In this article, we will figure out how to properly store a bicycle in winter in order to provide your two-wheeled friend with a decent vacation.
With the onset of cold weather and snowfall, perhaps 9 out of 10 cyclists and triathletes leave riding until the dry and warm season. The bicycle is not used for about five months a year, and then the question arises of where and, most importantly, how to store it correctly.
If in the summer it didn’t interfere much in the hallway, now skis can take its place, and leaving the bike just leaning against the wall is not a solution.
How to prepare a bicycle for long-term storage
After an active summer in the saddle, leaving your bike as is for the winter means being a bad owner. When storing your bike for the winter, there are a few important things to keep in mind to ensure it's ready to hit the trails when the new season arrives.
Save our checklist.
Clean your bike
Before putting your bike away for the winter, wipe it down, including the frame, tires, handles, saddle, and don't forget to clean the chain and cassette. The bicycle must be, if not spotless, then very clean.
Inspect the bike for damage
Now that the bike is completely clean, the technical inspection will be easier. And, in principle, thoroughly washing your bike allows you to look at the most inconspicuous places.
Look for any signs of cracks or metal fatigue, especially around welds and on the carriage. Inspect the condition of the wheels, tires, and brake pads. The wheels should not show a figure eight, and the pads should be excessively worn.
If you want to take a closer look at your bike's condition, have it professionally tuned before winter. It is better to do this at the end of the season, because at the beginning of the next one, in the spring, in order to get into some workshops, you will have to sign up in advance.
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Lubricate the bike parts
Lubricating your bike prevents corrosion and protects moving parts from excessive wear. Before winter storage, not only the chain, but also the cables should be lubricated. In this case, there is no need to be generous and lubricate the parts generously.
Release the tension
Before conservation, arm yourself with a multi-key: you will have to loosen the brake cables, slightly unscrew the seatpost fastening and other tightening elements. It is very important to drop the chain onto the smallest sprockets on both wheels. The latter, however, is advisable to do after each trip.
Pump up your tires
If you are going to store your bike standing on its wheels, pumping up the air is especially important, because with flat tires the bike will put its weight on the rims and tires. Remember to repeat this procedure throughout the long winter months.
However, you don’t need to pump it to maximum; such pressure will be enough so that the bike’s own weight does not push through the tire.
Cover the bike
If it will spend the winter in a garage, loggia, or attic, it needs to be hidden either in a case or covered with thick fabric. There are two reasons for this: a bicycle in long-term storage does not tolerate direct sunlight and dust on parts.
Yes, during the riding season it can endure anything, but preserving a bicycle means the absence of any use and preserving the life of a two-wheeled vehicle.
Read on topic: How to choose a bike suitcase
Tips from the professionals
There are some nuances that should be taken into account:
- If the bicycle is in its normal condition during storage - standing, then you should periodically inflate the tires and spin the wheels;
- an additional advantage in preservation will be the treatment of tires with glycerin inside and outside - the rubber will be better preserved and there is no risk of cracking;
- “wintering” a bicycle in a suspended state is preferable, since the tires and wheels in this case are not deformed;
- A bicycle prepared for conservation must be covered for the entire wintering period from possible dirt and dust;
- the steering wheel fixing bolts can be loosened and the steering wheel can be turned parallel to the frame - this will reduce the dimensions of the bicycle;
Parts and accessories removed from the structure must be stored in one place so that they do not get lost during a long winter if they are in different places.
Where can you store your bike?
You shouldn’t even think about storing your iron friend in the entrance or outdoors if you have a private home. In the first case, you may become a victim of robbery, and in the second case, weather conditions such as rain and snow will damage the components of the bike and shorten its lifespan.
It is preferable to store the bicycle indoors - in a house, apartment, loggia, garage. You can take it for specialized storage: some bicycle services offer such a service.
Storage in an apartment is the most popular way to store a bicycle in winter.
Always on the move
Fixie or cruiser, road bike or downhill monster, fashionable fat bike or compact city bike - it doesn’t matter what kind of bike you have, it’s important how you take care of it. In order to be on a bike ride every season, you need to properly prepare your bike for storage and store it only in the right conditions. There are already several dozen bicycles stored in the Attic, and we will be happy to take your horse into the company!
Where should you not store your bike?
List of potential bike storage spots you should cross off:
- Entrance. A bicycle may attract thieves or disturb other residents of the house.
- Balcony. On an open balcony, as on the street, a bicycle will be exposed to precipitation, dust and sudden temperature changes. This leads to rust, corrosion and large spring maintenance bills.
- Heat sources. Do not place your bike near radiators, radiators or heaters indoors.
- Basement. If there is high humidity in the basement, cross out this option as well.
- Cold or damp garage. The bike does not like the capricious temperature conditions of the off-season, so if the garage is damp and does not maintain a constant temperature, it will not be able to accommodate your friend.
- On the concrete floor. Avoid leaving bicycle tires on the bare concrete floor of a basement or garage. Concrete draws moisture from the rubber of tires, causing them to age prematurely.
From these prohibitions we can derive the formula for an ideal place to store a bicycle: it should be dry, at a constant temperature, hidden from prying eyes.
Results
So, in order to store your bike for the entire winter until spring after the end of the warm season, you must first carry out several important steps related to preservation. Cleaning from dirt, technical inspection, applying lubricants, relaxing parts and preparing wheels are mandatory procedures. Thanks to them, your bike will be in excellent working order in the spring. But we must not forget that the storage location of equipment is of great importance. It is better to give preference to a warm, closed and dry room.
At what temperature should you store your bike?
The cold itself will not harm the bike, but temperature fluctuations will. That is why we have added cold balconies and garages to the list of places prohibited for long-term storage. Moisture condensation from the air formed during a sharp temperature change negatively affects plastic and rubber parts, and compression and expansion of the metal threatens microcracks.
The heat from heating devices and radiators is no better than the constantly changing outside temperature. Thus, high temperatures destroy rubber parts of bicycles and tires.
Example of hanging bicycle storage
How to store a bike in a small apartment
There are many variations on how to place your bike in your living space: from stylish wall mounts that allow you to make your bike a part of your interior, to a simple stand. By the way, before attaching your bike to the wall, take into account its weight and the quality of the walls.
If you don’t want to disassemble your bike for the winter, you can store it against the wall using brackets or a bike rack
When using floor stands, you need to make sure that the stand niches are suitable for the width and size of the wheels.
If these two options do not suit you, it will be enough to place the bike in a case and put it in the storeroom, but be careful not to put anything on it.
Now let's take a closer look at ideas for storing bicycles in a living space.
Mounting a bicycle to the ceiling and wall
Hanging a bicycle is a great way to save space in your apartment. Another good thing about this method is that you don’t have to worry about tire pressure. When you search for hanging bicycle storage in a search engine, you will see a lot of options: from the simplest and most inconspicuous to designer ones that create an element of decor in the room.
The bicycle can be secured to the ceiling using ropes and hooks - this way it will hang horizontally. Another method involves attaching a special frame on which the bicycle is placed, like on a shelf.
When storing on the wall, there are vertical storage, when the bicycle is pulled up by the front wheel, and horizontal, when the bike remains in its position and is fixed on the wall using a bracket on which the bicycle is suspended by the frame. When suspended, the steering wheel can create inconvenience. The problem is solved quickly: just turn it 90 degrees.
Perhaps some readers will be frightened by the apparent complexity of this method, but we hasten to reassure you: the mechanisms necessary for hanging storage are sold in online stores. All you have to do is mount it to the wall.
Hanging storage is an interesting way to display your bikes as a collection if there are several of them, and if there is only one, you can decorate a hobby corner in the same way with photographs, a map of tested routes, medals, and starting numbers. To make the corner beautiful, look at the websites for creative mounting options.
Mounting a bicycle to the wall using a bike rack
A convenient option that serves as an alternative to the previous one is to hang the bike on a special rack. Its advantage is that the height of the hooks can be adjusted.
Nowadays there is a huge offer of different types of racks, and minimalist solutions, like those shown below, seem very good to us.
These options take up little space, but reliably “park” the bike for several months.
You can also purchase a home version of a bike rack, similar to those found in public places. This way you won't have to drill and screw the mount, and the bike will stand securely on the floor. Moreover, the home equivalent of a bike rack is great for families with multiple bikes.
Storing your bike in a closet and other places
The best solution would be to remove the wheels from the bike, twist the pedals inward, lower the saddle and hide the bike in such a compact form - in a closet, or under the bed, or put it on the mezzanine. In this case, we recommend that you first put the bike in a case so as not to inadvertently scratch it.
If you have a large living space, you may want to consider purchasing a special bicycle cabinet. It wins over all options in that its design presents a complete and holistic appearance: the cabinet provides storage for small parts, equipment and tools. That is, you get an organized space specifically for a bicycle.
Many of the storage mechanisms listed require you to hang your bike on one or both wheels. Is it even possible to hang a bicycle by the wheel? Yes, and this is considered one of the best storage methods. Don't worry, the weight won't damage the wheels.
Storing a bicycle on the machine
This is the easiest way, of course, provided that you have a bicycle machine. At the same time, because you have a machine, you most likely do not preserve the bicycle, but continue to use it in the same way. Except perhaps without road dust and sudden precipitation.
If you do not plan to practice on the machine, it is, of course, ideal for storage. Just remember to take care of the pressure in the tires, loosen everything that is tightened during use, and keep it away from direct rays of the sun.
It will be useful: How to choose a bike station for training at home
An option for organizing space in a way that will inspire new sporting victories. Source: kellytheculinarian.com
Storage in specialized places
More and more people get on bicycles in the summer, which means that seasonal storage of bikes in bicycle workshops turns out to be a profitable business in big cities. The areas that are occupied by bicycles waiting in line for maintenance during the active season are given over to winter storage.
In such places, of course, storage rules are strictly observed: it is warm, dry and clean. Most companies accept bikes from September to May and for the entire season they will ask from 4 to 15 thousand rubles, depending on the volume of services.
Malfunction that requires contacting a bicycle workshop
- When brake pads wear out.
- The presence of a “figure eight” wheel (while driving, the wheels dangle from side to side).
- Incorrect operation of the switches (when you press them, you hear a crunching sound, but the switching itself does not occur).
- Loose steering wheel (when you press the front brake, the bike brakes jerkily. This reaction indicates the presence of play in the steering block).
Professionals advise: if during the first inspection you did not identify any problems, but something does not function correctly while driving, it is better to contact a specialist. The owner of a steel horse cannot always repair it himself at home.
In short, a bicycle does not have many components that can break down. Most often, bicycle owners have to deal with improper operation of the switches, wiping of the brake (you can hear the “chug-chug” sound when riding) and the “eight” of the wheel. Various backlashes are considered no less dangerous for a bicycle.
If there is play in the steering wheel or wheels, and the bike owner ignores such breakdowns and rides on, then and bearing seats may soon break
Summary
After reading our guide, you have hopefully discovered that preserving and storing your bike, even in a small apartment, is easy. Look around the space you have and it turns out that you can do more than just lean your bike against the wall for the winter.
It can be:
- attach vertically or horizontally to the wall;
- attach to the ceiling;
- roll it onto a bike rack;
- put on a bike rack;
- disassemble and put in a closet, pantry;
- take it to the garage;
- hand over to a specialized bicycle box for seasonal storage.
Read on topic: 16 useful accessories for cyclists
K-trak
The K-trak kit is the parts you need to turn your two-wheeled steed into a snowmobile. The wheels of your bike are removable; a caterpillar is put in place of the rear one, and skis instead of the front one. If you own a bicycle with 20, 24 or 26-inch wheels, then you can safely order this set for the winter. K-trak easily turns a regular summer bike into a winter bike!
It was decided to replace the front wheel with skis due to the fact that the caterpillar buries itself in the snow when driving fast. At the rear, the caterpillar only brings benefits: due to it, the grip on the snow surface is improved. This kit is recommended for use by those who have cam-mounted wheels to make modifying their bike faster and easier.
Surprisingly, the weight of a bike with K-trak practically does not increase.
Advantages:
- the most comfortable ride on snow;
- you can only buy a kit to modify your bike, and not a whole new bike;
- easy to transform.
Flaws:
- it is impossible to drive on asphalt;
- It's difficult to steer the ski.
