Storing your bike

Storing your bike

How you store your bike is an important factor in its maintenance. Protecting your bike from the elements should be the most important consideration in storing it. Even for short-term storage such as overnight or for a few days, you should try to bring it indoors whenever possible. If you leave it outside, it’ll be more exposed to wind, rain, and dirt, all of which can have a negative effect on your bike.

If you must store your bike outside for any period of time, consider buying a bike cover or even a tarp. This will provide some protection from rain and from dust and dirt blowing into its parts.

If you live in a part of the country that has a less-than-forgiving climate, you may want to store your bike for a longer period of time. If you’re planning on taking your bike off the road for an extended period of time and keeping it in storage, take the following steps to preserve its condition:

✓ Give it a complete cleaning and lube job. This is the most basic step you can take before storing your bike.

✓ Overhaul the hubs, bottom bracket, headset, and derailleurs; pack all the bearings in fresh grease; and true the wheels. If you do all this before you put your bike in storage, it’ll be ready to roll as soon as that first warm day of spring arrives.

✓ Give your tires and tubes a break by letting the air out.

✓ Release the brake and shifter cables to take pressure off the springs.

Some people argue that most modern metals won’t weaken from the continuous tension, but we like to take this step anyway. If you’d rather not take this step, you should at least open the quick-release mechanism for the brakes and shift the chain onto the smallest front sprocket and smallest rear cog — this is usually the derailleur position with the least spring tension.

Storing your bike

Store your bike indoors to protect it from the elements. This will help limit moisture and prevent rusting of internal parts. Also, avoid storing your bike where it could be knocked over — the rear derailleur is vulnerable and could be damaged in a fall.

Consider hanging your bike from a hook on the wall or ceiling — either by the wheels or by the frame. Not only will you save some space but you’ll protect the tires from supporting weight in the same position for a long period of time. Dennis thinks a bike hanging on the wall is a decorative touch for a room, although not everyone (including his wife) agrees with him on that.