'Weatherproofing' a bike to be kept outside

spearmint_wino
spearmint_wino Posts: 109
edited August 2013 in Workshop
I've got a retro steel bike that I don't want to part with but can't keep in the house. Its totally rideable but not in the best cosmetic state, so is being relegated to having a child-set fitted for the morning nursery run for now.

I can secure it outside the back of my house, and keep it under a cover / bike pyjamas / in one of those cheapy wooden B&Q cycle sheds but maintenance-wise what extra stuff will I have to do to it to prevent it being got at by damp atmospheric conditions over the winter?

Comments

  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,928
    I have a mountain bike and cyclocross bike in a cheapy wooden bike shed and have had no problems with the damp conditions fro the last 2 years. the chain went a bit rusty on the mountain bike but that's probably because I didnt bother cleaning or oiling it before leaving it there for 3 months.
  • BillyMansell
    BillyMansell Posts: 817
    Get some ACF-50 (a marine lubricant). Spray it onto any bare metal surface; inside the seat tube, inside bottom bracket shell, inside/outside steerer tube, inside of head tube and into the breather holes on the frame. You can also use it on the surface of the frame.
    Grease threads on the brake bolts, pedal axles, derailleur bolts, bottle cage bolts, seat bolts, seatpost collar, stem and seatpost, and as it's an old bike it may be possible to repack hub and bottom bracket bearings.
    You can also silicone seal to stop water ingress around the top of the seat tube.
  • spearmint_wino
    spearmint_wino Posts: 109
    Thanks for the comprehensive reply, I'll source some of that hardcore frame-saving ACF50.

    -monkimark as a digression, how do you secure your bikes effectively in the cheapy shed?
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    I used to smear moly grease onto the chain after oiling it to keep water out. Looked filthy but ran sweet as a nut for weeks.
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • g00se
    g00se Posts: 2,221
    In the shed is the best bet. It helps keep it away from condensation. A plastic/fabric cover never seems to work as well (I guess because there's limited movement of air).
  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,928
    Security in the cheapy shed - cut a hole in the chipboard base of the shed, install a ground anchor into the concrete below and chain the bikes to that.

    Also, I use acf50 on my motorbike & it's great stuff - just watch where you get it (ie brakes, rims etc) because it's a bugger to clean off. A little goes a long way - i'd suggest spraying a small amount onto a rag and carefully wiping onto bits that you're worried about getting rusty.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    My old steel Raleigh 10 speed survived a couple of years outdoor storage when I was a student. Chained to a cast iron downpipe and draped with a fairly weighty polythene sheet. Don't remember having to do any extra weather proofing beyond the normal lubrication.

Categories