Happy new year to one and all. I was wondering how I should hang my bikes for the winter when not in use. Should they be hung by the front wheel or the back and why.

ok i'll be the first to not answer his question and say "they should be ridden through winter, and not hung"

sorry. am i right and saying they should be hung by frame (not wheels)?

Front wheel is fine, but I agree, ride dang it!

I hang mine by the rear wheel. I find it easier to get it down. There is nothing wring with hanging it by the wheels. They are strong enough to hold your weight, so they are definitely strong enough to hold the weight of the bike.

There's nothing wrong with hanging by the frame. Each spoke loads the rim with around 100 kilograms of force. 10 or so in the opposite axis isn't going to do any harm.

But jamesdenver has it right in the first part.

Rear wheel, because it's easier to get up and down. There's nothing wrong with hanging one bike while riding another...

I hang my steel bikes by the front wheel, and periodically, I'll remove the seatposts during storage as well.

Independent Fabrication has this advice on bike storage on their website.:

Each time the frame has been exposed to wet conditions, or at least every 3 months, the following procedure should be followed for IF steel frames:

1. Remove the seat post and leave the bicycle upside down over night so that the seat tube can drain and dry. This is best done in a warm and dry environment. Bikes which are routinely hung by their front wheel for storage have the fewest incidents of rust.
2. Before reinserting the seat post, spray a generous amount of, "J. P. Weigle's FRAME SAVER" or its equivalent into the seat tube. Cover the opening and agitate the frame to insure that the Frame Saver covers all of the inside of the seat tube.
3. Apply a light layer of grease to the seat post before you install it in the frame.
4. Bikes which are routinely hung on a wall hook by the front wheel tend not to have seat tube rust problems as the water has an opportunity to run out while the bike is not being used.

Just to set the record straight. I bring my commuter bike in the house for the winter I find that it is easyer to maintain and keep clean as for my so called good bike it is always in the basement ( safer than in the shed ). I still ride in the winter but not as much, my family worries to much about the ice on the road you see I work all three shifts so 4 weeks out of 6 I ride in the dark.

My commuter is in the house, all I do is wipe it off and look at it. I feel like **** doing this. Can't wait till the weather breaks for good. I went to my local bike shop and hung out for an hour just to stay in the loop of things.