Hello folks, my bike is arriving today and I’m super excited. But annoyingly I don’t have a garage and the parking in our building isn’t safe and I don’t like to keep the bike inside the flat. We do have a private balcony and I’m thinking of keeping it there throughout the year, I live in the UK and it rains a lot. Was wondering if any of these bike covers are good to keep my bike safe from rain, dust, snow and heat?
by Own-Mistake-7940
8 Comments
I done the same. Bike, balcony & cover.
To answer your question, I think it should work fine. It’s a bike made to be cycled outside. Cover is better than no cover.
I used a similar one and the material broke down and started to leak after some time. As ugly as it is, I’d personally recommend storing it in your flat. It’s better than your bike going missing or damaging your components over time. Depends on the size of your flat.
It wil attract moist which will cause rust and mold. I would suggest not to leave it outside.
Loads of moisture in the air outside, especially when it rains. That air goes up under your cover. That brand new bike will rust if you keep it outside under a cover for a long period. Don’t do it.
I have that exact cover, it’s a tighter fit than most and it hasn’t leaked yet (1 year) but it’s a bit of a faff to get on with the elastic end sections. But even if it was the best rain cover ever, your bike would still go rusty under there. Bikes are meant to be ridden outside (and then wiped down) but not stored outside for long period. Quite a difference between those two things.
If properly maintained, then keeping it covered outside is OK. These covers are pretty cheaply made, though, and they lose water resistance quite quickly. Any bit of wind, and they can tear.
Is it an ebike btw? You can buy battery covers that wrap around the downtube to keep the elements out of the important parts. My bike is used almost daily and spends a lot of time outside. No issues.
I used one for my cheaper bike and the UK winter cause it to rust and mould.
Keep bikes indoors.
Not fun fact: a friend from London always stored his road bike in flat (2nd floor around Brixton), but on one day that was a lot of rain and mud he stored it overnight on the balcony to clean it the next day. Overnight the balcony was climbed by someone and the bike stolen.
I think the bike will be ruined before 2 years and already show a lot of wear during year 1, but just wanted to call the attention that a balcony is not always safe.
If you must keep the bike outside, covering with this is much better than not doing so. It protects from direct rain, dust, and UV light. It won’t protect so much from moisture, so you’ll need to keep up with bike maintenance to prevent rust (greasing, lubing, and silicone spray).