Storing A Bike Outside, What Are the Options?

Thargor

Hi, I moved to Bray for a new job but now I cant keep my bike indoors anymore due to space limitations, Im guessing this has been an issue here before so does anyone have any good ideas?

If I just get a tarp and lock it to a railing in the garden and cover it will it rust away in the sea air or will it be okay like that until Winter comes again? Are there any storage solutions that dont cost the same as a new bike?

Kintarō Hattori

A good question OP. I'm moving to a house in a few days and initially will keep the bike indoors but that won't be a solution the missus will allow long term.

Like yourself I thought of something like a tarp. I was also considering the possibility of a wooden garden shed ......?

Pigeon Reaper

I've seen bicycle covers to keep the worst of the weather off the bike. How bad the rust is will depend on the type of bike with dutch style ones probably better able to take the abuse than a bike with gears and exposed chain. A shed of any type will be better than nothing.

brasshead

I'm also looking for a good solution for this. At the moment my road bike is stored indoors as my shed is full of stuff

I was thinking of building some sort of cover down the side of my house but this won't stop the bikes from rusting.

Perhaps I just need to get my act together and clear out my shed!

Thargor

What do you think of this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bike-Cave-TidyTentGreen-Green/dp/B0012MFB2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1253478034&sr=8-1

xz

little expensive but http://www.dyg.ie/plant-search?filter0=storage and these guys are based in Ashford, Co.Wicklow, only down the road from you in Bray. And believe me, opportunist crime is on the rise in Bray. You will need something quite secure

Thargor

Perfect but not a hope at those prices, how do places like that stay in business?

xz

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/7056882/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CGarden+and+DIY%7C14418702/c_2/3%7Ccat_19285823%7CSheds%2C+greenhouses+and+storage%7C14418827.htm

You'll get 1 bike into it

Or this http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/7053225/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CGarden+and+DIY%7C14418702/c_2/3%7C19285823%7CSheds%2C+greenhouses+and+storage%7C14418827/c_3/4%7Ccat_14418827%7CMetal+sheds%7C14418834.htm

For both of these, you'll need to construct your own preferably concrete base and buy a seperate anchoring kit, so probably not the best option, but AN option

kumate_champ07

megabikes(motorbike shop) on wexford st stock this for 20euro
http://www.acf-50.co.uk/acf50.htm

Bart80

I'm looking for storage solution for 3 bikes and found this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MOTORCYCLE-SCOOTER-SPORTS-BIKE-COVER-EASY-TENT-LARGE-/260745799714?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item3cb5a92822#ht_4226wt_1139 . This is not too expensive and should be strong enought.
Wondering if anyone selling them over here.

xz

I don't want to be rude to any of the previous posters, but am I the only one thinking, not only storage solution, but SECURITY as well?

seamus

I've been storing my bikes outside for 3 years now.

You need a good quality cover. Tarp is good, but if it's cheap it has a tendency to rip. Avoid anything that you need to "build" every time you want to put it over the bike. If you can't just slide the cover on over the bike, you'll find yourself leaving it off when you think the weather is going to be OK - even in fine weather conditions, morning dew is poison to your bike.

Security should be your primary concern. Once you have decided how and where you're going to secure the bike, then you can figure out the best way to cover it.
You need something solid to lock the bike to and savage piece of a lock. This or this. I personally prefer chain locks for this kind of storage - they're next to impossible to break without making a ridiculous amount of noise. A U-lock can be popped with a bottle jack with relatively little noise - though if you can lock it correctly (i.e. with no room for a bottle jack) it will be adequate.

Something secure to lock it to is obvious. There's no point in having a €200 chain lock and wrapping it around a 10mm copper pipe. Likewise the thing you're locking it to needs to be secure and not easily removed from the wall or ground. My bike is locked in the walkway outside my front door. There's a glass-panelled handrail/guardrail there with a thick aluminium frame. It would be impossible to remove this frame from the building and you'd have difficulty doing much to the frame or my lock without smashing the glass and waking up the entire street. I'm lucky I suppose.
If you have nothing like that, then you can buy ground anchors which are drilled into the ground and can't be removed without cutting the concrete.

As I say, once you've decided on your security approach, then you can decide what storage solution is best. The bike cave is a good solution if you have a ground anchor - you could "modify" the tent so the anchor and chain are inside it. That doesn't work for me, because it's a big tent which I can't stick outside my front door
I use this. It's not perfect, the saddle and bars will still get a little wet in very heavy rain, but it keeps the bulk of the rain and any damp off the bike. If you're going with the cover, you'll need to figure out how to keep it secured to the bike in high winds.

I have never had an issue with rusting so long as the bike has been covered - but then I'm not near the sea.

If the house is unoccupied for 24 hours or more, I always bring the bike inside anyway for peace of mind. Though it would probably more secure outside than in.

Arequipa

Hi! I am going to lock my carbon racing bike to the wall under my stairs.(inside my house)
I have bought an Abus Granit Wall Anchor.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abus-WBA100C-Granit-Wall-Anchor/dp/B000OYHNZW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1299064552&sr=8-5

And a Krypotonite 3000 New York lock.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kryptonite-New-York-Lock-3000/dp/B000BS0D4Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299064671&sr=8-1-catcorr

I am going to attach the wall anchor to the wall and then lock my bike frame to it. More so,when I am out of the country for a few weeks;we caught a guy in the hall of my house 2 months ago;hence the security measures. I also got a new house alarm.

These 2 items seem really well made & strong & they can be used outdoors, as far as I know.

I hope this helps!

Arequipa.

seamus

Arequipa wrote: »

Hi! I am going to lock my carbon racing bike to the wall under my stairs.(inside my house)

Just be sure you're fitting it to a stone/exterior wall and not plasterboard

funkyjebus

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=41221

user1842

I stored my bike outside for the past 6 months. I bought a light motorbike cover for it. Checked it fully last weekend and no rust on it or anything. As long as it has a waterproof cover it should be fine.

I was worried after the bad winder. There was even a foot of snow on it and it was ok

Arequipa

Hey Seamus! I am bolting the Abus wall anchor to a structural/concrete wall!

lukester

Thargor wrote: »

What do you think of this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bike-Cave-TidyTentGreen-Green/dp/B0012MFB2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1253478034&sr=8-1

I have one. Does the job better than a mere cover, plus you can store tools, workstand, track pump etc.

Have had mine about 18 mths, seems to be faring ok so far. My back yard is totally secure, but it has a flap for a wall anchor if you need it.

gman2k

I would recommend one of these also, but not as your main lock, but as a secondary lock.
If anyone does try to do anything with your bike, then you are instantly notified!

Some reviews of the bike cave here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=64526563

Zip isn't great, though to be fair since I tightened the 'closer' part of the zip it's been grand. Keep in mind you'll need some amount of weights for the bike cave if you get it.

Billy C

The Trimetals bicycle shed in the UK has a good website - it's the only bicycle shed which is recognised by the Association of Insurers (UK) and the Metropolitan Police for security. It's not the cheapest but looks like far and away the best: http://www.protectacycle.co.uk/

Thargor

I dont suppose anyones ever hung a bike on the back of a bedroom door have they? Are there any products that let you do that without damaging the door or the bike?

glineli

xz wrote: »

Or this http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/7053225/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CGarden+and+DIY%7C14418702/c_2/3%7C19285823%7CSheds%2C+greenhouses+and+storage%7C14418827/c_3/4%7Ccat_14418827%7CMetal+sheds%7C14418834.htm

For both of these, you'll need to construct your own preferably concrete base and buy a seperate anchoring kit, so probably not the best option, but AN option

Hi all

did anyone ever buy one of these? looking to store 2 bikes outdoors.

thanks

UCDCommuter

Billy C wrote: »

The Trimetals bicycle shed in the UK has a good website - it's the only bicycle shed which is recognised by the Association of Insurers (UK) and the Metropolitan Police for security. It's not the cheapest but looks like far and away the best: http://www.protectacycle.co.uk/

I bought one of those from dyg.ie, they're expensive but great security and works very well. Needs about 20mins with a mastic gun after it's built to make it totally weatherproof though.

Cerdito

+1 for the Bike Cave. I have it up the back of the garden and it's absolutely perfect for my two bikes. There's a flap at the back centre, so if you can locate it near a suitable anchor point (mine sits in front of a steel pole) then you can just lock the bikes to this.

For me, it was far cheaper than those steel box solutions, which are only as good as the strength of the doors etc.

The Bike Cave keeps my bikes dry as well and is real easy to setup and take down (it's basically a small tent). Zip can get a bit stuck at times, but no more so than any tent

le petit braquet

UCDCommuter wrote: »

I bought one of those from dyg.ie, they're expensive but great security and works very well. Needs about 20mins with a mastic gun after it's built to make it totally weatherproof though.

Had a look at dyg.ie but it doesn't appear on the website - there only seems to be a Biohort model now. Can I ask how much you paid? I see they are GBP 469 + delivery on the Trimetals website and I was wondering if it might be cheaper to get it delivered to a Norn Iron address.

Thanks,

lpb

UCDCommuter

Went for the Protect a Cycle version (That's with extra locks, steel baseplate, anchor, cables, mini Ulocks etc). Expensive at €679 delivered, definitely not the option for everyone, but I was forced to move my good bikes outside with the arrival of a small person taking up a lot more space
The other version is cheaper but I was going for security because of where I'm living and I can put my good bikes in it without worrying too much.

I looked at a couple of options but because it's so heavy it wasn't really worth getting it shipped elsewhere. Dyg got them shipped in bulk and delivered them on a flatbed themselves. They might have stopped selling them from the looks of things...

le petit braquet

The space saving appeals as otherwise I'm looking at a garden shed of some sort with a much bigger footprint. One more question please - can you fit 3 adult bikes, as pictures seem to show 2 adult plus a child's bike.

check_six

I have a wall anchor and a Halfords bike cover which is about as inexpensive as you could go. The cover is good as you don't get any condensation on the bikes like I did with previous barbeque type covers and there is a velcro fastener for windy days. The anchor I got in B&Q and I think it is sub €20 if you buy it on it's own, the cover is about €20 too. The only other expense you might have is a big drill bit to set up the anchor. Try and get a loan of one, and a really good drill too!

I'd love to have one of the bike locker type things, but room and finances don't aloow it.