Where to Store a Bike in a Chicago Apartment

Chicago apartments are tight, and a bike is a bulky guest. The answer depends on what your building offers. Start with the best option, a secure bike room, and work down to the street.

What the zoning code says

The City’s zoning ordinance sets the rules when bicycle parking is required. Whenever it is required, at least 2 bicycle spaces must be provided.¹ No use is required to provide more than 50 bicycle parking spaces.¹

For residential buildings, required bicycle parking may be provided in garages, storage rooms and other resident-accessible, secure areas.¹ Space within dwelling units or on balconies may not be counted toward the requirement.¹ The parking may be indoors or outdoors.¹ Areas must be paved, drained and well-lighted.¹ If the spaces are not visible from the street, signs must show where they are.¹

Read that as a floor. A building can offer a better bike room than the code demands, and the best ones do.

The best answer: a building bike room

Active Transportation Alliance calls secure indoor bike storage a good idea for commercial and residential buildings, because many people are not comfortable storing their bikes outside for long periods.²

A good room follows a short list:

• First floor, well-lit and climate-controlled, within 100 feet of an entrance.²
• A door secured with a lock.²
• Racks that accept a U-lock and touch the frame at two points or more.²
• Aisle space, because injuries and damage are more likely when racks sit too close.²
• Outlets for charging e-bikes.²

In a small room, two-tiered and vertical racks with lift assist are optimal for high-density parking.²

Active Trans points to the AMLI 808 apartment complex at 808 N. Wells St. in River North as a good example of a functional bike room. Its two-story bike room has more than 300 bike parking spots, enough for each unit, plus four lockers for electric bikes or larger bicycles.² One real estate executive estimates about 25 quality bike rooms exist in the Loop and West Loop.² Ask about the room before you sign a lease.

If your building has none

Bike rooms help buildings stand out and give them an edge with prospective renters.² Use that. Identify fellow residents who would like a bike room, then work with a rack company to draft a layout and take it to management.²

Inside your unit, basement or garage

The City’s advice is plain: store your bike inside if space is available.³ Garages in Chicago are less secure than basements or living spaces.³

The theft data backs it. Bike Index’s survey found 28% of stolen bikes were taken from sheds or garages, and 66% of those bikes were left unlocked.⁴ Lock a bike you keep in a garage or on a porch.³ Avoid locking to private property.³

Lock it even in a “secure” room

A bike room reduces risk. It does not end it. Always use at least one high-quality U-lock for the frame and wheels, and keep it locked even in secure rooms or areas.⁴ Bike Index’s minimum for large cities is two U-locks, or a U-lock and one heavy-duty cable.⁷ Lock to an immovable object even in a secure place.⁷ Buy the highest quality lock you can afford.³

Also record your serial number, keep a photo of you with the unlocked bike and keep the sales receipt.³ Register the bike with the Chicago Police Department.³ See bike locks in Chicago and bike theft in Chicago for the full routine.

When there is no space at home

Public parking fills the gap. The City has installed over 15,000 public bike racks and over 80 on-street bike corrals.⁵ Corrals provide parking for 10 or more bicycles in the same space typically occupied by a single car.⁵

Bike parking near your building can be requested through CDOT, whose Bike Parking Manager makes a field visit to confirm that rack placement meets CDOT standards.⁵

At the train, bicycle parking racks are installed outside most ‘L’ stations, and many stations have sheltered outdoor or even indoor bike parking for added security and weather protection.⁶

For more on parking and buildings, read bike parking downtown and bike-friendly buildings. The Plan a Ride hub has the rest of the guide.