You must have thought about it quite often. How long can you leave your bike in the open before it starts showing signs of damage and degradation? There are plenty of reasons why you may be compelled to leave your bike in the garage.
But that doesn’t mean you will not be overwhelmed with the thoughts of your tandem being rusted all over. Ideally, you should keep it in an indoor space where your bike will not have to endure harsh weather conditions.
So will your bicycle rust in the garage? Ultimately, as long as your garage is somewhat temperature controlled, isn’t damp, and doesn’t lead your bike to getting damaged then you should be able to keep in in there no problem. However this article gives you a good idea of what to look out for in this situation.
How long a bike can be stored outside in the garage?
Well, this depends on a number of conditions. The first point to consider is to think how old is your bike. For instance, if your bike is not more than a decade old, it’s likely that it comes with better seals on headsets, hubs, and other crucial parts that may get rust.
It is also dependent on the geographical location- if it’s stored in a place that is susceptible to rain or excess humidity, then your bike is likely to corrode very fast.
If you want to leave your bike out in the garage for a couple of days, there shouldn’t be any problem. But you may encounter visible damage afterward as the parts will start degrading.
With heat, rubber and plastic parts may start breaking down. The colors may become fade and the plastic area will also become brittle. That is not much of a problem in colder climates but when the temperature drops below a certain point your bike will have many problems with rust.
Thankfully though, if you are running into this, you can actually save your bike from rust, then store it better in the future!
Can cold have a negative impact on your bike?
Cold temperature for itself is not damaging for the bike. But the effect of cold air is that it may lessen the durability of the batteries or cyclo-computer or other electronic elements. What may possibly have an adverse effect on your bike, is the constant shift from cold to warm weather. This is because the moisture trapped in the bike may condense in the inner parts of the bike causing it to condense which may rust the affected parts.
With repeated thawing and freezing the components of the bike can become loose and in the worst case, it may become crack. This may even lead to minor issues in the finish of the frame.
Thus, you should choose the garage in such a place that it doesn’t become susceptible to temperature fluctuations. If you have to ride your bike out in the cold, then you should attempt to store it in a relatively colder garage.
Is there any way of protecting your bike from rust?
Rather than watching your bike getting rusted in the garage, you may take a few necessary steps to protect your precious belonging.
Investing in a tarp
Though you may be disinterested in wrapping up your steed in a tarp and create a moisture pocket, you may create it as a roof over the vehicle to protect it from sun and rain damage. This in expensive one right here should work perfectly!
You may also protect your bike with a waterproof bike cover. Ones like this are a bit more expensive than a tarp, however are fitted to bikes and work really well.
Thankfully, bicycles are hardy, and can handle getting wet, however just not long term! That is why a quick tarp is an awesome solution for this.
Monitoring the seals
If you are already aware that you may have to leave your bike in the garage, you may consumer getting the seals checked. If your bike is more than a decade old, it is advised that you invest in resealing the crucial areas. This will prevent moisture to seep inside the bike frame.
Greasing the cables
You should locate the areas that commonly seize and oxidize can be extremely helpful in protecting your bike against rust. Then add a little bit of grease to those areas! Something like this includes a tool to get very specific to where the grease is applied.
Moreover, if you see signs of rust, you should aim to remove it at that instant rather than allowing it to settle down. You may also choose to scrape put the layer of rust with tin foil.
Investing in a bike hanger
Even if there are space constraints in your garage, there are still viable methods of storing your bike indoors. If you can install a bike hanger in your garage, or even better a bike hoist! you will not only be able to make a nice display of your steed but also ensure that the vehicle is maximally protected.
This article right here actually gives you even more ideas on how to store your bike in the garage!
Frequently Asked Questions
It is alright to store the bicycle vertically however if you are using a bike hanger make sure it’s not rusting from the inside. If there is any corrosion, it may cause rapid degradation of your frame and other parts of the bike.
If you have a car in your garage, and need the bike in there as well, the easiest way is to hang your bicycle from the ceiling, or store it on the wall of the garage. There are plenty of inexpensive options that you can purchase for achieving this.
If your bicycle is your primary mode of transportation, you can easily install a small garage door opener on your bicycle. Items like double sided tape, or even velcro are going to be your friends in this situation.
Conclusion
If you keep your bike in the garage for too long, it’s obvious that rust will find its way to it. Even though it may not brother plausible to rustproof your garage entirely, you can surely ensure that your bike is well protected.
All of this said, if you are looking to keep your bike in the garage, it is an awesome option! Another option of course, is to keep it in the shed as well.
