Dezeen Magazine

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

Karl Mikael Ling's Pincher rack offers "a simple way to showcase your bike"

This simple rack made from just six components, by Swedish designer Karl Mikael Ling, is designed to simultaneously store and show off a bicycle in a small apartment.

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

Karl Mikael Ling's Pincher hanger consists of two simple parts: a mounting plate routed from a solid block of aluminium and a machine-bent steel wire for supporting bikes up to 30 kilograms in weight.

The mounting plate is attached to the wall using two screws – supplied with two Rawlplugs – while the hanger is held into pre-cut grooves in the mounting plate using tension.

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

"Each part of the design fulfils the task it was made for with no gimmicks," said Ling. "Pincher is a simple way to showcase your bike and keep it off the floor. [It is] both visually and structurally light."

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

Both parts have a matte coating and the hanger is padded with industrial-grade polyurethane at the points of contact with the bicycle frame to prevent scratching or scuffing.

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

"[It is] almost ceramic to the touch," said the designer. "The hanger's lack of shine and minimal geometry help make the bike the foremost object on the wall."

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

The product, Ling's first solo commercially available venture, was inspired by his own experiences of living in a studio apartment.

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

"I found bicycles to be an interior design challenge," he said. "A bike easily comes to define or even clutter a small space, and using a hanger adds another variable."

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

"None of the existing hangers seemed to help. Most hangers are more conspicuous – and far less graceful – than the bikes they carry. Pincher was my solution. A no-nonsense object that serves the bike, and the room."

Pincher Bike Hanger by Karl Mikael Ling

Ling is based in Malmö, Sweden, where Pincher is designed and made.

Photography is by Niklas Carlsson.