Best ways to store a bike in an apartment, preparation and common mistakes

Residents of cities where it is difficult to park bicycles are faced with the question of how and where to store a bicycle in an apartment. This is also true for the winter period. Therefore, you need to consider all the existing methods and options, as well as the features of preliminary preparation for storage. You also need to find out by what principle suitable places in the living quarters are determined, which can be adapted to accommodate the bicycle.

Preparation for storage

At the stage of preparing the bicycle for storage, it is necessary to clean it from dirt and old grease, reliably lubricate the brakes, shifters, chains, handle joints and other parts important things, inflate the tires, adjust the chains and prepare the saddle for later use.

Dirt cleaning

To clean the bike from dirt, you need a bucket of hot water, a car wash, several brushes, rags and sponges of different sizes, narrow screwdrivers and a degreaser. First, you need to clean the chain, which is one of the most important parts of the bike. To do this, use very hot water with the addition of a car wash. For maximum work safety, rubber gloves should be worn.

Once the detergent is foamy enough in the bucket, dip a stiff bristle brush into it and scrub the chain vigorously.

Then you need to wipe the cables with a soft cloth soaked in a degreaser. If corroded areas are found, the cables should be replaced. Then proceed to clean the front derailleur. It is located in a hard-to-reach place, and therefore a large amount of dry dirt accumulates there. As a result, the overall functioning of the bike is significantly hampered. To effectively clean this part, you'll need warm soapy water and a handy miniature brush that can get into any hard-to-reach areas. Then wipe with a soft cloth.

Use a flat blade screwdriver to clean dry dirt and grass between the wheel and the rear derailleur bar. For light soiling, you can use a small brush to clean the outside and inside of the switch.At the end of the bike cleaning process, pay attention to the rear sprockets. To get rid of dry dirt and grass clippings, you need a flat-blade screwdriver that easily gets into hard-to-reach places. After that, you need to step on the stars with a brush dipped in hot water. Additionally, you can treat them with a degreaser and then rub them with a dry cloth.

Remove old fat

The bicycle chain must be free of old grease. To do this, you need to perform several sequential steps:

1. Carefully remove the chain.
2. Place it in an appropriately sized jar or bottle with a wide opening.
3. Pour enough solvent into the container to completely cover the chain.
4. Close the container tightly and leave to infuse for 15 to 20 minutes. For greater efficiency, it is recommended to shake the container vigorously at the beginning and at the end of the procedure.
5. Discard the residual liquid.
6. Fill the container with a solution of detergent (eg for washing up) and water.
7. Shake for another five minutes.
8. Remove the degreased chain from the container and dry thoroughly (in the sun, with a hair dryer or simply by leaving it overnight).
9. Clean the sprockets and put the chain back in place.

Lubrication of brakes, chains, derailleurs and handle pivots

Bike parts can be lubricated with thick or liquid lubricants. Liquids are available in aerosol bottles or applied with a syringe. They are able to penetrate hard-to-reach places, but have low frost resistance. Thick lubricants, depending on the base, are graphite, teflon, calcium and lithium. You can start lubricating your bike from any node.

Apply medium-heavy grease to the cassettes and chain sprockets in several layers and turn the connecting rods counterclockwise. The brakes should be applied, then a small amount of grease should be applied to the cable and pivot. It is preferable to use a liquid aerosol agent, as this allows for more precise dosing. It is recommended to lubricate the carriage with a thicker and denser agent.The same goes for the wheel axle bearings.

The bike rollers are lubricated with a liquid lubricant which reduces stiffness and eliminates squealing during rotation. Use a medium viscosity product to lubricate the front and rear shock absorbers. After application, you need to rotate the pedals and perform several strokes on the brake levers. The remaining grease must be carefully removed so that it does not attract dust.

Wipe all parts with an oily cloth

Any moderately dense, soft cloth can be used to wipe bicycle parts - non-woven cloth, waffle cloth, linen cloths and others. You have to soak them in car or sewing machine oil and rub them one by one on each part of the bike.

Chain adjustment

Frequent gear changes loosen the bike chain. The second reason for the failure of this part is the bend of the sprocket on the front sprocket cluster.

Tuning requires:

1. Place the bike with the wheels up.
2. Unscrew the fixing nuts.
3. Set the optimum chain slack and tension.
4. When a sag of 5 mm is reached, fix the mechanism at a position parallel to the axis with respect to the shaft of the carriage.

It is important to bear in mind that if the chain is not correctly tensioned, there is a risk that the mechanism will jump. Overtightening can make pedaling difficult.

Tire inflation

To properly inflate the tires, you must measure the pressure inside them using a pressure gauge. The recommended pressure for each model of bicycle transport is indicated in the data sheet or on the side of the tire.For this purpose, you can use a hand-held bicycle pump, a floor-mounted car pump with jacks, or a high-pressure fork pump for shock absorbers.

The most commonly used hand pump. To inflate your tires, you must:

1. Put the bike in a convenient place, leaving enough space around it, as well as free access to the nipple.
2. Unscrew the nipple cap and release the air from the tire.
3. Attach the pipe head to the nipple.
4. Periodically check the pressure level during inflation. It should be 5-6% lower than the value indicated on the wheel.
5. Screw on the nipple cap.

Lowering the springs of the shock absorbers

You can lower the shock absorber spring using special attachments, portable or fixed, mechanical or hydraulic.

A properly adjusted spring reduces shock loads on the vehicle frame as well as the rider while riding.

Saddle preparation

The bicycle saddle must be properly cleaned and prepared before storage:

1. Dip a soft foam sponge into a bucket of warm water.
2. Wring out the sponge and wipe the seat.
3. Rub the sponge with soap to create a rich lather.
4. Apply foam to the entire surface of the bicycle saddle, from top to bottom. Then apply to the inner side without leaving any unattended seams.
5. Wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
6. Remove dirt residue with a small brush. It is necessary to carefully go through all the folds and seams.
7. To give the saddle a smooth, shiny finish, use a special polish.

Storage methods

There are several ways to store your bike in your apartment. You can disassemble it into several parts, as well as use special brackets, hooks, hangers and other devices.

Exploded view

You must disassemble the bike in the following order:

1. Loosen the fasteners and remove the steering wheel.You can also rotate it so that it is in a position proportional to the frame.
2. Remove the seat and the pedals one by one.
3. Loosen the nuts or the eccentric on the hub to carefully remove the front wheel.
4. Remove the rear wheel.

All parts of the bike should be packed separately and stored in a warm place.

Racks

To hide the bike in a hard-to-reach place in the apartment, special stands or stands with adjustable height and angle can be used. These devices are ideal not only for storage, but also for DIY repairs, including wheel alignment and centering. The rubber protectors on the rack hooks prevent scratches on the bike frame.

Wall hooks

In a small apartment, it is advisable to use wall hooks to store your bike. To install them, it is enough to drill holes of a suitable diameter.

Vertical storage hooks

You can store your bike in an upright position thanks to hooks fixed to the ceiling. In this case, the vehicle is suspended by the wheel.

shelf support

There are two types of bicycle racks - for hanging on the frame and with a saddle support. This piece of furniture can be easily decorated with books, flowers or other elements.

hangers

The wide range of bike carriers allows you to secure this vehicle in different ways:

• on the wall or ceiling behind the steering wheel;
• behind the frame on the ceiling or on the wall;
• at the door.

Under the bed

In small apartments, the folded bike can easily fit under the bed.

On the ceiling

Using various brackets, you can hang your bike from the ceiling vertically by the wheel and horizontally by the wheel, seat or frame.

Special cabinet

It is advisable to place a special small locker in the hallway to store a bicycle and associated accessories. This piece of furniture must be open, with a depth of at least 20 centimeters.

On the cabinet

A bicycle can be stored above a closet in the hallway or in another room in the apartment, having folded it.

Alternate locations

If the apartment does not have enough space to accommodate a bicycle, you can look for other storage options.

Garage

It is convenient to store your bike in the garage during the winter. The main thing is to choose the optimal solution.A large garage can be equipped with a rack for several bicycles. You can also have reliable fixings on the wall or ceiling. They can be in the form of solid monolithic hooks or flexible hangers.

Balcony

On the glazed balcony, you can place your bike in several ways:

• attach to the ceiling or wall with hooks;
• install a mobile stand.

Basement

The well-appointed basement is ideal for storing your bike during the winter. In this case, you can use wall mounts or mini ceiling lifts.

Common Mistakes

When deciding to place a bicycle in an apartment, it is important to consider places where it is not recommended to store this type of transport.

These places include:

• a staircase on which the bicycle becomes a bait for thieves;
• technical rooms in houses with high humidity;
• balconies without glazing (temperature changes pose a risk to the bike's oil fork and hydraulic brakes).

Additional tips and tricks

In some cases, especially when it comes to a small apartment, you need to reduce the size of the bike by folding it correctly. To do this, it is enough to unscrew the front wheel and turn the steering wheel 90 degrees.

Instances equipped with a folding mechanism can be stored in a utility cabinet by hanging them on the back wall. When storing a vehicle on a balcony, you must first protect it from moisture and low temperatures. To do this, clean all parts from dirt, then lubricate the chain, cables and sprockets with machine oil. UV protection is guaranteed by a waterproof fabric cover.