# Rust issues with leaving bike in shed



## Joeballz (Jun 20, 2012)

Unfortunately I have to keep my bike in the shed which I'm not happy about but its my only option. My main concern besides it getting stolen is rusting. I would like to hear from other people who keep there bikes in sheds if they have problems with rust and ways on how to prevent it. I plan on buying a much higher end bike soon than what I have now and I don't want it to look 15 yrs old within 2 yrs.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

I would keep me in a shed before my bike.


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## mbattle (May 28, 2012)

Hey Joe, 

I leave my bike in the shed to avoid leaving it outside ... no rust problems yet. Can't imagine you'd have problems if it's insulated well ...

If you're going to spend $$$, I would leave it in the house! haha


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

The real issue is condensation. It cools down at night and you get the morning dew. This condensation will also form inside the tubes. If the frame is steel, it will rust. Steel bits and pieces on the outside will rust unless kept coated in lube.


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## NTIMD8 (Mar 8, 2012)

When I took a ten year break from cycling, I thoroughly cleaned and lubed my 2 bikes and hung them up in a shed. Last fall when I started riding again, all they needed was air in the tires, some lube, a dusting and they were ready to ride, and no rust.


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## superg (May 9, 2010)

My guess is that the climate you live in plays a huge role. In places with high humidity a steel bike will definitely catch rust faster than in a dry climate.


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## Joeballz (Jun 20, 2012)

I live in ny I mean it can get humid but not Florida or Texas humid


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## Zaqwert6 (Jun 26, 2012)

Spray down the areas of concern with WD40. 

Best I can think of, I do it in my shop to keep mills and such (raw steel) from rusting, Works fine and wipes down super easy. Doesn't seem to hurt anything either, just keep it off fabric, leather, bar tape etc.

If you have no other choices I guess......


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## KenP. (Jun 2, 2012)

It would depend on how dry the shed is, is it heated, insulated? I ride in the rain.....a lot, and always wash the bike afterwards. It makes a big difference to bring it into a warm dry place when done. Like Zaqwert 6 said, keep some lube on the areas of concern while in storage in a damp place.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

JoelS said:


> This condensation will also form inside the tubes. If the frame is steel, it will rust.


True, but it's so little that it doesn't matter all that much. For what it's worth: keeping a bike in an air-conditioned house and then bringing it out into the summer heat also forms a bit of condensation inside a frame. And heat will speed up the chemical reaction called "rusting," so an unheated shed in the winter is not a bad thing at all for metal objects.

A note of caution: Be careful what you store in the shed along with the bikes, like chemicals that could emit corrosive fumes. All my bikes live in a shed and the only problem I ever had was caused by a container of an acid solution used to clean brick.


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## lonebikeroftheapocalypse (Oct 23, 2002)

a heated shed for my bikes....... gonna have to tell the wife I need one of these


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

It really depends on the quality of the shed. Is it dry? Does it have vents to let moisture escape? What kind of floor? Is it on a concrete slab or just on dirt?

I have a garage, which is a glorified shed. It has no insulation, no electric, and is on a concrete slab. I keep an old steel Trek MTB in there. Along with all my yard tools, mower, etc etc. I don't have any rust problems on any of my stuff. And I even get some water in the garage when it rains really hard. 

Keep your bike well lubed. Don't put it in the shed after washing it or riding in the rain. Make sure it's nice and dry. Maybe take apart the BB and give it a really good lube job and make sure the drain holes are clear.
Check it frequently. Your bike isn't going to rust over night.


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## leadout_kv (Feb 7, 2011)

tlg said:


> It really depends on the quality of the shed. Is it dry? Does it have vents to let moisture escape? What kind of floor? Is it on a concrete slab or just on dirt?
> 
> I have a garage, which is a glorified shed. It has no insulation, no electric, and is on a concrete slab. I keep an old steel Trek MTB in there. Along with all my yard tools, mower, etc etc. I don't have any rust problems on any of my stuff. And I even get some water in the garage when it rains really hard.
> 
> ...


Your garage, if its attached to your house, in my opinion is much different than a separate shed. Your garage will still have some climate control from your house. A shed on the other hand as others have said will have condensation issues which will cause rust.

Could be a different story if you have a detached garage but you didn't mention that.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

LubbersLine said:


> Could be a different story if you have a detached garage but you didn't mention that.


It's detached. Hence a "glorified shed".


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