Outdoor Cover
 

I've been commuting for a few weeks now on my fat ebike. Do any of you that commute daily use a cover in case of rain or to prevent sun damage? I'm wondering if there is a high quality cover out there, as the cheap one I started with is already unraveling at the seams. Anybody use a good cover?

Do you plan on carrying the cover?
Locking it to a rack?
Are you handy with a sewing machine?

Back before I had a shed or garage I kept my bike outside under an outdoor grill tarp. Not real sturdy, but not real expensive either.

No, Yes,(stair railing) and no, respectively.

The standard plastic covers run about $10 and will do the job for a smaller bike (REI, Sporting goods, etc.). They tend to trap moisture and can be punctured. For a larger footprint, you might need to go with a scooter/small motorcycle cover. Don't trust fit charts for sizing. You might want to go to a motorcycle dealer and do a fit check. Most Motorcycle covers offer a grommet for running a lock through at the bottom.

A daily driver does not need a cover IMO. Its a bike, not fine furniture. Sun damage? Is this for real?

The guy lives in the badlands, give him a break!

You give him a break then. His bike doesn't need it.

There was a post recently from a guys whose bike paint had faded from sitting in the sun so yes, sun damage is real...

I didn't say it wasn't real, I'm saying it is irrelevant. A bike that is stored outside is one thing, a bike that is merely waiting to be ridden again the next day is another. Is the o.p. going to stage a cover at each end of their commute or just at work? Which would be the end likely to get any sun damage. Or are they going to ride around with a 2lb. bike cover in... ... know what... I think I'm done trying to explain myself. It's clear as day what I mean. And... I've got C&V iron from the 80's that haven't received any coddling that are still rocking their factory paint. If any of them earn it I will treat them to a powdercoating as close to the OEM color as I can find and call it very good.

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thin...l&tid=61549925

Cranky, cranky, cranky...

Well, thanks to some of you. Especially lostarchitect for having my back, and yes, I live just outside of the Badlands at the base of the Black Hills. I see you are from Brooklyn. I lived on the north end of Prospect Park for about a year when I was a bike messenger in Manhattan. I did that for about 5 years in the late 80s-early 90s.

I'm an avid fisherman and I've seen first hand what the sun will do to vinyl and plastic on a boat, even though my boat is stored in a garage and only gets out once a week. Being out all day when the UV index is high will destroy just about anything. My concern is with those components on the bike that are plastic or rubber/vinyl, like the seat and headset components. Heck, even the battery housing is black plastic. I plan to keep the cover at work.

I like the motorcycle cover idea......and since I live 30 miles from Sturgis I think I can find one.

I have a motorcycle cover that my dad gave me> I don't store my bike outside, I use it when I go camping to keep rain/ dew/ prying eyes off of it. It is big enough to fit my bike and my sons under it no problem.
it is silver and seem like it would reflect sunlight really well.

Commuter #1 and #2 stay outside at home. #1 has a cover over it when it is at home. When at work, it stays inside the office. The nylon cover is not waterproof, but it keeps the sun off (mostly keeps the moonlight off since I ride it to work during the day...)

I would prefer a better, more waterproof cover.

The cover was bought at "Performance" bike shop.

As one mentioned, you can use a cover for a barbecue grill. I looked, but didn't find one that would fit.

When Commuter #2 isn't being ridden, it stays outside under the deck. Some sun is kept off of it, but it gets wet as a fish when it rains.

Oh well...

He's being his usual smug self. :rolleyes:

Just as I don't cover my car I don't cover my bike. I do have a seat cover that stuffs underneath the seat that I'll pull out if it's raining or snowing or going to. For me the minor benefit is not worth the hassle. Tens of millions of bikes stay outside all year in Europe and haven't seemed to have suffered.

I found quite a few on Amazon. I have it narrowed down to 2 that look like they are made very well.

Most of my family's bikes live in the garage, 7 in a rack I made from a crib, and two hung from the ceiling. But that leaves 4 bikes that are rarely used that we keep out back. To protect them from sun/rain damage, we cover them with a regular plastic tarp.

Originally I bought some cheap (few dollar) plastic rain covers off eBay, but they were so thin the handlebars tore through them first time we tried to cover the bikes up. So make sure if you are buying covers, they are good quality. User reviews should be helpful.

Yes. XSport sold through Performance Bike. It has an elastic drawstring around the bottom. Two of us at work use them. Mine since only last July. My friend replaces his every other year, and it shows quite a bit of sun discoloration. The cover keeps prying eyes off my bike, protects my leather saddle, and keeps UV away from all of the plastic and rubber bits. It's easy to handle/fold and unfold. Great to get on a dry bike after a day of sporadic rains. Highly recommend.

Wow, thanks! I'll look them up!

There are none so blind as those who will not see... I noticed you have a 'bent and living in a sunny climate, riding year 'round and having no overhead protection I made a cover for my Sun EZ. It worked like a champ. I found a fitted full sized sheet at a thrift store with a pattern that looked attractive and not budoir like, took some clothesline cord and used this as a first time sewing project making a 'pocket' for the cord and voila. Because Neddy Naysayer likely only rides DF bikes, he's not aware of a 'bent issue of sun scorching your seat back and seat cover when your bike is parked out in the open sun for 8 plus hours at a time.
Then too, Neddy Naysayer also isn't a motorcyclist who's learned how much a simple cloth cover can be a notable theft deterrent simply by being one more step a thief needs to take in order to fk with your lock and in fact, depending on your environment, can be used AS a lock, if you're brave enough by simply hiding whether or not it appears that you HAVE locked up your bike.
Good luck in your search and it isn't a silly idea as someone here wants to make it. Some folks are only able to see their perspective and unable and unwilling to consider other ways of looking at things.

I use bike covers in my condo garage and they work great of keeping the grunge off. I also used them on my balcony at one time. I tried inexpensive and they just ripped, mid level which lasted maybe half a season and great quality which have lasted almost four years. Unfortunately I can't give you a recommendation of brand name as I purchased them in Japan.

One particular nasty winter here in Toronto, we had a week of constant freezing rain and my lock would freeze up and the bike would be all icy I brought a cover to keep the water and ice off. It was in a locked bicycle cage at work so I was able to keep the cover overnight there without worries of theft.