bryroth

Temps range from 100 in the summer to 30 in the winter where I am. Is it ok to store my bike on a screen porch? Not much rain will hit it, it's mostly just the temperature fluctuation, etc.

Believe it or not I could not see that this question had ever been asked before.

Let me know if it's a bad idea!

bikeman715

as long the bike stay dry you'll be fine. the temperature changing can dry (crack) your housing to the cable which would need replacing before the next riding season. the sun can dry rot your tires if in direct sunlight.

Mike Mills

The temperature and humidity fluctuations will cause you some corrosion and will accelerate fatigue issues. If it gets hit by bright sunlight on the porch, it will also see fading of the paint, decomposition ("rusting") of the rubber goodies (brake hoods & pads, tires, etc) by UV. Exposure to ozone also kills many things on a bike, such as rubber. The acidic constituents of smog also attack your bike.

If you ever see fog or even dew on the grass, then you are seeing a temperature drop taking you through the "dew point". When this happens water vapor in the atmosphere is condensing. It will condense onto your bike, too. Albeit, less so on the porch than if it were completely unprotected. liquid water then dissolves the ionic materials on your bike (salts - road salt, sweat, etc) and they corrode the metals. Chlorine is notorious for this. These solutions can actually become very, very concentrated as the water begins to evaporate.

The way to minimize these phenomena is to minimize exposure to sunlight and ozone, minimize temperature and humidity changes.

If the storage is for a long time, be sure to partially deflate your tires and get the weight off of the tires.

I have heard it is good practice to decompress the springs in the derailleur mechanisms but I do not subscribe to this practice (springs wear out from use not from static preload). Still, it doesn't hurt anything.

These are some of the damage mechanisms I am familiar with. There are others, as well.

Rust never sleeps.

miamijim

I leave one of mine out on a screened balcony. As long as it stays dry you'll be OK. In reality it isnt much different than leaving it in a garage.

fearfeasog

maybe you already thought of this, but i would think about getting a cover for the bike, like the kind people put on their cars and motorbikes. that might keep some of the condensation off it.