General Cycling Discussion - is it ok to store bikes in a barn?

this is my first season into cycling and I've managed to acquire 4 bikes so far -- need a place to put them for the winter. I've got some wall space in my barn that should work ok. The bikes would be protected from rain and snow but do they need more than that? like a warmish basement? just wondering if they would be damaged from hanging in the barn from Nov - April. thanks!

I'm assuming you mean in a hayloft or some place similar, at outdoor temperatures but protected from the weather. That should be fine.

I wouldn't recommend storing a bike in a stable for an extended period.

Be sure to hang them after you spray them down with silicone spray.

Don't get any of that silicone on a braking surface - that could be fun........ a nice coat of wax, or the miracle coating REJEX would be appropriate. Then a fresh coat of lubricant on everything that moves, without wiping any off.

Why not get a really large plastic bag to hang them in? They would still be clean in the spring. Hang 'em in a bag, on a nice dry fall day, and they should stay nice and dry all winter.

It is always good to clean and lube everything before storing them for any period of time. If the barn is dusty and has hay and straw in it, you may want to take some plastic garbage bags and cover the bikes with them or get some cheap plastic tarps and wrap the bikes in them. That way the bikes will not be completely covered with dust come spring. I would think that dust covered chains would not be good.

Classic & Vintage enthusiasts love finding old abandoned bikes in barns after years of being ignored... they are called barn finds.

They should be fine for a couple of months.

For steel parts, the drier it is, the better. For plastic parts, you don't want them baking in the heat in the summer. Otherwise, it doesn't matter a whole lot.

Humidity is a factor; here along the Gulf Coast, a barn-stored bike will rust and corrode terribly.

What is stopping you from riding in the winter?

I used to store a boat in a barn. It stayed dry, but got infested with mice. I would take the seat off, so mice wouldn't chew it up. I don't know if they would bother tires and cables. Probably not rubber tires, but maybe cables. Definitely remove a seat bag.

this is my first season into cycling and I've managed to acquire 4 bikes so far -- need a place to put them for the winter. I've got some wall space in my barn that should work ok. The bikes would be protected from rain and snow but do they need more than that? like a warmish basement? just wondering if they would be damaged from hanging in the barn from Nov - April. thanks!

You didn’t say where you lived but that doesn’t matter. Moisture is the enemy so as long as you keep them dry and oiled you should be fine.

May depend on the "barn" my wife's dad had bikes stored in two different barns. One of the barns apparently had water running through it part of the time. The bikes in there were in pretty sad shape. The other barn apparently was a good bit drier and the bikes stored there were mostly just dirty with some minor surface rust. These barns are less than 50 feet apart. I think if you oil it up well, wrap it in plastic and suspend it somehow you should be good to go.

Aaron:)

My experience in the SE is that anything that can rust..WILL RUST!

Everything made of metal in a barn rusts over time. The problem is those cold Spring and Fall mornings where the morning temperature and humidity rise real fast. We can have snow at 7AM and then 70 degree temperatures by Noon. The bikes and everything metal are still cold, and they get soaking wet with condensation, just like a glass of ice tea on a summer day.

I would definitely treat the bikes with silicone/oil and then try and seal them in an air tight plastic bag to prevent moisture from getting to them.

We have several of our bikes stored in the barn with covers over them, but it isn't ideal because it gets quite damp in there, not to mention dusty.

Then there are the mice...though they have not damaged the bikes to date. Our tractor and snow blower?- that is a different story.

I plan to store my (more expensive) road bike in the house for the winter.