Bike covers

[emjay]

I'm currently keeping my Orange collection in my outhouse which being over 250 years old is not the driest (damp) and warmest of places. Often during a wet winter, I enter this dark and dreary hole just examine each bike, and give it a once over with a little lubricant here and there.
I have toyed with the idea of just covering the bikes up with old dust sheets, just to at least keep the dust, cobwebs and fly spots from accumulating. But I feel they deserve something better.

I've been looking online and found several makes of bike covers available, I'm particularly edging towards a make called BIKE PARKA as they seem to be tailored for bikes with narrow (not 29er) handlebars.
Let me have you thoughts and experiences of using any other type of bike cover.
Cheers!

 

[mattr]

Get an extractor fan or two and some grills.
My garage had a damp problem, new high capacity fan and cleaning up the extraction grills means that the only damp that got in there this winter was snow dropping off the car.

 

[MartinYorkshire]

I'm currently keeping my Orange collection in my outhouse which being over 250 years old is not the driest (damp) and warmest of places. Often during a wet winter, I enter this dark and dreary hole just examine each bike, and give it a once over with a little lubricant here and there.
I have toyed with the idea of just covering the bikes up with old dust sheets, just to at least keep the dust, cobwebs and fly spots from accumulating. But I feel they deserve something better.

I've been looking online and found several makes of bike covers available, I'm particularly edging towards a make called BIKE PARKA as they seem to be tailored for bikes with narrow (not 29er) handlebars.
Let me have you thoughts and experiences of using any other type of bike cover.
Cheers!

Not mountain bikes but with my motorbikes I just put a sheet over them these days. I've found that purpose made covers tend to do the opposite of what most people want, in that they don't allow the naturally present moisture to escape, leading to corrosion. The moisture is present in the air and no cover is truly going to keep it out. As the building warms up, the moisture rises and gets stuck under the cover with nowhere to go, resulting in it sweating onto the bike. Similar problem to metal sheds, they can't breathe either, so you get a constant condensation problem which rots your tools.

The only thing I've seen that I think might work is one of those bubbles because of the air flow, but they are ££ and you'd have to be very careful when storing the car/bike that you're not introducing too much moisture.

You could also look at something like ACF50 to help against corrosion, but opinions on it appear mixed.

I'm clearly no expert on this, just going by my own experiences.

 

[focomat 1c]

I guess its a question of how you value your bike collection ? judging by the price of a Bikeparka ( around £25 each )
you are prepared to spend quite a lot of money .

My experience of tailored bike covers has been with the Lidl brand at around a third of the above price in thick plastic
material with stitched seams . They fit wide handlebars well and last outdoors in sunlight without becoming brittle ,
though I have mostly used them as dust covers in an unheated garage

If you are prepared to think outside the box ! I bought a plastic 'shed' from B&Q ( on sale for £30 ) branded
Shelter Logic . This is in effect a tent with a sturdy steel frame and a heavyweight woven plastic coated cover.
Mine is in the garden with currently 5 bikes stored in it and room for more , however why not put one of these
in your outhouse ? space permitting it would give similar protection to a bike cover , but on a larger scale and
with a reduced cost per bike

 

[Tootyred]

Ventilation is the key. 4" cheap plastic grill at each end to let the air through and take the damp out. (Unless the roof is physically leaking).

As for a cover, an old cotton bedsheet breathes and will keep the dust off. Avoid plastic or rain covers as they dont breathe, unless they are super duper expensive ones......and then even they don't always work!

Acf 50 is the dogs dangly bits for protecting. Wipe over, leave for winter. Ideal if you do get massive heat / humidity changes, which cause surface condensation.

This is exactly what we have done with classic bikes for years.