Would It Be Ok To Leave My Bike Out Almost Everyday, for 8.5 hours?
08-02-17, 10:53 AM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18378 Post(s)
Liked 4,512 Times
in
3,354 Posts
Sunlight definitely deteriorates organic materials. I have a bike that is more faded on one side than the other due to probably being stored outside in one orientation for a long time. Black materials are less susceptible to damage because the pigments block most of the sunlight. But you might find yourself replacing consumable items such as tires and brake shoes more often.
Nonetheless, the bike itself seems solid.
I now have a dedicated "rain bike" which I use in the winter, and keep the old steel bike inside.
08-02-17, 01:31 PM
#27
Senior Member
The only I did special was to use a saddle cover on sunny summer days. Not for the saddle---it didn't burn my butt when I rode home.
08-03-17, 09:26 AM
#28
Zip tie Karen
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Posts: 7,004
Bikes: '13 Motobecane Fantom29 HT, '16 Motobecane Turino Pro Disc, '18 Velobuild VB-R-022, '21 Tsunami SNM-100
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1465 Post(s)
Liked 1,542 Times
in
806 Posts
Well, my fellow commuters at work (three that I know of) use the same Performance cover over our bikes. These keep harmful UV away from rubber bits (including most of the tires) as well as off the handlebars, finish, and saddle. I place an additional plastic bag or Brooks cover over my saddle beneath the larger bike cover, on days when I expect significant rain. I don't want to be in the business of prematurely replacing hoods and tape or have broken plastic bits (think brifters) because of sun exposure. This is just common sense to me...
08-03-17, 12:45 PM
#29
Banned
We invest money in the house and life experience (travel, living abroad) but not so much in possessions.
I just bought a used 2008 24" iMac for example.
I'm NOT saying to waste the possessions, just not to invest irrelevant money into them ... hence my decisions about my ride.
edit: As far as lasting a lifetime, perhaps, but at some point the cost outweighs the benefit and that's where I deploy my money elsewhere. For example, I just did a week of camping in SLC with a pack that I initially spent 2500 SEK (308 USD) in 2008 and it's still giving
my camping trousers were bought in 2010 for €120 and luckily still fit We'll see what kind of usage I can get out of them.
Last edited by acidfast7; 08-03-17 at 12:51 PM.
08-03-17, 02:02 PM
#30
Senior Member
Everything we have is disposable. The question is how long before disposal. I take reasonable care of my bikes but I don't spend an inordinate amount of time and money doing so. My Dutch bikes can stay outside for decades and not be much different nor require much more maintenance than if I'd hauled them in every night. OTOH, I'd not lean them against a post or something that might scratch them. They truly are nearly indestructible tools for getting me and stuff where I need to go reliably, quickly and comfortably.
My CF road bike stays inside but that likely has more to do with knowing that leaving it out would create more routine maintenance than I already have to put in to it.
Last edited by CrankyOne; 08-03-17 at 02:09 PM.
08-03-17, 02:12 PM
#31
Banned
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...term-test.html
Everything we have is disposable. The question is how long before disposal. I take reasonable care of my bikes but I don't spend an inordinate amount of time and money doing so. My Dutch bikes can stay outside for decades and not be much different nor require much more maintenance than if I'd hauled them in every night. OTOH, I'd not lean them against a post or something that might scratch them. They truly are nearly indestructible tools for getting me and stuff where I need to go reliably, quickly and comfortably.
My CF road bike stays inside but that likely has more to do with knowing that leaving it out would create more routine maintenance than I already have to put in to it.
Everything we have is disposable. The question is how long before disposal. I take reasonable care of my bikes but I don't spend an inordinate amount of time and money doing so. My Dutch bikes can stay outside for decades and not be much different nor require much more maintenance than if I'd hauled them in every night. OTOH, I'd not lean them against a post or something that might scratch them. They truly are nearly indestructible tools for getting me and stuff where I need to go reliably, quickly and comfortably.
My CF road bike stays inside but that likely has more to do with knowing that leaving it out would create more routine maintenance than I already have to put in to it.
08-03-17, 02:16 PM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: New Jersry the beautiful Garden State
Posts: 1,920
Bikes: 2007 Ridley Excalibur, 2003 Orbea Orca, 199? Cannondale Headshock MTB hardtail
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 520 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
10 Posts
+1 The plastic bag over the seat trick for rainy days FTW. I also carrry a second plastic bag on those days to put my clothing into. Then that goes into my backpack (since its not completely water tight).
08-03-17, 02:19 PM
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: New Jersry the beautiful Garden State
Posts: 1,920
Bikes: 2007 Ridley Excalibur, 2003 Orbea Orca, 199? Cannondale Headshock MTB hardtail
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 520 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
10 Posts
