Permanently storing my bike outside???

jonnytekno

Hi,

I have just bought my first bike (Specialized Rockhopper). I live in a house where I have absolutely no choice but to store it outside the house in the back garden. I can lock it to a fence, and actually I think there is very little risk of it being stolen, as the back garden is totally enclosed and not really accessible, however I am concerned about the exposure to the elements.

There is a possibility that at some point I will be able to get a small narrow shed built to house it, but in the mean-time I am thinking I will have to get some sort of cover for it.

Does anyone have any advice/thoughts about storing a bike outside and how to avoid damage and wear from the elements??

Many thanks

cuthbertsavage

I had store my bike outside for a few months when I lived in the WORST student house ever. I got a cover for it but it got really windy and ripped it, and eventually ripped another one and a few bits got rusty.

My advice, find a way to keep indoors.

WILL 1 AM

B and Q - For some tarpaulin, these had metal eyelets, so you can attach to a fence and then over the bike.

I would do it sort of half way up the height of the bike so you kinda wrap it up and over the bike if you like and then get the wheels to sit on bottom bit so it dont flap around

Anonymous

What's there to get rusty apart from the chain, and a few bolt heads anyway? And they will get rusty whether it's kept outside or not.

Deputy Dawg

I've used a Topeak bike cover before which was head & shoulders over the generic tarp-like one it replaced.

Unfortunately it didn't stop it getting nicked so I now keep its replacement tucked away indoors in a bike bag.

Atz

wheels off, under the bed.

tcs207

Before i got a shed i had the same problem. I bought a bike tent off ebay for about £30. It might be called a bike cave or something but it worked ok. I used it for a year and it was still standing when i moved out.
I put a metal ring on the wall next to the tent and changed the bike to it.
It was ok, not ideal but my bike was always ok.
Personally i only keep my old bikes in shed and my new one in the house now. My girlfriend hates it. Never mind.

BobbyTrigger

Atz wrote:

wheels off, under the bed.

Kinky!

Father Faff

Yeh, got to keep your good bikes indoors and warm. I have a pully system so I can hoist it up out of the way of the wife but she took some convincing.

ThatBikeGuy

Attach it to the wall, like a work of art...

altern_8

+1^^^^^^

or take off wheels and put it in loft

nozzac

I kept my bike outside the front of my house in London for years. I had an anchor set into the concrete floor and a decent chain and a bike cover from ebay Nobody tried to steal it and it didn't suffer from rust either. The covers are big enough to go right to the ground and so the bike stays bone dry.

That was 2 years ago and I still have the bike and it's still running just fine.

Father Faff

Hey, Johny Tekno, what exactly is the address of your house? I could do with a Specialized Rockhopper.....

mikeysickalrigh

Definitely not uncovered outdoors, will ruin it for sure, too many bits of metal showing.

turnerjohn

what about those secure storage units ? tho their not cheap (£400 to £500) their secure and weather proof.
Personally would never leave a bike outside my house.

Anonymous

mikeysickalrigh wrote:

Definitely not uncovered outdoors, will ruin it for sure, too many bits of metal showing.

And most of those bits are aluminium. So, no worries. Unless it rains sweat where you live. Which would explain the smell

W00DENT0P

Bike tent off Ebay, had one for about a year or so, can't fault it at all, got it screw to a fence and its stayed in one piece even in some pretty nasty weather, Insides allways been dry as well. Got a ground anchor and an anchor of the fence, tent has a small velcro opening at the back to pass chain / locks thru.

MattJWL

yeehaamcgee wrote:

And most of those bits are aluminium. So, no worries. Unless it rains sweat where you live. Which would explain the smell

Yep, Aluminium gear cables all the way. And all the bearings in BB/Hubs/Sus etc. They're Aluminium too.

In fairness, hopefully the bearings have enough grease not to rust, but y'know what I'm saying. I have also in my time kept a bike outdoors, it constantly had 'niggles' during that time, but no longlasting damage. That said I didn't protect it too well ... I reckon if I had used a bike tent / proper tarp it would have been OK. In winter the tyres perished tho, no way round that.

father_jack

I left my bike outside for a while, aged rapidly, also at work in the open. I wouldn't do it, even if you cover it. A small tent would be better as said. Even if you cover it with tarp filth and other stuff will get blown up underneath. Also moisture and such like.

No way would I leave a expensive bike outside, sub £500 still leave it in the shed or buy a wendy house

mrlargefoot

Not exactly possible for everyone but this was one of my solutions!

weeksy59

yeah the wife is going to love getting in a single bunk bed with me


FWIW mine is kept outside under a crap cover and does perfectly well.

mrlargefoot

weeksy59 wrote:

yeah the wife is going to love getting in a single bunk bed with me


FWIW mine is kept outside under a crap cover and does perfectly well.

Its a double loft bed!

We have a teeny flat so we got it made buy a guy on ebay that does them up to order. Not quite what you were asking but its the best £300 i have ever spent.

BobbyTrigger

your lass lets you keep your bike under yer bed?

hats off to you mate

paulbox

How about putting one of the mini-shed type things in your garden?

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?a ... arch=false

I'm sure you could get them cheaper somewhere on the web.

timpop

Do you have space to build a lean-to on the side of your house? Definitely put in an anchor though as no-one is free from risk of theft.
However, my new bike is kept in the downstairs toilet/coat room when I'm not home and in the shed or garden when I am home. Until I beef up the security in the the shed I'm sticking to that plan.

steamboat

go to pound land AND get a bike cover and bunje cord only 2 pounds that way you cand spen more on a good locks

ilovedirt

yeehaamcgee wrote:

mikeysickalrigh wrote:

Definitely not uncovered outdoors, will ruin it for sure, too many bits of metal showing.

And most of those bits are aluminium. So, no worries. Unless it rains sweat where you live. Which would explain the smell

Left my bike in one of the shelters in all for about 3 months last year as i'm at uni, it was a pain to maintain and lots of stuff went rusty, including the fork stanchions (toras). That was annoying.... So now I keep both my bikes in my room.