covers
 

well i'm in college and i'm thinking about bringing my nicer road bike here for occasional recreational use while i still use my mountain bike for getting around and some fun too. but, it turns out, i can't keep a bike in my dorm, and i don't want to leave my cannondale out in the rain. so, if i left it on the rack outside, what would you all suggest for a cover? do you think a soft breathable motorcycle cover would keep all the water out? i could surely tie it up under the wheels to get a full seal, but would it get wet and moldy in there? i've also though about getting a couple VERY big trash bags, used for those big industrial trash cans that you might see at a cafeteria. would these condensate inside and leave me with a big mess inside after i come back to it after a week of alternation between rain and 90 degree days? these would be secured tight around the bottom too, to prevent splashes up. any experience with this?

Find a sympathetic prof who will let you store your nice road bike in his garage during the week. I dont think rain or condensation would be a problem, but theft or vandalism might be.

yeah that would be nice lol. my classes are so big this year i can never really get to know any professors, but it's a good though. i'll look around for something like it. but theft is another issue, but i'm not too worried about that where i am now, because it's right at my dorm, where there is always somebody outside, and there are about 30 bikes on that rack, so all i have to do is use a better lock then the bike beside me.

Why can't you keep it in your dorm?
Rooms are small... but really I'd give the bike priority when it comes to living space....Probably the most valuable thing in possession while living at college...

Wow, this sounds exactly like me a couple of years back. I'm now a senior at a small school in North Carolina. I brough up my cheapo MTB freshman year. Never had problems with the weather bothering the bike. I had to buy a new front rim within 2 months cause the smokers who hung out just outside the dorm would sit on my bike while it was in the rack (one of the two bikes in the rack). The back wheel was warped, but not so bad that it was an issue. Well sophomore year, I brought the bike back and had even worse luck. That was my first year as an RA and I had some residents who didn't like my way of actually doing my job and enforcing the rules. So I came out one morning to find my new front rim snapped in half and bent around the rack. This was no accident, it was a clean break where the rim snapped. So now I'm in my senior year, still biking, still an RA and I keep my roadie in my room. Mind you I do not have a roommate so I have more room. I honestly would not worry about the weather as much as the theft and vandalism.

My advice to you would be talk with your campus police/security as well as the director of housing. See what accomodations can be made for you to keep at least your roadbike in your room. Maybe you can lift your bed enough to lay the bike on it's side underneath. I'll try and post a photo of what I do to keep mine in my room and out of the way. If all else fails, sneak the bike in and out.

Best of luck!
-K'Hill