The Parkis: Effortless bicycle storage

Bike hooks and hoists have been around for ages, but most of these space-saving storage solutions are out of reach for those without the strength to lift a bicycle. The Parkis promises effortless vertical bike storage that can be used by almost everyone - including the young, old and pregnant.

The Parkis is aimed at squeezed-for-space city folk who have given up precious room to store their bicycle. The slim device would also look great in the reception area of a business that wanted to make a stylish and public statement of support for cycling. Whether used domestically or commercially, a Parkis promises to save 40% floor space.

An internal counterbalance quickly and smoothly lifts any bicycle with a wheel diameter of 24” and a weight on the front wheel of over 15 kg – most bikes weigh no more than this in their entirety so all but the heaviest electric bikes should be fine.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

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Another clever bicycle hoist is the Stowaway, a design that 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.”

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.

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