The type of bicycle that a person rides can say a lot, but the same can’t be said of the rack on which said bicycles spends the rest of the time. Bike racks in a garage or apartment have typically been utilitarian where function is far more important than form.
Efforts have been made to create a better looking bike racks, but few have been as bold as the Statement Bike Rack. This rack, which is now in the final phases of a Kickstarter project, doesn’t even look like a bike rack when a bike isn’t hanging from it. That was very much the point, says designer Daniel Sculnick.
The Statement is rated for 60 pounds (27kg)
“I designed Statement Bike Rack because I was unhappy with what the market offered, I wanted something that was environmentally friendly, American made, high quality, a design that looked great with and without a bike on it, and something that would always hold its value,” Sculnick told BikeRadar. “’Art Meets Function’ is a belief of mine that everything I design should function as art and as a quality product and was the backbone of this design. The artistic look of Statement Bike Rack comes from an abstract style I have developed over the last three years sculpting abstract wooden kinetic sculptures.”
Sculnick agrees that bike racks sure are not the most attractive thing that someone could put in their home, and he sought out to change that, especially for people who put so much time, love, and money into both their homes and their bikes.
As a result his design wasn’t something so simple as Etsy’s Wooden Bike Hooks, which were little more than pegs that could be mounted in a wall for $88/pair. The Make Bike Rack, which cost $180 and consists of a wooden shelf with a bend in it to hold a bike, is another example of an attempt to combine form and function.
The Statement should begin shipping in September for between $230 and $250
However, Sculnick’s design is more whimsical and doesn’t even look like a bike rack when a bike isn’t resting on it.
“This design came about after hundreds of sketches, and the form of the design was critical,” he added. “When you look at the rack straight on in the up position it looks like a stylized exclamation point. I thought that was such a fun shape with the curves and would look nice in any home.”
While it will be more expensive than either the Wooden Bike Hooks or the Make Bike Rack, Sculnik’s Statement Rack, which will begin shipping in September for somewhere between $230 and $250, it should be able to support more weight as well.
Sculnik has also looked to address concerns for apartment dwellers, especially those who might not have studs to drill into.
“Having done four re-designs and months of ultra abusive open and closes and throwing heavy bikes onto the rack it is stronger than ever,” Sculnik noted. “We do have a way to mount it into just sheet-rock using these inserts you push through a drilled hole and expand inside the wall. The inserts are rated to hold 75lbs per insert and worked great holding the bike rack up.”
“The bike rack is rated to hold up to 60lbs (27kg),” he said, adding that he had tested it up to 120lbs (54kg).
For those who want a little more he even has designs in the work for a rack that can hold two bikes.
“It protrudes from the wall less than an inch, it is about two inches wide, and 36 inches in length and is made of wood and aluminum,” he said. “It folds completely flat and opens like a scissor lift. That is just a concept for now, but I plan on bringing that one to life one day.”