If you are planning a move or traveling for an extended period of time then t is important that you properly store your bicycle to prevent rust and deterioration that may occur while you are away. Whether you place your bicycle in your garage or your self-storage unit, you should follow the tips below to ensure it is in the same condition when you return.
- Clean and Check the Bicycle Frame
One of the first things you need to do is clean your bicycle’s frame. This means you should wash it down and ensure that there is no dirt or mud stuck on it as this can chip the paint. Once the bike is washed off, make sure to dry it very well and ensure there is no water left in it. To do this, you should remove the seat and tip the bike upside down to remove any water that may have leaked inside.
If you do not ensure that the bike is dried off and free from water, then the water will lead to rust and this leads to severe frame damage.
- Lubricate the Bicycle
If you thought you could get away with simply tossing the bike into storage and forgetting about it, you were wrong. In fact, you need to take some time and lubricate all of the moving parts of the bicycle. This means that you need to add a lubricant to the following areas of the bike:
- Drivetrain
- Seat post
- Shifter lines
- Brake lines
- Derailers
- Bolts
- Remove the Tires
Leaving the tires on your bike can mean that you come home to find soft spots in the tires. You should always add air to the recommended level and then remove the tires from your bike and hang them up. If you want, you can leave the tires on the bike but ONLY if the entire bike is hanging off of the ground.
- Leave Room for the Bike
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is they do not leave their bikes with enough room and they end up storing other items on top of or close nearby to the bike. The problem with this is that those items may knock into your bike and cause it to fall or they may scratch the paint on the bike. You should be cautious of the items you place near your bike.
- Get a Climate-Controlled Unit
If you will be placing your bicycle in a storage unit, make sure that you choose a climate-controlled unit as your bike’s frame, tires, and seat are susceptible to damage with extreme temperature changes and humidity. In fact, the tires can become dried out and fall apart on you, if you are not careful.
If you need to store your family’s bicycles, make sure you take the proper steps to ensure that the bikes are stored correctly or you may find that you return to a bunch of rusty bikes with tires that are flat and ruined.
