The subtleties of storing bicycles

A healthy lifestyle around the world is attracting more and more fans. It has become "fashionable" to be healthy in many circles of the population, and it is considered bad form to talk about one's illnesses. Cycling is becoming more and more popular these days. A bicycle can be mastered by almost everyone, both young and old. But in winter, few fans dare to go cycling. Most people use their bike only during the snowless season. Seasonal storage of this lightweight, comfortable vehicle is becoming an important task.

The well-known saying about sleds can be paraphrased in relation to a bicycle as follows: “If you like to ride, love to bring your bike into your apartment”. Precisely in the apartment, since no other way of storing the "iron horse" in the conditions of our realities will not allow to ensure 100% safety. It's good when there is a spacious home, where you can easily allocate a comfortable place for a bike. But many families have more than one bicycle, and there are many small apartments without any storage room.

There are general rules that should be followed whenever possible.

• The determining factors are air humidity and temperature. Damp rooms are the most favorable environment for metal rusting; this point must be taken into account when choosing a storage location. Significant temperature changes also affect the "iron horse" not in the best way. Condensation forms on the parts, microcracks appear on the protective coatings, the corrosion process begins, rubber and plastic deteriorate.
• Avoid rusting.It is extremely difficult to get rid of it; it will drastically reduce the service life of the two-wheeled vehicle.
• The storage area should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Under their influence, rubber and plastic parts are destroyed, varnishes and paints of protective coatings fade.
• The storage location should not be near heaters, as this will damage the tires of the wheels and the seals of the fork.

If you carefully follow the simple preparation, you can safely send the unit for "wintering". The bike will last well until spring, even in imperfect, but acceptable conditions, if the owner has no other storage option. Preparation is carried out in stages.

• Washing. First, you need to clean the wheel hubs, speed switches, brake levers from dust and dirt with a brush, wipe off the old grease from the mechanical parts with a soft cloth, wash the car thoroughly, wipe it dry and put it to dry. Then wash the chain with a tensioner and "sprockets" with any solvent.

• Inspection. A detailed inspection of the vehicle will reveal minor faults and worn parts. You need to troubleshoot immediately, and not postpone until spring. During the winter, you can forget something, and the malfunction will remain, and the cost of repairs in the spring is always more expensive than in the fall.

• Lubrication. It is necessary to lubricate the washed components and parts, the chain, the cables of the switches and brakes. It's a good idea to change the lubricant in the wheel hubs, steering column, pedals. At other times, you still have to do it - so why not do it before storing it? If storage is planned in a room without heating, it is important to coat the chrome-plated surfaces and, if possible, the frame with silicone grease to protect against corrosion and paint cracking.

• Reducing the pressure in the chambers. It is enough to remove the pressure to 1.0-1.5 atm and maintain it during storage, pump up the wheels when decreasing.

• Dismantle the navigator, bike computer (if any), removable lights from the bike. Remove the batteries from the remaining fixed fixtures so that in winter the destructive electrolyte does not spread out of them.

• Loosen the clamps for fastening the seat and stem, reduce the tension on the brake spring cables, place the lubricated chain on the smallest sprockets.

For bicycles - "lucky" owners find a place in the apartment. This is the best option possible with optimal conditions. The only problem is how to position the bike as compact as possible so that it does not interfere. You can just put your bike against a free wall in the hallway if space permits, but this option is only suitable for a small family without children. You can fix the transport on a special hanger on the wall.

The correct suspension is by the frame, not by the saddle, handlebar or wheels. If the apartment is very small, there is no balcony or garage, you can partially disassemble the bike, put it in a canvas cover and put it under the bed, on the mezzanine or in the sofa box for storing things - there it will not bother anyone.

In addition to the apartment, the most common and suitable storage places are a glazed balcony, a loggia and a garage. These are good options for storing your bike there for the winter.Direct rays fall on the balcony or loggia on sunny days, so the bike prepared for storage must be covered (a dark film, cloth, tarpaulin, thick paper will do). It is unacceptable for water to drip from the hung laundry onto the machine - this is a direct path to corrosion.

There is not much free space in the garages if the car is already parked there. The bike is most often broadcast on the wall. The hanger can be made by yourself, preferably wooden or plastic, so as not to scratch the paint when hanging. In "Sporttovary" you can find ready-made inexpensive hangers-hooks. The design in the form of a rack is more expensive, but it saves space well, it is stable due to reliable fastening to the wall and support on the floor. The rack can accommodate 2 bicycles.

Any owner will be interested in original ideas for seasonal storage of bicycles. Online stores sell non-standard pendant mount "Cyclos", which has already received a lot of positive reviews. Its compactness is noted (resembles a small flower pot).

If there is a closed courtyard or free space in some room (free storage room, large loggia, unoccupied vestibule), where there is no need to save space, you can build a wooden stand or a rack made of plastic pipes and adapters for several two-wheeled vehicles. In small sizes, as an option, you can fix a large one even on the ceiling in a horizontal position, if the ceiling is high. So it will not in the least reduce the living space. Particular attention should be paid to the safety of such an attachment. The suspension must be strong and reliable.

If financial opportunities permit, in a large city you can rent a vehicle for the winter at a specialized parking lot, where it will be stored in a warm box until spring. Unfortunately, there are few such parking lots with bike boxes in Russia. Some bicycle repair shops, which are fully loaded in summer, offer seasonal bicycle storage services in winter, as there is a lot of free space in the premises in winter.

It is strongly not recommended to store bicycles in the entrance. According to statistics, this is the most common place for thefts, so there is no need to risk it. Store in a common corridor and on the landing is also not an option, since this inevitably reduces the total free space, it often causes dissatisfaction with neighbors, and when inspected by the State Fire Supervision Authority, it may even entail a fine, since it complicates the unhindered exit from the premises.

It is also impossible to hang it behind the side of an open balcony or on the outer wall of a building, it is tantamount to throwing the vehicles onto the street. With this storage, the bike will be in poor condition by the spring. You should not put your bike in the basement where vegetables are stored. Constant vapors and humidity will not save even a carefully prepared car from corrosion in such conditions.

For information on how to prepare your bike for winter storage, see the next video.