GearStash GS 1.25 Storage System

By Coach Fred Matheny

One blessing (or curse) of being a cycling journalist for nearly 30 years is the sheer amount of stuff I’ve accumulated. Shoes, gloves, shorts, jackets and components threaten to spill out of my drawers and closets. Bikes hang in every
available nook and cranny.

It’s great to have cool gear, but it’s a real pain to figure out where to store it all.

So I was interested in GearStash’s systems approach to storage. This company’s products are simplicity itself, based on a vertical unit consisting of a Cordura nylon panel.

GearStash comes in three sizes: 15, 28 or 57 inches wide. All units are 76 inches long and include various straps and mounting systems so you can hang the GearStash permanently on a wall or from a door with special hooks. Installation is quick and easy.

A daisy chain arrangement with metal J-hooks makes it easy to attach gear. For instance, you can hang helmets, seat bags or shoes by the straps. A longer strap suspends items like skis or a snowboard.

Versatile Bags

The GS 1.25 model that I tested ($75) has three see-through mesh bags of different sizes. (Other models range up to $185.) The bags hang on the J-hooks with a sturdy nylon strap and have a drawstring as well. I found these bags to be extremely useful.
Currently I have winter gloves and hats in the small bag, extra seat bags in the medium bag and spare shoes in the large bag.

The bags are not just useful for storing gear in your home; They’re great for keeping things together in your luggage too. For instance, a helmet fits perfectly in the small mesh bag. Place gloves, sweatband, ID and sunglasses in the helmet, keep it all
together inside the bag, and pad it with a jacket inside your travel bag for protection against rampaging airline personnel.

An optional $19 hook makes it easy to hang your bike in front of the wall-hung GearStash so all your gear can be kept in the same space-efficient place. No more scrounging through drawers and closets to find cycling clothes, shoes, helmet, gloves and
water bottles. Everything you need for a ride is handy but out of the way.

I mounted the GearStash on a closet door in my weight room rather than in the garage where I could have used the bike hook. All my bikes have homes so I wanted the GearStash for extra clothes and shoes. I used a hook for a weight belt and the harness
I wear for suspending barbell plates around my waist when I do dips. it’s amazing how the GearStash has converted unused space on that closet door into useful storage.

Varied Uses

The GearStash system would be great for apartment dwellers or anyone whose space for cycling gear is limited. I don’t have a motor home or camper van to test this idea, but I imagine that it would be a boon for RV’ing cyclists.

In fact, uses are limited only by your imagination. For instance, if you are car camping on your next cycling trip, gear could be put in the GearStash, which could be rolled up, stored in the car and then hung from the car’s bike rack or a convenient
tree for easy access when you’re around camp.

Got your car stuck in the snow? Remove the gear and use the nylon back panel as a traction sheet under your spinning wheels. Need a waterproof ground sheet under your sleeping bag, to sit on for a roadside picnic or to lie on while looking under your
car? The 57-inch model would work perfectly.

The GearStash has one big drawback, though. Now that I’ve organized my gear, my closets and drawers are nearly empty, leaving plenty of room for more stuff. Maybe I better get another GearStash.

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Coach Fred Matheny is an RBR co-founder who has four decades of road cycling and coaching experience. He has written 14 eBooks and eArticles on cycling training, available in RBR’s eBookstore at Coach Fred Matheny, including the classic Complete Book of Road Bike Training, which includes 4 eBooks comprising 250 pages of timeless, detailed advice and training plans. The Complete Book is one of the many perks of an RBR Premium Membership. Click to read Fred’s full bio.