Outdoor Storage?



5wallace

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Jul 18, 2012
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My wife and I live in a small apartment without a garage. We simply do not have room to store our new bikes indoors. However, we have an elevated balcony off the back of the apartment. I purchased this: http://www.yardstash.com. I set it up and got the bikes inside and chained up. After about a week of use I will admit that the inside of the tent is bone dry (even after several hard rainstorms). My question is pretty simple. How should I feel about storing my bikes in something like this? Even though the Yardstash keeps the bikes completely dry I am sure that it does not prevent the humid air from getting to the bike. The zippers and seems are airtight but it is mesh. I guess I am mainly worried about the humidity and extreme temperatures from the bikes being outside. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jake
 
First, there's nothing airtight about the tent. Moreover, you don't want it to be airtight as an airtight tent would be a bit more prone to condensation build up. With that said, the conditions in the tent should be no different than those in a shed or in your garage. I'd treat it as any other tent: make sure that there is some ventilation either from a vent or from a zipper or two left partly open. I do think it's a bit odd to store a bike outside. Surely the tent is big enough to be comfy spot for your wife to stay.
 
Originally Posted by alienator .

..... the conditions in the tent should be no different than those in a shed or in your garage.
I also agree. That looks like a great way to store your bicycles. The humidity and temperature levels shouldn't be any problem. The Yardstash looks like it will keep the windblown dirt and rain off your bicycles.... what more could a bike want.
 
Originally Posted by alienator .

First, there's nothing airtight about the tent. Moreover, you don't want it to be airtight as an airtight tent would be a bit more prone to condensation build up. With that said, the conditions in the tent should be no different than those in a shed or in your garage. I'd treat it as any other tent: make sure that there is some ventilation either from a vent or from a zipper or two left partly open.
I do think it's a bit odd to store a bike outside. Surely the tent is big enough to be comfy spot for your wife to stay.
LOL!

But I guess we all have different priorities...
 
Keep the bike maintained--especially making sure that all the moving parts are appropriately lubed. If there's something else that you see beginning to rust, use (sparingly) some naval jelly to clean off the rust, then wax that part.

My experience is that the tent won't be necessary for the wife.
 
Originally Posted by 5wallace .

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My wife and I live in a small apartment without a garage. We simply do not have room to store our new bikes indoors. However, we have an elevated balcony off the back of the apartment.
Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Apartment?

Urban and/or sub-Urban living?!?

Regardless, I hope that your balcony is MORE THAN 10 feet off the ground and that you will have something to which you can lock the bikes which will take more than 3 minutes to be unsecured from rather than just being locked ([COLOR= #ff8c00]together?[/COLOR]) inside the [COLOR= #ff0000]conviently portable [/COLOR]Yardstash ...

  • by my reckoning, two guys in a pickup truck would probably need less than a minute to hop up to a 2nd story balcony & grab the Yardstash & transfer it to the truck
  • to paraphrase an old maxim: once burgled, twice shy

CONSEQUENTLY, I think that outside storage isn't a particularly good idea for any bike worth more than $100 ... and, a "crack addict" won't care because his "fence" is probably not going to give him too much more for a really nice bike.

BTW. Depending on the altiude, UV has a debilitating affect on 'nylon' & many other synthetics which will give the "tent" a useable lifespan of 2-to-5 years of constant exposure.

The Yardstash ([COLOR= #808080]since you already have it[/COLOR]) does look as though it will be a good tent for your future (?) kids to use in a future backyard camping "adventure."

MY suggestioni, FWIW, is to store the bikes inside, move them outside when you come home, and then back inside before you go to bed.
 
The concerns of humidity affecting the bikes is actually a bit counterintuitive, particularly in winter/transition months. The hardest thing with tubing structures that go outdoor/indoor is condensation from transitioning between temperatures quickly. A tent enclosure that is the same temp as outside but blocked from rain AND is breathable is possibly ideal. Security can be another matter, but if it is elevated it can help in that regard. Perhaps a lock anchored through them to a railing could belay those fears.
 

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