Large Bike Sheds

What counts as a large bike shed?

Shops use "large" loosely, so it helps to pin it down. On this site it means a bike storage shed with room for four or more bikes, or for bikes plus other garden kit, with a footprint of roughly 6ft x 6ft (about 2m x 2m) or more. Anything smaller is a standard bike storage shed.

Three things decide whether a bike storage shed really is big enough:

• Inside depth: most adult bikes are 1.7m to 1.9m long, so the internal space has to beat that in the direction the bikes stand.
• Inside width: bicycles stand side by side, and the bars (60cm to 80cm across) set how close they can go.
• Door width and height: wide, tall doors give easy access, so you can wheel the back bike out without emptying the shed first.
• Room for extras: helmets, pumps, locks, a child seat or the garden tools all need a space too.

Shop listings usually quote the outside size including the roof overhang, which can be 100mm or more bigger than the usable space. Every figure in the comparison below comes from the maker's own specification.

Large bike sheds compared

These are the larger stores in our range, from Shedstore's UK listings. Prices change daily, so we show bands rather than exact figures.

The cheapest way to store four bikes is the 6x6 steel shed. The Trimetals stores cost more because of their police and insurer-recognised security kit, and the Palmako buildings because you get a full garden shed as well as covered bike parking.

Three types of large bike storage

Steel stores with wide double doors

The Globel 6x6 is the simplest answer to "where do the family's bikes go". Cycles go in nose first along its 1.89m depth and stand side by side across the 2m width, and the doors open almost the full front, so each bike can come out on its own. It is light (88kg packed), needs no treatment, and the hot-dipped galvanising carries a 15-year anti-rust guarantee. It has no floor, so it sits on your own slab or paving.

The low 1.66m roof keeps it under most fences, which matters if it goes in a side return. It is a sensible bike store for a family who want easy access to every bike.

Walk-in secure steel stores

The Trimetals Protect A Bike 940, 950 and 960 are tall enough (2.1m) for walk-in access, with steel floors and the most security kit of any bike shed we list. Bicycles are wheeled in lengthways, so the 2.6m-plus depth easily takes long e-bikes, a tandem or a motorbike. They are also a good fit for anyone who wants to keep the bikes and the tools locked up together. See more in our secure bike sheds and motorbike sheds.

Garden shed with a bike shelter

The Palmako Leif is a heavy-duty timber building in two parts under one pent roof: a windowless, lockable shed and an open-fronted bay of 2.9m² for bikes or logs. On the 16ft model the bay can go on either side. It suits a household that would otherwise buy a shed and a separate bike store. The open bay keeps the rain off but does not lock, so treat it as covered parking and keep the best bikes locked in the shed half or chained to a ground anchor.

Rule of thumb: buy one bike space more than you need today. Children grow into full-size bikes, and an e-bike takes more room than the one it replaces.

How much bike storage space do you need?

Measure your bicycles before you measure the garden. A larger bike, such as an e-bike or a 29er, changes the answer more than most people expect. Typical sizes:

• Adult road and hybrid bikes: 1.7m to 1.9m long, handlebars about 60cm to 70cm wide.
• Mountain bikes: similar length, handlebars 70cm to 80cm wide.
• E-bikes: about the same size but 20kg to 28kg, so you want to roll them in at ground level rather than lift them.
• Children's bikes: from about 80cm for a balance bike to 1.6m for a 24-inch wheel bike.
• A cargo bike or longtail: 2.2m to 3m long. Only a walk-in bike store with 2.6m or more of depth will take them.

Width per bike depends on how you park. With handlebars alternated (one bike nose in, the next one tail in) allow roughly 35cm to 45cm per bike; parked all the same way, nearer the full width of the bars. Then add about 30cm at the front to get in, and leave space for helmets, a pump and locks.

Quick bike storage sizing guide

Metal or wooden large bike storage?

Both work at this size; the choice comes down to looks, upkeep and security.

• Galvanised steel (Globel, Trimetals): no rot, no painting, almost no maintenance, fire-resistant, harder to break into and long guarantees (15 to 25 years). It looks functional rather than pretty.
• Timber (Palmako): warmer to look at and easy to add shelves and hooks to. The Leif arrives untreated and has to be treated with an anti-fungal preservative on assembly and every year after to keep its 5-year warranty. The roof covering is not included either, so budget for felt or shingles.

If you want a smaller footprint in either material, browse our metal bike sheds or wooden bike sheds, or the full Trimetals bike sheds range.

Bases, delivery and installation

A larger bike shed means a bigger base, and that is where most of the work is. Every model here needs a firm, level base: a concrete slab or well-laid paving slabs, a little larger than the footprint so rain runs off.

1. Check the base size: the Palmako Leif sits on a base of 3,700mm or 4,600mm by 1,700mm, the Trimetals walk-in stores on about 2.77m by 1.2m to 1.9m.
2. Plan the delivery route: packed weights run from 88kg (the 6x6 steel shed) and 195kg to 224kg (Trimetals) up to 376kg and 448kg (Palmako). Delivery is free to most UK addresses, but you will need help carrying the parts round to the garden.
3. Allow two people for installation. The Palmako walls come as ready-made panels and the Globel has a video guide, but none of these are one-person jobs.
4. Fix it down. The walk-in steel sheds bolt through their steel floors into the slab; a ground anchor in any of the others is worth the extra cost.

Keeping a large shed secure

A garden shed full of family bikes can be worth thousands, so security matters more as the store gets bigger:

• Use a good padlock: the 6x6 steel shed and the Palmako take your own. Pick a closed-shackle one rated by Sold Secure.
• Lock each bicycle inside to a ground anchor through the frame, so a forced door still doesn't mean losing them.
• Look for approvals: for the most secure bike storage, the Trimetals walk-in stores carry LPCB levels 1 and 2 and the police Secured by Design mark, which some insurers recognise.
• Keep it out of sight: behind a side gate and with the doors facing away from the street if you can.
• Record frame numbers and photos, as Cycling UK's home storage guide recommends.

Do you need planning permission?

Usually not. Most garden outbuildings in England fall under permitted development as long as they:

• are not in front of the house
• are single storey
• take up no more than half the garden around the house
• are no more than 2.5m in height if within 2m of a boundary

The tallest shed here is the Palmako Leif at 2.28m, with the Trimetals range at 2.1m and the 6x6 steel shed at 1.66m, so all of them clear that limit.

The rules on height and siting are the same in Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own versions, so check locally if you live there. Flats, listed buildings, conservation areas and front gardens follow different rules, so check with your council first.

Large bike shed FAQs

How many bikes fit in a 6ft x 6ft shed?

Four adult bikes in the 6x6 steel shed, according to its maker, or more if some are children's bikes.

What size shed do I need for 5 or 6 bikes?

Look at the walk-in Trimetals stores or the Palmako Leif, which add a covered bike bay to a lockable shed. Measure your bars and allow for alternating them.

Can I store a mower and tools in the same building?

Yes. The Palmako Leif keeps them in the lockable shed with the cycles in the shelter bay, and the walk-in steel sheds have room for shelving down one side.

Do the prices include assembly?

No, they are self-assembly with fixings and instructions. Shedstore offers an installation service on selected models, so check the product page.

Do wooden bike sheds need maintenance?

Yes. Timber needs a preservative every year; galvanised steel only needs a wash now and then.