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When the temperatures are going up and down your better off keeping the cover off.
I had 2 bikes in my shed a few winters ago, one covered and one not, when I checked on them they were both covered in condensation. The next day I check on them again and the non-covered bike was dry and the covered one was still soaked.
I had the same issue and my garage is not heated but I did find a fix for it. I put my bike cover on my bike and put a radiant oil heater under the cover and it stays dry as toast. I went out there the other day and everything was soaked. I checked under the bike cover to see how the bike was doing and it was warm as toast and just as dry. I got the heater from wally world. It's like the old type steam heater that was along the walls of the old school buildings only it has oil in it. I also set it to where it does not get hot enough to burn the cover but warm enough to keep it warm and dry. I set it for 65 degree's and it works really well. Now it's freezing out and had it not been kept warm and dry all that condensation that would be all over the bike would now be ice all over the bike.
I stored mine in an unheated garage last year, under a breathable cover. No condensation. I did have a dehumidifier bag, that I bought at Ace Hardware, under the bike.
This year I am storing it in an unheated storage unit. You motivated me to dig up that bag I used last year. I didn't use it, because you have to redry the granules in the oven or microwave. I am drying the granules in the microwave now. Takes about 1/2 hour.
It is made by Rutland Products, Rutland, VT. 1-800-544-1307
Went out to the garage to see if I have the metal to make a jack and looked under the sheets at the bike and the whole garage looks like a rain forest. 60° in feb with ALOT of rain tends to boost the humidity up. Now it looks like my bike has been sitting in the rain all damn day. Now I have fans on it trying to get the air moving and tomorrow I have to get the heaters going to dry everything out. This just ruined my night. Time for some crown.
Love that humidity, huh? Not.
Makes the heat hotter and cold, colder.
Originally Posted by QC
That stinks. Often wondered whether a cover or sheets are worth the possible side affects. But all I have to worry about out here is dust.
I never understood putting a cover on a bike. You can always wash off the dust that gets on it, and dust won't hurt anything like moisture will. I think you are better off to leave your bike out in the rain than to put a cover on it. I live on a gravel road and mine gets dusty pretty fast even though it is in the garage. But putting a cover on it is much worse in my estimation. Even a so called breathable one will keep it wet. Just my 2 cents.
Mine was dripping yesterday too. Happens a couple days a year. Today it is dry. Just wait for it to cool down and it will dry out. Shouldn't hurt anything.
Went out to the garage to see if I have the metal to make a jack and looked under the sheets at the bike and the whole garage looks like a rain forest. 60° in feb with ALOT of rain tends to boost the humidity up. Now it looks like my bike has been sitting in the rain all damn day. Now I have fans on it trying to get the air moving and tomorrow I have to get the heaters going to dry everything out. This just ruined my night. Time for some crown.
No kidding! It's been ridiculously wet here too. Pulled the bike out the other day when it was in the low 60s and there was a puddle of water under it from the car and the primary had condensation all over it. No telling how long it had been sitting like that! The ride dried the water off and I mopped and toweled up the water before I put the bike back.
Went out to the garage to see if I have the metal to make a jack and looked under the sheets at the bike and the whole garage looks like a rain forest. 60° in feb with ALOT of rain tends to boost the humidity up. Now it looks like my bike has been sitting in the rain all damn day. Now I have fans on it trying to get the air moving and tomorrow I have to get the heaters going to dry everything out. This just ruined my night. Time for some crown.
Sound like you need to look into investing in a "bike bubble"
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