Storing bicycle for winter

[bibimbap]

Not long until I will allow my mountain bike to rest for few months after a productive season. Better prepare for it, first winter for the new ride. How do you prepare bicycles for winter alone time before leaving it dormant for 3-4 months? Most likely I will leave it in the garage where it does not get too cold. I live in Iowa.

[Painkiller]

clean and dry bicycle , lube all key pivots and chain. lube all chrome surfaces(i.e. boltheads, bolts, derailluer cages... anything that is plated and prone to rust. clean your paint and polish with turtle wax polishing compound( key word Polishing) and then wax the paint and any exposed chips that may rust. that is the basic way to protect your steed.
One other way to store bikes more long term would be to incorporate VCI bag technology. A specially treated Bag that creates a gas barrier over the contents inside, A great option if you have lots of bikes in storage for long periods of time.

[bibimbap]

(09-30-2019, 07:06 PM)Painkiller Wrote:  clean and dry bicycle , lube all key pivots and chain. lube all chrome surfaces(i.e. boltheads, bolts, derailluer cages... anything that is plated and prone to rust. clean your paint and polish with turtle wax polishing compound( key word Polishing) and then wax the paint and any exposed chips that may rust. that is the basic way to protect your steed.
One other way to store bikes more long term would be to incorporate VCI bag technology. A specially treated Bag that creates a gas barrier over the contents inside, A great option if you have lots of bikes in storage for long periods of time.

Cool tips, thank you lots! VCI Bags? Have you used those yourself? I was in fact considering some very simple cover, there will be max 2 bicycles frame-to-frame.

[Painkiller]

Yes, I have used the bags. I have been in the sheet metal business for over 40yrs. we use them daily in manufacturing. How you could obtain them I could not answer. We get them by the roll in various sizes. Just google VCI bags and research them and how they work. Who knows maybe they could send you a couple samples. you would probably be better off just doing the clean lube and wax protection for the off season as most people do. I mainly wanted to express other forms of storage for long term that protects by science. I have just incorporated this technology myself for use in bicycles. I will obtain bicycles here and there for no other reason other than the time they were found or offered for sale and had to snatch them up for future use. These bags have worked for me well and last a few years in storage.