Bike storage - in the garage, basement, stairwell, or maybe on the balcony?

When looking for a place to store your bike, you need to consider 2 things: moisture protection and theft protection. If you live in a block of flats, choosing the right location will require considering many “pros” and “cons.” However, we are coming to the rescue. We suggest where to keep your bicycle to protect it from the greedy eyes of thieves while keeping it safe from the elements.

Bicycle in a single-family home

Probably every cyclist living in a block of flats or tenement has at least once flashed through the mind how good it would be to have their own house with a garage or at least a capacious storage room. Storing a unicycle at home is simply easier. You don’t have to carry it up to the floor or worry about whether a thief will gobble it up at night. However, this does not mean that every “garage” location will be equally good and safe.

Take, for example, the most popular place to store a unicycle in a single-family home, the garage. A bike in the garage is not always as safe as we think. Some garage doors look flimsy at first glance, and this can be the best incentive for thieves. If this is compounded by a lack of fencing or often leaving your home unattended, the vision of theft becomes really real. All it takes is for your bicycle to catch the eye of local thieves – then they will simply look out for an opportunity.

Of course, the plus side of owning your own home is that you can arm it the way you want. A sturdy gate with intercom, automatic lighting, decent doors, monitoring, an alarm… The possibilities for making your home a fortress are plentiful. As long as you have doubts that your bike in the garage is definitely safe, consider another place, such as a basement, attic or utility room.

The second issue is to protect the bike from the biggest enemy of metal components, namely moisture and the corrosion it causes. To protect your unicycle from rusting, keep it in a dry, warm, well-ventilated place, especially in autumn and winter – even if that means carrying it up stairs. Fighting corrosion can be time-consuming and sometimes even unprofitable.

Bike storage in a block or townhouse

Storing a bicycle in a block or townhouse is much more problematic, and the decision sometimes comes down to choosing the lesser of two evils. After all, each “garage” location has its pros and cons. What options are worth considering?

Bike in the basement – convenient, but not always safe

Storing a bicycle in the basement seems to be the most convenient option, especially for those who live on the first floor of a block of flats without an elevator. The plus side is convenience (you don’t have to carry the unicycle up the stairs to the apartment) and protection from harmful outside elements – unless, of course, the basement is a musty, damp-filled dungeon. The downside, however, may be a security issue. Basements in townhouses and blocks of flats are usually not properly secured and therefore occupy the infamous first place on the list of most frequently robbed places. In addition, in the evenings and at night, no one ventures into them, so thieves have plenty of time and opportunity to go in undetected and carry away valuable valuables. They can even use power tools to break through other security measures, such as a padlock on a bicycle – no one will hear them anyway.

Before you decide to store your bike in the basement, consider whether it is secured in any way. If individual storage cells are separated by thin openwork walls, doors can be forced open with a single kick, and windows are protected by flimsy bars, rather look for another place for your two wheels. Unless you have the opportunity to further secure your part of the basement, for example, by inserting doors or reinforcing the walls – but this will not always be financially viable. It is also worth remembering that distinctive cell phones attract the attention of thieves. After all, no one installs a burglar-proof door to secure an old folding truck or pickle jars – it’s well known that behind such a door is something valuable and worthwhile.

Storing a bicycle in the stairwell

People who are aware that their bicycle may disappear from the basement one night often choose to leave it in the stairwell next to the apartment, thinking that the proximity of the apartments will deter thieves. However, this will not always be a good solution. First of all, it is important to remember that a stairwell is an escape route that must be 100% unobstructed. Strapped to a railing, radiator or pipe, a bicycle can restrict passage.

A bicycle left on a staircase also needs to be properly secured, preferably with a chain interwoven between several railing posts – sawing off such security will not be easy. A rigid and hard-to-cut U-Lock clasp will also work well.

Storing a bicycle on the balcony

For fear of theft, many cyclists choose to store their bikes on the balcony. Unfortunately – this is the worst possible option. First of all, thieves can steal a bicycle even from an upstairs balcony. Secondly (and more importantly), a unicycle standing outdoors is exposed to the damaging effects of the outdoors: sun, frost and, above all, moisture. To protect it from corrosion, you’ll need to invest in a professional-quality cover – a must if you want to keep your bike on the balcony, especially in autumn and winter. However, it will always be a better option to store the bike inside.

How about in an apartment, though?

The best place to store a bicycle in a block of apartments is your own apartment. It is primarily a matter of peace of mind for the owner – at home, the unicycle is simply safe, both in terms of protection from thieves and external conditions. At the same time, keeping a bicycle in the apartment does not mean that half the corridor will be out of use. With wall hangers you can cleverly use the space, even in a small “M”.

You can easily match the type of bike holder to your needs, the design of the unicycle and the specifics of the place where you will keep it. Some hangers, such as Crank Pro, will even find their way well into the living room. The Crank consists of just 3 components: a pedal handle, by which you hang the equipment, and 2 wheel stands. A bicycle hung in this way becomes a designer decoration of a modern interior.

Another option is the Kranked Twist hanger, which supports the bike by the front wheel. It is a little more convenient to use – to hang the unicycle, just put it on the rear wheel, and direct the front wheel to the contoured element. Kranked Twist is rotatable, so you can bring the bike as close to the wall as possible, gaining additional space in the apartment. A bicycle stored in this way can be hidden, for example, in a specially made enclosure.

As you can see, storing a bicycle in an apartment doesn’t have to be problematic. If the basement in your block of flats raises a lot of doubts in terms of security, don’t take any chances. With the right holders, the bicycle will not only stay out of the way, but can also become an original addition to the interior. Durable, convenient for everyday use, you can find wall hangers for bicycles at rtrbikes.com.

Photo source: rtrbikes.com, 123rf.com