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I have been storing my bicycles in the garden shed practically all year. However, during the winter (in central Europe), I was always wondering whether winter could leave any consequences for my bikes. Until recently, I was storing more or less low-budget MTBs and children's bikes, but now I also hold my carbon TT bike. Are there vast influences of the winter temperatures/weather on the bicycles, or is this negligible? Usually, during the day, I always try to open a window since I can feel slight dew on a bike. Since I mainly stored older bikes, it is possible to find rusty parts, but it is hard to tell if the winter temperatures influenced it. Is it better to cover the bicycle or not? I use it 2 - 3 times per week for a virtual ride only. I never cycle on the roads during winter, so the bicycle is more or less clean.

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Are you using the bikes (particularly the nice new one) on a daily/regular basis during the winter, or are they just hanging out there until the weather gets nice?

  • If you're just parking them for the winter, I'd imagine a good cleaning in the fall, plus topping up with grease/oil as appropriate would be sufficient. Maybe wax the frames and components. Consider removing saddles and bringing them into the house (depends on saddle material - anything with a gel in it might not survive well in freezing temps).
  • If you're riding daily, you probably need to ensure that you're thoroughly cleaning and lubricating after each ride, especially if you're riding in the wet and/or roads are salted in snowy/freezing temps.
    • Once the bike has been well cleaned, storing it overnight shouldn't be an issue.
    • Waxing the frame/components on a somewhat regular basis should help with keeping them clean, too.

Note: Wax with an appropriate substance for frame material. I'm not sure if a silicone-added, automotive-type paste wax will be good for a carbon frame or not.

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  • Thanks very much. I use it 2 - 3 times per week for a virtual ride only. I never cycle on the roads during winter, so the bicycle is more or less clean.
    – Iztok
    Commented Dec 21, 2023 at 13:39
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    In that case, with a wipe down to get sweat off of it before putting it back in the shed, I'd think you'd be just fine, @Iztok... Though it would be a good idea to edit that info into your original question so if others wanted to provide an answer, they'd know this part up front...
    – FreeMan
    Commented Dec 21, 2023 at 13:56
  • @Iztok still needs to be over-lubricated as rust is rather creative. And then Your floor gets those funny stains. Just get a wall stand(20 EUR tops) and a place to mount it(anything but brick).
    – Vorac
    Commented Jul 10 at 0:55
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Covering the bike will simply trap more moisture in with it, especially if you had a wet ride. I would not bother covering the bike.

If the shed has a dirt floor, it will be damp no matter what you do. A poor-fitting door/roof will also be damp, and a concrete floor may be good or bad depending on how well it was made.

Personally I'd store the nice bike inside the house, at human-comfortable temperatures, but I also store older bikes in my woodshed with dirt floor.

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