There have been a few nifty little bike inventions recently.

Airless tyres that can’t get punctures? Check. Stylish collapsible helmets? Check. Locks that spray thieves in the face with noxious spray? Er…check.

And now, a new dawn for bike storage.

Traditional horizontal bike racks take up loads of space, they are cumbersome and they can really get in the way.

The clever bods at Parkis have created a vertical bike system that’s easy to use and saves up to 40% space.

Have you ever used those horizontal top racks that involve you hoisting up your bike and pretending it doesn’t weigh the same as a small donkey?

Well, the Parkis inventors say that anyone can use this – even kids and the elderly – as the automatised mechanism lifts it up for you and requires minimal effort.

It’s also eco-friendly as it doesn’t require any electricity.

It’s designed to be mounted on a flat concrete wall, but you can also mount it on a wooden or plaster wall, and even (some) balcony rails.

The racks can be placed closer together than other bike racks, which the makers say can save up to 40% more space.

The Parkis costs €239 (~£201) if you get yourself on the second batch (the first batch has already shipped).

Estimated delivery is March 2017 and they ship anywhere in the world.

Purchase from the Parkis Kickstarter.

Our only problem with this? Parkis are clear, this isn’t a bike lock.

It looks like you can lock the front wheel to the rack, but we can’t see a way of properly locking the back wheel to anything.

You can obviously use a cable loop and attach it to your front wheel’s D-lock, but those are pretty easy to cut through and not ideal if you’ve got a bike with a back wheel that costs more than your monthly rent.

And if we’re spending £200 on a rack, we kind of want it to keep our bike safe, y’know?

Also, they keep describing it as a ‘fun’ way to store your bike, which I think is pushing it a bit.

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