X 4”.
In its standing position, measure where to install the closed hook screw by standing your bike vertical on the stand and seeing where your front bike wheel touches the upper part of the wood stand. Then, place the close hook accordingly.
Attach either a Velcro strap or a carabiner on the hook. This will hold the bike in place.
Attach the two 1”X 1” X 1’ wood opposite each other on the 1”X 4”. This will serve as a rail for the rear tire of your bike. Paint it with your desired color or leave it as is.
Stand up the bike.

This should look something like the picture below.

Alternative, you can use a 2”X 4” wood in place of the 2’X 3” (same length) and replace the two 1”X 1” X 1’ wood with 4 one-foot slotted angle bars (wide slots preferably rather than the round slots, for easier attachment of the Velcro strap).

Then, instead of installing a closed hook screw, screw in two of the slotted angle bars opposite each other with enough space between them, wide enough for the width of the bike tire. Attach the Velcro strap to a slot in one of the angle bars.

For the bottom 2”X 4” wood, do the same steps as you did with the other two slotted angle bars. This should look something like the picture above, except for the angle bars running through the whole wood in the picture.

Use a wooden pallet

This is an easy DIY. Here’s how to do it.

Get two pallets. These should have wide enough space between planks. This way, you can comfortably fit your bicycle tires in between.
Before you continue with the DIY, decide whether you want to paint them or not. Painting them afterward can ruin the area where you wish to place them.
Attach one of the pallets to a wall. Choose as you like, somewhere in your house, garage, backyard, or where ever you plan to store your bikes.
Lay it by the wall as it rests on the other pallet laid underneath it on the ground. Make sure the spaces in between both pallets are exactly aligned with each other. Alternatively, you may attach the pallet on the wall for reinforcement.
Before you fix the pallets in place, make sure your rear bicycle tires fit comfortably on both the pallet on the ground and the one lying by the wall.
If they do, then your project is done! Stand up your bikes nicely on the pallet.

You also can have a look at this video for a similar pallet bike rack

DIY a Bike Exercise Stand

Here are the materials for this build:

Passenger steps or pegs for your bicycle
Two 2”X 10”X 12” wood planks. It must lift the rear tire of your bicycle off the ground. So add length if you have to.
Four 2”X 4”X 24” wood planks (or a little longer, depending on the size of your bicycle tire)
Wood glue and nails
Four 2”-3” angle shelf brackets

Here are the steps:

Step 1

Attach one end of the 10” side of one of the 2”X 10”X 12” wood planks to the 4” side of one of the 2”X 4”X 24” wood planks. Make sure it is right in the middle. It should look like a letter T with a large base.

Step 2

Make sure the space between the 10” planks facing opposite each other is just a little bit wider than the space earlier measured between the passenger steps so that you can sit the rear of your bicycle comfortably on it.

Step 3

Since the two 2”X 4” planks used for the final attachment are quite longer than the space between the opposite planks, make sure that the extra ends are all equal in size as they will also serve as an addition to its base to keep the stand sturdy. Check the picture below.

Step 4

After you’re done testing its sturdiness, carve slots opposite each other on the top of the 10” plank, deep and large enough to accommodate the passenger steps on your bicycle when you sit its rear tire on the stand.

Should you buy or should you DIY bike stand accessories?

It’s entirely up to you. Prices are competitive in the market. If you want an easy fix, go get one.

Remember to choose what’s affordable but reliable. You don’t want to come out of a store or café and see your bike fallen on the ground.

You may need to repaint or replace a broken part. In the end, buying cheap products may likely spell out more expenses for you.

DIY options are endless. Go simple or complex based on your available finances and time.

Don’t worry if your bike doesn’t come with a kickstand. There are many ways you can stand up a bike securely indoors and outdoors. Just look back on this article for options.

How to Stand Up a Bike Without a Kickstand