Bike Storage

If you ride a bike, for sport or transportation, you'll need to address the subject of bike storage. You'll be more inclined to ride if it is easy to get your bike down to the street every day. Bikes weren't meant to be hung inside an apartment, never to see the pavement.

To be sure, you won't want to make a special trip to a storage locker or lug your bike down flights of stairs every morning. It's tempting to leave it outside, where it's ready to ride the next day. But, depending on your neighborhood, even a locked bike might not be there the next day. You should keep your bike behind locked doors and locked itself, if you want to be doubly sure that it will be there when you need it. If you can put it somewhere where it can't be seen from the street, that's all the better. Porches and open garages are places that thieves target.

Your bike should also be protected from freezing and moisture. If you keep your bike outside, make sure it's under a deck roof, or cover it over with a tarp. If you bring it inside, use newspaper to catch any drips, if you've been riding in wet weather. If you live in an apartment, you probably know that most bikes will fit inside elevators so you can take them up with you, but it may take some maneuvering to allow others in the elevator with you.

Some building managers and owners will provide you with designated bike storage areas. These areas will probably not be upstairs where you might prefer them, though, because the manager doesn't want you dragging in mud, rain or salt. And some managers may not allow bikes on elevators. If they offer you a place inside a parking garage, that may work, as long as the lot is locked and/or patrolled.

Make sure that you accommodate your bike-less neighbors when you store a bike. They don't understand why you use your bike so frequently and why it needs to be in a protected area. You can even offer to pay a partial car space payment, to keep your bike in the building's garage.

Whether you store your bike and equipment in a room of your house, or in a garage, it doesn't have to look dirty and messy. Clean your bike after you ride in bad weather, and keep the storage area convenient and attractive. In this way, your bike will be out of the way yet easy to get to.

Bicycle storage can be done in different areas, under different situations. A bike can be stored in a hall closet, or on a hook hung from the ceiling in a garage. You can buy racks that mount on the wall, and hold your bike at a convenient height. If you do minor repairs yourself, keep your other equipment and tools close by, so they are there when you need them. Bike storage doesn't need to be a headache if your location is well-planned-out and you keep it neat and clean.