Anyone use a bike cover?
 

Just picked one up, I like to keep my main commuter right outside my front door so I can grab and go.. seems like a good option to have it ready for wet days too. I don't think it will work for my work and school ends though, perhaps a plastic bag over my brooks? So anyhow, who else has these things and do they like them/do they work?

Never used a bike cover before.

I did use a blue tarp for awhile when we lived in a basement apartment and had to keep it outside. Kept a brooks saddle cover with it for my destination.

I used to do volunteer work in a less affluent part of town and locked my bike up in front of the police station and put a cover over it. It never got stolen, which is nice.

Hmmm, were bikes often stolen in that part of town? Campus is kind've a cesspool, work not so much.

the heavy Plastic bag over the Leather brooks saddle works well. I dont bother with a fitted bike cover ...

on Wet Bike tours where I was wearing rain Pants and so forth, I just left the bag on the saddle .

now I live in a wet place , I just put a different ' Pleather' covered Saddle on.

I honestly don't know if bikes were often stolen in that part of town. Probably not. Mine wasn't. Maybe the cover just made me feel better about leaving the bike locked up outside. It has been a very long time since I lived on a college campus, but when I did, I rode an extremely crappy bike that cost less that the price of a bike cover. It got stolen by the way.

This isn't the standard college, I'm just taking courses for a different direction in life at the local Junior College, so no on campus living and not on campus daily or anything like that... I still don't trust my babies in the rack there though >.<

I would think a cover would draw potential thieves. Any time I see a car with a cover, I think it must be nice and want to take a look. :innocent:

loL the cover looks quite cheap and says bell quite large on it...

I kept a plastic sheet over an outside bike for awhile, but one problem with that. Water condensed under the sheet anyway and without any airflow it never dried out. So just plastic or a tarp isn't very helpful. Maybe if it had vents, or you're in a less humid environment, but I went back to bagging the seat and handlebar.

When I lived in a townhouse I parked my bike on the patio and used an outdoor grill cover for three winters. It tied at the bottom and it held in moisture (bad) and seemed to collect leaves up inside, too. Fifteen years later I just realized I could have kept my bike inside in the basement. MUST BUILD TIME MACHINE......

Day 2 Report: We got rain here (thank goodness) and I had my cover on, the bottom leaves the tires at the bottom of the rims exposed.. which is fine since it seems to allow the cover to breathe, the water all beaded off the cover no pooling on it.. I'm fairly happy with it at this point. Unknown on school/work tests.. I don't often have to leave my bike outside at either.

I like using a cover for my commuter bike, it keeps it nice and dry and that certainly saves me time in the morning. The trick is to leave a big enough gap at the bottom to allow for ventilation. Only took 6 months to work that one out... :rolleyes:

I used one for a couple years when I had to park my bike outside at work. (Left the cover in most of the time, only pulled it out when it looked like it might rain.) Nice to come outside to a dry clean bike.

FWIW, I think mine was the Performance. Make sure you use the velcro closure at the bottom if it's windy...

I used a tarp at first but by midwiner it became obvious it was smarter to bring the bike in when I got home. for me that meant down the rear bulkhead stairs to the basement, it was a minor hassle but I got used to it and the benefits were great. frozen brake cable housings that prevent shifting is no fun

yup, I use one just for the reason you state... works pretty well...

my dad gave me a motorcyle cover but I have used it on camping trips before. Although when I rode the GAP this year I did not bring it. My bags were full and it was non essential. i just laid bike under my hammock/ tarp and that kep most of the dew off of it. Car camping i have brought it though.