How to store your bike over a Vancouver winter

Vancouver winters are mild by Canadian standards, but they're wet. A bike stored in a damp garage or a poorly ventilated storage locker from November to March will come out in April with corroded cables, seized pivot bolts, and a chain that's turned orange. Most of that is preventable.

Clean it before you put it away ¶

The biggest mistake is storing a dirty bike. Road grit and chain lube mixed together form a paste that accelerates corrosion. Before storage, degrease the chain and drivetrain, wipe down the frame, and dry everything thoroughly. Pay particular attention to the area around the bottom bracket and the inside of the fork crown. Water pools there and sits.

If you have rim brakes, wipe the braking surface of the rims with a clean cloth. Brake pad residue left on aluminum rims over winter can etch the surface.

What to lubricate and what to leave dry ¶

Apply a light coat of wet lube to the chain before storage. It's more resistant to moisture than dry lube. Lube the pivot bolts on your brake calipers and derailleur. A thin layer of frame saver spray inside steel tubes is worth doing every few years if you're storing the bike in a damp space.

Don't over-lube. Excess lubricant attracts dust and grit, which causes more wear than a slightly dry component.

Storage position and tyre pressure ¶

Store the bike hanging or on a stand rather than leaning against a wall. Leaning puts lateral stress on the fork and can, over months, cause the wheel to develop a slight set. Let a small amount of air out of the tyres. Not completely flat, but down to about half pressure. This reduces stress on the sidewalls and tube valves over a long storage period.

If your bike has been in storage and you're not sure what shape it's in, a basic inspection takes about twenty minutes. We'll tell you honestly what it needs before you commit to a repair.