How do I store a bike over winter without it seizing up?

A bike does not wear out in storage, it corrodes and it takes a set. The things that go wrong are all slow processes driven by moisture and by load: rust in cables and chain, flat spots and cracking in tyres, hardened grease in bearings, and perished rubber. Half an hour before it goes away prevents nearly all of it.

What you'll need

• Degreaser, brushes and rags
• Chain lube
• A track pump
• A wall hook or a stand (optional)
• An old sheet or a breathable cover (optional)

Step by step

1. Wash it before storing, not after.Road salt, mud and grit hold moisture against metal for months. A bike put away dirty comes out corroded in exactly the places the dirt sat — around the chainstays, the underside of the bottom bracket, and behind the brakes.
2. Dry it properly.Ride it dry, or wipe it down and leave it somewhere warm for a few hours. Water trapped under a cover does more damage than water on an uncovered bike.
3. Clean and lube the chain, then wipe the excess.A film of lube on a clean chain keeps water off the rollers. Excess lube on the outside just collects dust — wipe it back so the chain looks dry but feels slippery.
4. Inflate the tyres fully.Tyres lose pressure over months and a tyre sitting flat under the bike's weight takes a permanent flat spot and can crack at the bead. Pump to the upper part of the range and check once or twice over the winter.
5. Take the weight off the wheels if you can.Hanging the bike, or using a stand that lifts one or both wheels, removes the problem entirely and is worth doing even if the tyres are hard.
6. Release the tension in cables and springs where the design allows.Shift to the smallest sprocket and smallest chainring so the derailleur springs and cables are at their most relaxed. On rim brakes, open the caliper quick release.
7. Choose dry over sheltered.An unheated garage with good ventilation is better than a sealed shed where the temperature swings and condensation forms on cold metal every morning. A bike indoors is better still.
8. Keep it off a concrete floor.Concrete draws and holds moisture. Hang the bike, stand it on a board, or put it on a piece of old carpet.
9. Cover it loosely, or not at all.A plastic sheet wrapped tight traps condensation against the frame and is worse than nothing. An old cotton sheet keeps dust off and lets moisture out.
10. Remove an e-bike battery and store it separately.Around half charge, somewhere cool, dry and above freezing, and not on an escape route inside the house. Check it every couple of months and top it up if it has drifted low — a lithium pack left completely flat for months may be unsafe to recharge.
11. Give it a check-over before the first spring ride.Pressures, brake function, quick releases, chain condition, and a look for corrosion at the cables. Cables and brake pads are what most often deteriorate over a winter.

Tips

• A bike stored outdoors under a cover is stored in a greenhouse. If it has to live outside, expect to replace cables and chain annually.
• If you can ride it once a month over the winter, do. Everything on a bike prefers being used.
• Note the tyre pressures and the date on a label — it makes the spring check quicker.

Common mistakes

• Wrapping the bike tightly in plastic — It stops moisture escaping and creates a small humid space around the metal, so condensation forms and sits there. It causes more corrosion than leaving the bike uncovered in the same place.
• Storing an e-bike battery fully charged or fully flat — A lithium pack held at 100 per cent for months ages faster, and one left at zero can fall below the voltage at which it is safe to recharge. Around half charge, checked occasionally, is the right condition.

If it doesn't work

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