Author Topic: storing bikes in the loft (Read 2432 times)

kdw712 · « **on:** September 10, 2014, 12:10 AM »

As the title I keep my bikes in the loft
But since having full insulation fitted to keep the heat in the house I have started to notice the chrome frames and forks are starting to suffer and are getting blooms of rust

Was thinking of sealing them in a canvas or plastic bike cover and some silca gel to keep moisture away ?

Any top tips for storing them all nice and safe up there ?

laidback · « **Reply #1 on:** September 10, 2014, 12:15 AM »

You could wipe an oily/WD40/Acf 50 covered rag over the frames and parts. that should protect them. Do this every once in a while to keep the moisture out. I'd be reluctant to seal them inside a bag. If moisture gets in, it won't get out. I'd let them breathe!

snoopy72 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 10, 2014, 06:23 AM »

sent you a PM

kdw712 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 10, 2014, 08:17 AM »

Quote from: snoopy72 on September 10, 2014, 06:23 AM

sent you a PM

John cheers some great info

Jaan · « **Reply #4 on:** September 10, 2014, 09:35 AM »

Lets see John's info - i'm sure there are lots of folk with parts in their lofts...

kdw712 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 10, 2014, 10:41 AM »

Quote from: Jaan on September 10, 2014, 09:35 AM

Lets see John's info - i'm sure there are lots of folk with parts in their lofts...

I'll cut and paste it for ya

kdw712 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 10, 2014, 10:43 AM »

Unedited

Don't wrap them or cover over, you won't believe the damage that will do. I had some stuff in the garage and I covered it with an old bed sheet, I went down it the garage a few weeks later and it was dripping wet under the cover as soon as the temperature hit dew point outside the cover soaked up all the condensation like a sponge and then couldn't breath to evaporate it.
I used a small radiator on timer that just kicks in early in the morning just to keep the temp above dew point which i think is 3 degrees and most of all, leave it uncovered

The problem is with a loft it goes from one extreme temperature to the other, in the winter it's freezing on the outside of the roof and hot indoors so you get condensation especially forming on metal objects.

buy some plastic containers from wilkos and spray parts with gt85 including inside tubing then wrap parts in VCI paper, you can get this in a massive roll on the internet for about £16 delivered
There is enough on the roll to wrap probably 3 whole bikes
When you pull the parts from the loft in 5 years time the parts will be like new still.

I tend not to store anything any good in the loft for this reason because of the massive temperature changes , this is when you realise that you would have been no better off leaving them in a damp old shed.

I had a shed that was dry on the inside but always damp on the outside, I put a ladies bike in there and it was rotten after 2 years.
I then put a mountain bike in there, sprayed lightly with gt85 and left the window cracked open on the shed, it was like new 2 years later mostly because it could breathe now the window was open, it's the same with your bathroom , you get tons of condensation build up on the toilet cistern but then crack the bathroom window open an see the results after a few days.

dinglem · « **Reply #7 on:** September 10, 2014, 12:13 PM »

I keep all of my bikes and parts in a room above my garage - kind of like a loft conversion but was purpose built when they did the garage (before i owned it). It used to be an old farm outbuilding i believe. Anyway, the garage houses a few classic cars with plenty of chrome, and i have a dehumidifier running in there and always leave the car windows cracked open slightly. I also use the WD-40 on a rag method as mentioned previously through the winter and wipe down the chrome parts on the cars as winter approaches.

Upstairs is well insulated as it's a proper room, plus it has 4 Velux windows which i open every time i go up there, even if it's only for a few minutes. I've never seen any issues with chrome degradation up there, and i've assumed it was due to the dehumidifier running downstairs. I guess the insulation and open-window ventilation helps too though. It gets very warm up there in the summer.

One thing i would mention through past experience is mice. I made the mistake of hiding some Christmas presents for the wife up there a couple of years ago (she's a bloody nightmare and goes pressie hunting!), including some chocolate and clothes.... i guess the food being there over the winter attracted the mice in and the choc and clothes got destroyed! Few mouse traps and deposition of one of our monster Maine Coons up there soon sorted the problem (and some last-minute replacement chrimbo shopping!) but since then i have never stored my bikes with the pads on - they are all safely tucked away in sealed plastic storage containers and only come out to play when i take one of the bikes out. They never got chewed at the time, but it was the first thing i checked once i'd realized what had happened!

Mat · « **Reply #8 on:** September 10, 2014, 12:30 PM »

I keep most of my bikes in my cellar.

Its where i practice most of my 'hobbies', & apart from the odd splash of blood & other bodily fluids the bikes remain in tip top condition.

bmxband1t77 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 12, 2014, 11:55 PM »

I have 2 bikes indoors and 2 in a dry well ventilated out house. I cover them with cheap pound shop motorbike covers but leave ventilation. I sprayed chrome with wwd40 but it went weird. So I douse a bit of kitchen cloth in good old 3 in one oil n rub it on. Seems to work but takes alot of elbow grease when taking them out for a spin. Serious wank speed rubbing! Lol.

BUT evil missus forced me to get a bike shed, but by what's been said I'm dreading doing this. I used to keep my original ripper in my bedroom as a kid and it never suffered extremes of cold. Surely exposing bikes to prolonged extremes also weakens the bike tubing in the long run?

Heyallp!!

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stuntmaster · « **Reply #10 on:** September 13, 2014, 06:23 PM »

one word of warning do not get wd 40 on stickers as will destroy them . if poss use duck oil as does a better job than wd40 as more oil based than wd is

snoopy72 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 14, 2014, 07:31 AM »

WD40 is so 70's and a waste of time , Wurth 2040 is the way to go

kdw712 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 14, 2014, 08:22 AM »

I'm going to use additional foil type insulation on the rafters with a few gaps top and bottom to allow air flow

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Thermal-Insulation-Foil-Roll-600mmx8m/p/210022

Then for bikes I'm going to try a couple things
Good clean up and some thing like the Wurth on unpainted metal
Protect with some vci paper
Inside a Large vacuum bag or custom vented boxes

Shame because I really liked them being built and I could see them when ever i went to the loft

bmxband1t77 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 14, 2014, 09:29 AM »

Don't forget the little Radiator or one of them heater tubes they use in greenhouses. I'm considering that for the bike shed I'm being made to store them in. Just to keep the chill off yes?

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kdw712 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 14, 2014, 10:05 AM »

Quote from: bmxband1t77 on September 14, 2014, 09:29 AM

Don't forget the little Radiator or one of them heater tubes they use in greenhouses. I'm considering that for the bike shed I'm being made to store them in. Just to keep the chill off yes?

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Yeah I'll look those too cheers

bmxband1t77 · « **Reply #15 on:** September 14, 2014, 06:19 PM »

I feel so dreadfully ashamed. My poor bikes!

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bmxband1t77 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 14, 2014, 06:20 PM »

Vinegar Minge won't allow them in the house. Sigh. :-/

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snoopy72 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 15, 2014, 10:28 PM »

Quote from: bmxband1t77 on September 14, 2014, 06:20 PM

Vinegar Minge won't allow them in the house. Sigh. :-/

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I would chuck my clothes in the shed and put the bikes in my side of the wardrobe

At least when your clothes get damp and mouldy you can bung them in the washing machine.

On a serious note don't store them with the pads on

bmxband1t77 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 15, 2014, 10:39 PM »

Oooh. Yep that actually makes sense bout the pads. Cheers. I've actually managed to secure the Quadangle a place inside temporarily while I get it ready for the breaking Brum Birmingham wheels meet up end of this month.

I've got to clean off all the spider poo now!!! Soft cloth and spit works for me. Honestly....spider poo?!?!

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snoopy72 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 15, 2014, 10:49 PM »

If I really needed to keep a bike indoors the missus would probably let me but my kids would damage it for sure, they seem to wreck anything indoors not intentionally , it's always an accident of course the little

s

bmxband1t77 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 19, 2014, 11:28 PM »

Sheeeeet!!!!

Been out round a mates house watching lords of Dogtown. Meanwhile the huge thunderstorms flooded my outhouse. My 30th rippers out there!!!! Have to dry it all out tomorrow. Not good feeling this.

And my roads flooded cos the lazy fookas on the otherside are too posh to push and keep the drains clear of leaf debris. Wankas. I do it every time, what a hero?

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