It would be great if we all have an indoor space dedicated to our beloved bike. Your bike will be protected completely from external influences such as weather, dust, dirt, mud, …. This help the bike can be used longer, more durable and less time-consuming to care. However, not everyone can park bicycles indoors. Sometimes because your roommates don't like it, sometimes because space is small, inconvenient, and sometimes because you also want to...
Is it okay to keep a bike outside?
What happens when keeping a bike parked outside? How long will it be broken?
What problems can happen when leaving bicycles outside? How long can your "lovely horse" fight with bad weather conditions? That depends on two factors:
First: How long have you used your bike? A new bicycle will be different from old bicycles that be used for a long time: 5 or 10 years. Bicycle components such as hubs, headset are always better, bicycle protection parts help the bike against corrosion are also maximize efficiency, especially if your "lovely horse" is a high-end bicycle.
Second: Where are you living?
If your area is very rainy or has high humidity, bike parts will likely be corroded faster.
In fact, if you leave your bike outside for a few days, even if it rains, there's no serious problem. But if you leave the bike outside all week, you will see obvious harm. Bicycle chains began to rust. Rust occurs daily and the level of rust depends on quality of bike. Don't think that you have equipped the high-end chain with many stainless steel components, they will not rust, just slower than regular chains.
In the sun, your bike will be degraded clearly. High temperature is super harmful to plastic and rubber parts. Plastic becomes more brittle and faded. The cable sheath is melted, broken and cracked, revealing the inner cable. After that, the braking cable is also oxidized by direct contact with the environment, making braking more severe. Bicycle screws are rusted and clogged, difficult to remove. The bearings in the bike also start to get clogged or broken.
If you keep your bike directly in the sun or rain continuously, the fastest your bike will be damaged in a month. In places where the weather is nice, mild and your bike is rather expensive, it takes about 3-4 months, these signs start to appear.
What should you do if you have to keep your bike outside?
Protection 1:
If you park your bike outside, you must at least buy a cover slab. However, you should not cover the bike directly. Because, if you wear a bicycle with cover, they will "help" the bike to get more sunshine, keep more moisture, make things worse. A better way is to hang it up like a porch to protect bicycles.
Protection 2:
You try to reduce water seeped into the interior and corrode bicycle parts by applying a grease lubricant along with the rings. Add to the top of the cable and bolt to connect the parts.
Protection 3:
You clean and take care of your bike carefully. Please dry the bike after rain, this is very important. With areas that have rust, you can use sandpaper to rub the rust, and apply some oil.
You always remember that
- Keeping the bike outside for 1-2 days, there will be no sign at all.
- But after 1 week, you will see it start to rust.
- After 1 month in bad condition, the parts of your bike get worse.
- Finally, you have to spend money to repair.
So why don't you buy racks, bike racks for small spaces. That amount is not much compared to the fact that you have to repair the bike, replace the bicycle components when the bike is degraded. Or else, at least arrange your bike a shelter such as a porch or an awning roof to limit the damage.