Tell me more ×
Bicycles Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people who build and repair bicycles, people who train cycling, or commute on bicycles. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 5 down vote favorite

For example, if you keep it in a garage or in basement, I am thinking the tires might lose air and then the wheel will pressure down the tire. So do you need to check the bike once in awhile and inflate it?

share|improve this question
2  
If by "check the bike" you mean "check the tires", yes, of course - you have to do that after a few months whether or not it was in a basement. Are you asking about other sorts of bike maintenance? – Jefromi Jan 26 '12 at 15:04
1  
Yeah, the tires should be checked every day for super-skinny tires (under 32mm), every three days for medium tires (32-38mm) and weekly for wider. (And then adjust that frequency based your experience of how rapidly your particular tires lose air.) – Daniel R Hicks Jan 26 '12 at 16:45
@Jefromi, yes, about the tires mostly, but if I get info about the other parts, why not?, better. The given answer are more than enough for me. – Theta30 Jan 26 '12 at 17:48
I ask because it might have affected the depth of answers you got here, even if you found them sufficient, and also since there are related questions: pre-storage maintenance, maintenance while in regular use, how to store (very minimal answers though)... – Jefromi Jan 26 '12 at 18:14
@Jefromi thanks, good links – Theta30 Jan 26 '12 at 18:28

3 Answers

up vote 9 down vote accepted

I'm gonna sorta disagree with Zen on this one. If you're talking months vs years, and the bike was stored inside in a location where condensation would not have occurred (eg, not in a cold corner of a basement in a humid climate), and the bike was in good condition when stored, then all you need to do is air up the tires and wipe the dust off.

The tires and brake pads won't rot overnight, the lube won't leap off the chain. Properly lubed bearings won't corrode. Disk brake rotors (and caliper brake rims) may develop a slight coating of oxidation, but that will be worn off in the first ten miles.

If it's been stored for several years, however, you may want to squirt a little oil on the chain and give it an extra wipe, both to get the dust off and because oil does slowly evaporate. And check the tires and brake pads for rot.

Once or twice a year a bike should get its cables lubed, and the chain should be cleaned and reoiled every 200 miles or so (or at least once a year). This is unrelated to how long it's been stored, but a good time to do this is when you take the bike out of winter storage (though a better time is before you put it into winter storage).

share|improve this answer
There is nothing to disagree with. I said that rubber parts may degrade depending on the length of storage. I have seen, in my climate, bikes rust to non-repairable condition, but it depends on storage conditions. As for lubrication, read the bottle. Follow the directions. Most lubes will evaporate in normal storage conditions in 2-4 weeks. You should in fact check your bike before riding, every time you ride it, not just if you store it. But that doesn't mean it will automatically need major service to be ridable, it means check it. Perhaps you should read what was written before arguing. – zenbike♦ Jan 28 '12 at 13:33
up vote 5 down vote

Yes, if your bike is stored for more than a few weeks, you should check it thoroughly before riding it. The tires will lose pressure, and the chain will need lube for certain, and depending on the length of storage, rubber components like brake pads, tires, and hydraulic seals may degrade. In addition, surface rust, and sometimes deeper corrosion can develop which would require a more complete service.

share|improve this answer
up vote 3 down vote

Zenbike covered it, but I would also add (would comment but don't have enough rep yet!) that: - Organic Disk Brake pads can become degraded over time, especially if the bike is stored in a oily fumey environment. - In our garage / outhouse we have a problem with mice chewing through cables.. any cables they can find.. nom nom nom yummy rubber!

As with most things, regular short usage is better than no usage at all.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.