Both of bikes are stored in a shed in back, with no door. The shed keeps most rain from getting on the bikes, but some may come in through the door, and also there is the problem of condensation.

Should I get one of these bicycle covers to totally enclose the bike
https://www.amazon.com/MayBron-Gear-...ke+cover&psc=1
or just throw a tarp over them? I'm somewhat concerned about airflow and trapping moisture inside.

I should mention that I live in a coastal area, in Jersey City to be exact.

Keep the shed painted and it shouldn't corrode.

Purge the shed of Oxygen and Moisture ..

A certain amount of corrosion will have to be acceptable, especially if relative humidity is high in the shed. Put a vent opposite the door to keep air flowing through, and promote a lower humidity inside.

Okay, I made my requisite bad joke ... now I can respond.

Nothing you can do. Salt air, moisture in the air ... Assuming these are steel frames, best bet is to coat inside the frames with some sort of frame-saver (I am sure many here could tell you their favorites) and grease the exposed steel bits, and keep on top of it.

fietsbob's "humorous" response is exactly correct. Unless you are storing the bikes in a vacuum ....

I guess jersey City has changed some. Back in the day those bikes would have been stolen seven different times before they would have had a chance to corrode.

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5047-4...le-Storage-Bag

Whether you are putting your bike in storage or just want to keep it spotless, this effective cover offers 5 years of rust protection. Zerust® is a Vapour Corrosion Inhibitor (VCI) that emits an invisible vapour, settling on metal to prevent rust and corrosion. The VCI formula is invisible, odourless and non-toxic and dissipates off the bike when you remove the cover.

I thought all the Snarky McSnarkson comments were only required in the 41? Maybe I should rethink where I let myself be a smartass.

I'm having the same problem. Even though all my good bikes are stored inside, my pinarello is stored outside in the shed. I'm gonna rebuild it this winter. I'm thinking about spraying it with wd40 and then covering it with a tarp. Not sure what that'll do to it but I'm willing to try it.

texaspandj, WD-40 is good at getting rid of water in the short term (that's what the WD originally stood for: "Water Displacer"), but much of the effective part of the formula evaporates, leaving a really nasty gummy film. I've used Boeshield T-9, which was developed by Boeing to minimize rust and corrosion. Other things specifically designed to protect against rust (which WD-40 was not) are LPS-2 and LPS-3, and TC-11. See here for TC-11's list (which favors TC-11, of course!)

there are all kind of sprays you can buy to apply to your bike. I don't know how hard it would be to take it off, but it would keep corrosion at bay.

Sorry, but a shed with no door on the coast is equivalent to outdoor storage. All the above about covering the bikes with many forms of rust preventative are crucial including constant monitoring. My current daily rider languished for decades in various storage lockers, garages, and damp basements but located in the mid west. Some how came out with only needing deep cleaning and replacement of consumables. It now lives in a garage, is never ridden in the rain, the leather saddle and computer kept indoors through the off season, so far so good.

I live in the Gulf Coast of Florida and the humidity here is high for three quarters of the year. While my road bike lives in the back of the van, my hybrid lives in a shed (I do have doors on it) in the back yard. It's completely covered with visqueen, hardly ever gets ridden and has lived in the shed since 2009. There is no rust on the frame, handlebars or the drive train. There is some rust on the brake's cable ends and some of the bolts have rust on them. I do check on it once in a while and wipe off the spider webs, oil the chain and frame, check the derailleurs to make sure they still work properly and I'll probably replace the rusted bolts with stainless ones sometime soon.

It will be much better if you can get a door on your shed.

In that case, a dehumidifier can help. Or, simply a light bulb or small heater on at night to keep the temperature slightly above the ambient temperature.

My car has been parked out on the streets here in NYC since I bought it in 2006. It gets a drive thru car wash maybe 3x per year. Never been waxed. Not a spot of rust on the body.. but I don't pop the hood very often. Why are bikes so susceptible?

Planned obsolescence.

Carbon fiber doesn't rust.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality

You can always smear a good amount of wheel bearing grease all over the frame. Should go a long ways in preventing corrosion.

LPS-3 is cosmoline in a spray can, (well not really that sticky or terrible to remove, but it was developed to spray the undercarriage areas of aircraft to prevent corrosion.) I use it for tools and firearms that are going to be stored for a while and machined surfaces of large equipment that may be stored outside for a few months before installation is complete. It wipes off readily with a rag and a little mineral spirits when you want to remove it. It isn't readily available and you might have to Amazon it or get it from an RMO house like Grangers.

LPS-2 is more a light spray lubricant. LPS-1 is their version of WD40. Both of those seem to be available at about any ACE hardware.

If your bike has any stickers (not water transfer decals) and, if you cover it with WD 40 for the winter, in the spring some of the sticker glue will be dissolved and the stickers may sag, move, or just come apart.
Also, if you have a wood or concrete floor the moisture rises up from the floor. It can do a lot of damage. Put down a plastic tarp on the floor before covering the bike with a tarp.
Condensation is caused by temperature changes. Put a blanket or some insulation on top of the plastic covering. It will slow the temperature changes, and, will help a little.

Thanks for the responses.

Unfortunately, I can't do anything about the lack of a door--I rent this place and I was lucky enough to get the shed. I also can't coat it with WD-40 or anything like that since this is my commuter. It's an old 80s Bridgestone MTB that I got off ebay for $200. So it's a steel frame. But it's corrosion free as of now, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Is the bike guaranteed to rust if I leave it out there? The rust-proof cover somone linked looks interesting...

Yes the bike is guaranteed to rust if you let it but the important thing to do is simply look it over any time you get on it and if you see any minor issues take care of it before it becomes a major issue. Lubrication, regular service of bearings and consumables, touching up any paint chips/scratches and your good to go

Probably it will rust yes. But you can slow it down. The cover with the chemicals in it sounds very promising. My mother had a few silver things like spoons and special dishes etc. They were stored in special cloth bags that had some chemical in it that kept the silver from tarnishing. The tightly wrapped things kept the silver from tarnishing probably from her wedding before I was born. I'm 65. I still have some of those bags with silver things inside.

On some of my old bikes that have bolt heads or small parts that have lost their plating or covering, I put some WD 40 in a cup and use a small paintbrush (acid brushes, Amazon, cheap) to brush just the parts with a little wd40 that need it and I can still ride the bike without getting dirty.

If there are paint scratches exposing the steel, for most colors you can find nail polish to cover the steel. It dries fast and is hard.

So glad we moved to AZ from Michigan in 1978 . . .
No corrision. low humidity and hardly any rain.
But 100+ degrees in the summer is another story . . . Yup, it's a DRY heat!

Cosmoline-Tim-

The simple solution would be to store it inside somewhere.