Anybody keep a bike outside?

[Mr. Pink]

Just bought a condo. Have a nice spot for the two steel customs inside. But I'm thinking I could really use a functional utilty bike, with baskets or saddlebags for shopping and the gym (all within a pretty short distance). An old hybrid or something modified to this purpose. I have to keep it outside, but I could cover it with some sort of, well, cover, or even fashion a little roof over it in my private garden. I will put it inside somewhere in the winter.

Anybody do this? How does the bike handle it? I guess a lot of protective lube and other coatings, right?

[Pete Mckeon]

Additional lubrication and wax on it,cables, der, etc



Just bought a condo. Have a nice spot for the two steel customs inside. But I'm thinking I could really use a functional utilty bike, with baskets or saddlebags for shopping and the gym (all within a pretty short distance). An old hybrid or something modified to this purpose. I have to keep it outside, but I could cover it with some sort of, well, cover, or even fashion a little roof over it in my private garden. I will put it inside somewhere in the winter.

Anybody do this? How does the bike handle it? I guess a lot of protective lube and other coatings, right?

[EricEstlund]

If you have a private garden you may consider a bike storage box or parking box.

[weaponsgrade]

I keep my grocery bike outside but under what I guess you could call a porch. It's protected from the direct outside elements but it still gets very dirty and surface rust has formed on the brake springs. It's been stored like that for many years and the only maintenance I've done is oil the chain. I recently got a plastic cover for it.

[MRB]

I do this with my commuter, and it works fine, even saving me a few minutes each morning.
I use a good quality BBQ cover (designed for a modern wide BBQ grille) that I picked up at Wally World. My biggest fear is that a wind storm might blow the BBQ cover away, when it is not covering the bike, but that has not happened. (yet)

[schwa86]

I keep my grocery bike outside but under what I guess you could call a porch. It's protected from the direct outside elements but it still gets very dirty and surface rust has formed on the brake springs. It's been stored like that for many years and the only maintenance I've done is oil the chain. I recently got a plastic cover for it.

Same for me on my commuter -- definitely gets a bit rusty -- and the disc brakes get some condensation on them on humid days, but mostly ok.

[Javaman]

I live close to the ocean so I don't leave my bike outside, even the beater (Nashbar MTB). Definitely need a cover to protect from the elements or you'll be wiping and lubing more often than you want to.

[Ralph]

I don't even leave a car outside, so certainly not a bike.

Having said that.....the bike racks at most colleges are full of bikes left outside for years at a time, and most still operate....sorta.

[Mr. Pink]

the bike racks at most colleges are full of bikes left outside for years at a time, and most still operate....sorta.

Maybe I should direct this question to a resident of Amsterdam, world's capital of ratty bikes sitting in racks. (Sorry, Beijing)

[regularguy412]

No.

[biker72]

Never.

[redir]

I kept a couple outside but they were under a porch roof and never got wet. I did however forget to lock it once and some scumbag stole it. He got caught and I got my bike back. So dont forget to lock it!!!

[xjoex]

I just saw this the other day was thinking of getting one just for my commuter.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00IAD3FCY

-Joe

[john903]

Yes. We are currently building a house and living on the property so both my steel bikes are outside under a lean to. I do treat them with frame saver and as others mentioned a coat of wax helps.
Have a great day.

[giverdada]

my commuter is currently a sweet steel redline and frankenbuild fixie that i totally drenched (inside and some dripped around outside) with double boiled linseed oil. wicked coating material for steel frames. running no gears and otherwise rather simple parts makes it straightforward for maintenance. i live in toronto where it was winter for 8 months, and it stays outside, under a $10 tarp, on the porch, locked to the barbecue fuel tank, and it runs smooth every day. winter lube on the chain in the winter. nothing else fancy. hubs will need a repack after next winter as i think the cold breaks the grease down eventually. UV exposure kills tires fast, in case your garden gets full sun and the tires would bake to sidewall threads and tread cracks. otherwise, lock it and leave it!

[moose8]

I've kept bikes out from time to time in Boston and they really take a pretty serious beating, especially winter. But if it's the difference between biking and not biking might as well keep them outside and know that there'll be chain and cable replacements in the not too distant future.

[Lewis Moon]

If you have a private garden you may consider a bike storage box or parking box.

Sounds like a straight forward and easy build project.