Putting a bike into storage?

[Sara_H]

Dunno why, but life's all about the Brompton for me at the moment. Haven't ridden my hybrid for a couple of months - its just taking up room in the porch and people have started to hang stuff on it!

Thinking of putting it away in the garage until the winter (It's still got winter tyres on, thinking I may as well just leave them on and get it back out late autumn).

Do you need to do anything before putting a bike into storage ie let tyres down or pump therm up, extra grease to chain etc? I have no idea!

 

[DCLane]

If the garage is dry then you don't need to do anything.

 

[Tom B]

Let some pressure out of tyres leaving 10-20 psi in the tyres (no flat spots) and keep it dark.

The theory is the tyres won't then start cracking.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Let some pressure out of tyres leaving 10-20 psi in the tyres (no flat spots) and keep it dark.

The theory is the tyres won't then start cracking.

Why leave pressure out of the tyres? I'd either leave them fully pumped up or stick an extra 10psi in to allow for some loss.

 

[Lloss]

Cover it with a blanket and forget about it.

 

[steveindenmark]

I would give it a good clean and oil so it is all ready to take out and ride. I use car wax on my paintwork. I prefer to hang them on a wall rather than keep the tyres on the floor. Any little Jobs like brake blocks, replacing valve caps, do it now. Cover them with a blanket and the Jobs done.

Jannies bike is all done and in the loft and ready for winter.

 

[Tom B]

Why leave pressure out of the tyres? I'd either leave them fully pumped up or stick an extra 10psi in to allow for some loss.

Avoidance of flatspots due to weight of bike sitting on the tyres according to the MIL who gave me the advice. The idea is the rubber doesn't stress and crack.

I have some winter studs that I have hung up in the dark with 0psi because they are hung.

Of course you could hang the bike up.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Avoidance of flatspots due to weight of bike sitting on the tyres according to the MIL who gave me the advice. The idea is the rubber doesn't stress and crack.

I have some winter studs that I have hung up in the dark with 0psi because they are hung.

Of course you couldn't the bike up.

The weight of a car can flatspot the tyres, a bike won't.

 

[Drago]

Hang the bike up, tyre problem solved.

Clean, oil, adjust, wax, spray anything shiny with ACF 50.

 

[screenman]

Ride bike, how would you feel left all alone whilst your mate went out to play.

Bikes have feeling you know.

 

[mustang1]

I'm not saying this is how you should do it, but this is how I do it:

Put bike in storage area.
Walk away.

I heard about the cracking tires but I believe that's only in really strong direct sunlight. The only thing you might like to consider is rotating the tires every week if you use slime.