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Storing bicycle outside in the winter

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Old 10-03-10 | 05:36 PM
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Storing bicycle outside in the winter

I don't have the room for 5 bicycles so I'm looking at storing ouside on the terrace for the winter. Is there any cover I could purchase? Any tips, ideas? Thanks
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Old 10-03-10 | 05:45 PM
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i just got a vertical bike rack from brookstone that wedges between the floor and ceiling and can hold 4 bikes in a relatively small indoor space. (i live in a small 1bd in manhattan) You may want to look into something like this. In terms of floor space it takes up about the same amount of space as having one bike leaning up against a wall.
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Old 10-03-10 | 05:54 PM
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Keeping bikes outside isn't an option as far as I'm concerned.
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Old 10-03-10 | 05:58 PM
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Nashbar has a cover that worked well for me last winter. The bikes were outdors but under an awning.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes//Produc...2_175310_-1___
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Old 10-03-10 | 06:50 PM
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Tarp? Hooks from the ceiling joists?

It's a bike. It's not the Hope Diamond.

Your tires and cables may not like the moisture and temps, but you're going to replace them next spring, anyway.
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Old 10-03-10 | 09:43 PM
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ah man, I don't want to replace anything if I can avoid it. The cover looks good. Should I defate the tires during the long winter months? I wish I could store it somewhere safe but I can't afford it, plus I'm comforted knowing my bicycles are in my home.
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Old 10-03-10 | 09:56 PM
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A storage shed.
Lots of different brands and models available cheap.
Example: https://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...u=07165051000P
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Old 10-03-10 | 10:08 PM
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you can consider taking the wheels off and keeping them inside, may help you save the tires a bit.

This isn't the brookstone model I have but it's something similar, it takes up the same space as what I have which isn't a ton of space. It's not the best looking thing tohave in my living room but my gf had to choose between this orthe bikes randomly leaning and falling all over the place so she is okay with this.

https://www.brookstone.com/quad-bike-...st1FDT|7219457
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Old 10-03-10 | 10:16 PM
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Can you hang it from the ceiling? You can just go to a hardware store and buy some hooks. Bikes are light, so it works great.
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Old 10-03-10 | 10:50 PM
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Put it in your bathroom, or perhaps above your bed hanging from the ceiling. Surely your wife/girlfriend won't mind
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Old 10-03-10 | 10:51 PM
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you know you can partially take apart the ones you aren't using.
rotating the bars sideways saves a lot of width and taking off the front wheel saves a lot of depth.

the most compact configuration is similar to how you would pack it in a bike box.
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Old 10-03-10 | 11:16 PM
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Don't store it outside unless you mean in a storage shed. Covering it with a tarp isn't going to save it from the elements.
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Old 10-03-10 | 11:17 PM
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Can somebody with a ladder steal it?
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Old 10-03-10 | 11:27 PM
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if you do leave it out, be sure to use a breathable cover like Dupont Tyvek. a poly tarp just creates a humidor.
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Old 10-04-10 | 12:59 AM
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Do you have an attic? Getting it in and out is a b**** but it's better than putting it outside.

Otherwise, I would try to remove the front wheels and rotate the handlebars, as another poster described.
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Old 10-04-10 | 05:21 AM
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dude, I hate to hear any bike is being left outside in the winter. Not a good idea. some very good suggestions for alternatives above, but if it were one of my bikes, no way.
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Old 10-04-10 | 06:26 PM
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Originally Posted by EventServices
Tarp? Hooks from the ceiling joists?

It's a bike. It's not the Hope Diamond.

Your tires and cables may not like the moisture and temps, but you're going to replace them next spring, anyway.
Hey! I traded the Hope Diamond for my bike!
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Old 10-04-10 | 07:23 PM
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You're heartless. Would you also leave one of your children out all winter in the cold?
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Old 10-04-10 | 07:31 PM
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A detail, do not tell anybody u have bikes in the back if you go the little shed thing route, because more than some sucker might want to take your stuff away at some point.
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Old 10-04-10 | 07:37 PM
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I don't really see the difference between covered in a tarp or put in a crappy shed but whatever. Either way ALL my bikes come in from the garage into the basement for the winter, and the Tarmac stays in the living room.
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Old 10-04-10 | 07:47 PM
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Originally Posted by mazdaspeed
Keeping bikes outside isn't an option as far as I'm concerned.
Plesae elaborate. Why not? I keep bikes in a shed and that's not any different than a cover.
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Old 10-04-10 | 07:50 PM
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Originally Posted by mazdaspeed
Keeping bikes outside isn't an option as far as I'm concerned.
well, THERE'S a helpful comment...
Just out of curiosity, why not? You ride outside, unless you're one of those summer-only guys. People are always bragging about the cold temperatures they ride in, but for some reason many of them believe the bike gets colder if they're not on it or something, so it has to come in at night. There's a school of thought that cold-all-the-time is better, because moving the bike in and out causes condensation inside the tubes, which runs down to the BB and can contribute to rust.
For the OP, all my family's bikes, seven of them now but as many as 13 when we had kids at home, have been stored under a patio cover or in an unheated shed, some for as long as 20 years, with no ill effects.Our winter temps often go below zero and we always have a few 100+ days in summer. A bike is a piece of outdoor equipment, meant to be outside. It doesn't care if it's cold.
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Old 10-04-10 | 08:04 PM
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If it's a 54 cm frame CF bike you can store it at my house in the daylight basement.
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Old 10-05-10 | 07:01 PM
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Well thanks for all the suggestions...I'm going to keep them inside.........I just have to move them outside when I have family over for a few days...........my terrace is 7 stories high so someone taking a bicycle would have to be spiderman..........I'm on the waterfront so leaving them outside would have an effect in the long run.........thanks again for all replys.........
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Old 10-05-10 | 09:44 PM
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.my terrace is 7 stories high so someone taking a bicycle would have to be spiderman.......... <--- u have no idea what some suckers are able to do to get your stuff.
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