rosefarts

Exactly as the title states.

Extra details.

Portland suburbs.
Quiet safe fenced place to lock and a loud dog.
Covered but open to air.
Brand new MTB, aluminum frame, mechanical shifting.
Cane Creek Helm Fork.


The only storage available in this rental is in the basement, and with handlebar width, stair access, and front door openings, this is really hard. Additionally I’ll end up putting tire marks on the doors and scuffs on the door frame. Plus, so far I’ve needed to spray off my bike every single ride to get it indoor ready (and it’s still not clean). Not looking to damage a place that’s not mine.

My concern about outdoors is that with the massive dew here, I’m worried about condensation inside cables, on rotors, really anything steel. Even if it doesn’t rust, can it gunk up my currently smooth shifts? Honestly a full strip every season isn’t that hard. Maybe I’m just inventing problems.

I can even tarp it, but that may hold more wet inside.

It’ll be 3-5 months at this location, getting ridden probably twice a week. Not sitting around.

Iride01 

Electricity available under the roof? Maybe build a temporary box of some sort and put a inexpensive dehumidifier in it. That's more for if you are looking for a project though and it sound's like you might have a bigger one going on.

3 months I wouldn't be too concerned, five month maybe more of a concern. I might just spray WD-40 on all the bare metal parts after each ride and just pay extra attention to things as they come up. So might turn out to be no worry at all if the roof protects from all the rain you get there.

When you get back into more normal conditions for your bike, then you can clean up all the WD-40 and stuff that brought with it.

dabac

My commuter bike has survived more than a decade of being parked under a roof.
The worst weather-induced drama was when the shifter cable froze one winter.
Oh, and when I forgot the gloves on the rack and failed to dry them out before the return journey….

Kapusta

If it is under a roof that is not too high above it, you may get a lot less dew on the bike.

I can’t say I know the science behind it, but that is often the way it works out.

Troul 

put a tarp draped over it & have a box set on low/med under said tarp. Keep the air moving.

Calsun

Put a bike cover over the bike and the condensation will accumulate on the outside of the cover. Most have a means for cinching them closed at the bottom which will help.

veganbikes

Humidity has a great effect the condensation could as well but humidity is really going to do it. I would find a way to get rid of the moisture in your shed and you will be in better shape, luckily though it does sound like you are cleaning and maintaining the bike so this will be less of an issue.

pdlamb

TBH, I'd be more worried about the bike being stolen from an open carport-like shed than rusting. Keep the chain and derailers oiled and the cables greased, and that should deal with most of the problems.

Kapusta

As long as your chain has some lube on it, I would not worry at all about what you are thinking of doing. There is really nothing on a modern mtb that is bothered by humidity. People have mentioned cables, but I assume (being a new mtb) that yours are all full length housing.

As far a tarp: I would only use a tarp if you are sure that no moisture will come up from the ground. Otherwise the tarp may simply be holding moisture in.

Iride01 

box fan?

I like that idea. Simple.

KerryIrons

The science is quite straightforward. The coldest surface is where the water will condense, and in effect that dries out the surrounding air. Since the roof is "seeing" the colder outside air, it cools faster than the bike or the ground and therefore becomes the condensation point.