Everyone who owns a bike knows the importance of maintenance. The latter is not just about the technical side but also the storage place. And if you have free space in your backyard, the best option will be outdoor bike storage. Additionally, the ideal bike shed should be safe and waterproof so that you may use it every day.
Of course, we know that googling sheds gives you quite a range of products, which will leave you with one particular question: “How am I supposed to choose a good bike storage in shed?” However, if you’re reading this, you don’t have to worry anymore, as we will cover all the vital tidbits so your outdoor storage for bikes is the best.
How to Choose the Best Outdoor Bike Storage
When choosing a shed for bicycles, you have to consider some parameters that will give the best image of your future bike safe space. For now, let’s take a look at these four criteria.Weatherproofing
Prolonged exposure to harsh weather will not make your bike happy. It’s surprising how many people neglect to hide their bicycles while they’re not using them. Because the finest bike shelters are waterproof, your vehicle will be protected from rain/dust/sun rays and remain in pristine condition. Leaving it outside without any protection, you’ll wind up spending more money on repairs and upkeep than you’d save by investing in a nice bike shed. An outdoors bike storage that allows water to enter is useless. Your vehicle will inevitably get rusty and require new components. Keep your bicycle in a safe outside bicycle storage.Quality of materials
A cheap bike shed will automatically sign you up for one thing: you’ll soon find yourself back where you started with a fragile or even broken storage place. For the most part, inexpensive storage sheds for bicycles are built with low-quality parts and materials that aren’t meant to survive. The components used in a lower-cost shed are more likely to be of inferior quality, but you may still find some excellent budget options. Cheaper outdoor storage for bicycles sometimes includes wood paneling that isn’t very thick. You should use this as a warning sign, so always check this parameter and avoid choosing sheds like these.Accessibility
This one is the most important in terms of user comfort. You have to think about the design that will make getting your bike or bikes in and out easier. When it comes to the perfect shed, any bike should be parked or taken out without interfering with others. It should be placed from the front, not sideways. However, such a design limits the choice range as the worldwide market can offer only a couple of options.If you have just one bike and use it once in a blue moon, you will be good with almost any type of shed. But if your collection has two and more bicycles and you ride them regularly, it can be a hassle to take out all of them from your shed simply to get one at the back.
Even though a classic “box” design is better in terms of space, it isn’t always the best bike storage outdoor solution. You should pay attention to the horizontal storage shed for bicycles as it greatly simplifies the maintenance and gives better access to your bikes.
Security
One of the most important considerations for many potential bicycle storage shed purchasers is safety. Integral securing systems are standard on the best bike sheds. Thieves will be deterred from stealing your bicycle if they see one of these securing systems on it. Usually, those bicycle storage facilities that offer a high level of safety come at a bigger price. The reason for that is they are equipped with additional internal safety features, such as anchor points. The latter ones allow you to secure your bikes even more. Even if a thief manages to unlock the shed, they will require some heavy-duty tools to pass through ground anchors. Another good thing about anchor points is that you can add them to any type of shed, even if your storage space wasn’t initially equipped with some.What size of bike shed do you need?
The question of size is rather acute when it comes to choosing a bike shed. You want it to accommodate all your bikes without taking more-than-required space. Quite logical, isn’t it?How many bikes will it store?
All right, first things first, to decide the size, you must start with the number of bikes you intend to keep there and their dimensions. The best way to do it is to take the average bike sizes (which we will cover a little bit later) and the number of bikes you have. Add them together and you will get approximate dimensions for your bike shed. Secondly, don’t forget about some additional instruments that will likely be stored there as they will require some space. Considering different available shed forms, don’t use the measurements stated below as a golden standard. They are just a representation of a regular bike, which may differ from yours.What are the average bike sizes?
Depending on the kind of bike, a bike shed will need a variable amount of room. Here are the average dimensions of the most common varieties of bicycles.| Road bikes | Mountain/Hybrid Bikes | |
|---|---|---|
|
Width |
15"-17.3" (38cm-44cm) |
19.6"-27.5" (50-70cm) |
|
Length |
68" (175 cm) |
68" (175 cm) |
|
Height |
41.3" (105cm)
|
41.3" (105cm) |
- Measure the width of your handlebars by laying a tape measure over them (end to end).
- Measure its length: from the rear tire to the front one.
- Measure the height from the ground to the highest part.
| Bikes in possession | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Shed size |
6' x 2' (182cm x 60cm)
|
6' x 3' (182cm x 91cm)
|
6' x 4' (182cm x 121cm) |
6' x 5' (182cm x 151cm) |
6' x 6' (182cm x 181cm)
|
6' x 6' (182cm x 181cm)
|
Which Bike Sheds Are Best?
The market offers us three types of materials that are usually used in shed production: wood, metal, and plastic. Each of them has its pros and cons. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the quality of the shed you pick may always have an impact on these attributes.
Wooden bike storage sheds
A variety of factors contribute to the popularity of wooden sheds.
The first thing to keep in mind is that wooden storage shed for bicycles is considerably more customizable than a plastic or metal one. For example, you could simply add extra storage elements like shelves and cabinets or a better securing system to it.
Customizations may be done with plastic and metal bicycle storage sheds, but the process isn’t as simple as with timber ones. Treated wood, which is resistant to decay and won’t distort like lower-grade wood, is used in the finest wooden bike shelters.
Also, choosing a wooden bike shed will give your property a more natural and less industrial appearance.
Plastic bike storage sheds
The purpose of plastic outside storage for bikes is the user’s comfort. Assembling them is a breeze, and they aren’t as hefty as metal or wood bike sheds. Because of their corrosion resistance, plastic bike outdoor sheds are a better option than cheap wooden sheds.
Insects and rodents have no chance against them. Aside from that, newer plastics are much less susceptible to sun damage, such as fading or becoming brittle and cracked.
They don’t need much upkeep at all. The only maintenance required when they’re built is a warm, soapy solution wash every now and then.
However, most plastic storage sheds are not visually appealing (aesthetically). They have the potential to seem cheap and phony. Most of them can’t be customized at all. As a result, it is impossible to enhance the basic security levels.
They aren’t as strong as wood or metal sheds, though. Strong winds and heavy snowfalls may cause harm to them. It’s also possible for certain plastics to bend in the heat of the sun! In addition, if not adequately aired, they, like metal shelters, may develop condensation.
Metal bike storage sheds
These “tough” guys are quite popular in the role of the bike outside storage. Although metal is not often thought of as a conventional shed component, it is quite handy for storing bikes.
There’s nothing better than a metal shed for bicycles if we’re talking about protection from the elements. Your bicycles will be safer outdoors in a metal shed than in any other kind of storage.
In addition, they’re incredibly weatherproof. In the sun, they won’t break, fade, or bend. They can withstand a lot of snow and wind as they are quite sturdy.
A properly galvanized metal bicycle storage shed will not rust. Plus rats, insects, and other animals can’t get inside them.
Moreover, like plastic sheds, they need little to no upkeep. You don’t need to bother about anything more than a quick soapy rinse from time to time.
Metal sheds, on the other hand, aren’t the most appealing alternative. Adding shelves and hooks is more complicated. Condensation may occur if proper ventilation isn’t provided.
The environmental impact of different bike sheds
These days, it’s important to think about the environmental effect of everything we buy. However, it’s not as simple as it seems! Without a doubt, wood is the greenest option. It absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, storing it for the rest of the shed’s life cycle. Therefore, the carbon footprint of such a shed equals not just 0; it’s negative. On the other hand, metal and plastic generate enormous volumes of CO2 and other pollutants. As a result, time is a specific issue that we must consider. Is your shed going to be around for a long time? An annual wooden shed replacement vs. a 30-year plastic shed investment: which is more cost-efficient? So, regardless of your choice, make sure that your outside storage for bikes is well-made and durable. You should ensure that the wood for your shed comes from a responsible supplier before purchasing one. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a good place to start. If you prefer metal or plastic outdoor bike storage, it is preferable to choose from well-established firms that care about the environment.The best bike shed for E-bikes
There has been an increase in the number of e-Bike owners who need a safe place to keep and charge their pricey assets.The idea of owning an e-Bike is useless if you must carry it inside the home and leave dirty marks on your floor just to charge it! It means that you have to remove your bike’s hefty battery, take it inside, and make sure it’s fully charged before you start your engine again.
Due to their high value, e-Bikes are also a frequent target for thieves. Many criminals have been known to track down bikers to their homes, only to steal a precious vehicle.
This necessitates the use of the bike storage outdoors facility that is both highly secure and equipped with a dependable power source to keep your wheels rolling.
Plastic and wood don’t fall into the category of highly-securing materials. That’s why we recommend using a metal outdoor storage shed for e-bikes provided by the famous Asgard company.
There is no doubt that the Access E Plus Bike Storage is the greatest electric bike storage option available. This shed’s additional width allows you to store big electric bikes as well as all of your riding gear. You might think of this metal bike storage for outdoors as a center for your riding activities.
Bike shed bases/foundations
It’s possible that your bike shed may need to rest on a base, depending on the design you choose.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to storing your bikes. It’s important to check the product description to see whether a shed foundation is required.
Appropriate outdoor bike shed foundations are:
- Stone
- Gravel
- Concrete
- Wood
- Plastic
Your bike shed’s durability will be prolonged if you keep it off the ground. Placement on damp grass will result in the wooden bike shelter being constantly exposed to excess moisture. Thus, the wood will deteriorate fast, necessitating a new shed.
Installing the metal and plastic outside bike storage on a sturdy foundation ensures that it will last longer and operate better.
Conclusion
To protect your bicycles from the elements, you need to invest in a good bike shed. The weather and thieves will be kept out, and you’ll be able to ride your bike stress-free.
How many bikes you want to keep in the shed, the amount of storage space available, which material best suits your security, and aesthetic needs will determine your pick.
You also need to think about the time and work you’re willing to spend on building and upkeeping your outdoor bicycle storage shed!
Also, security should be among your top priorities as the possibility of your bikes being stolen from your backyard is much higher than from your garage.
Mind the locks you will use to secure the shed. Moreover, consider using a high-quality bike lock to keep your bicycles safe and some ground anchors to enhance security even more.
And, please, don’t forget to prepare a nice solid base for your shed. With a quality foundation, you will see that it will serve you longer than just putting it on bare soil.