If you don?t care what the weatherman says and you?re the kind of kid that will go out for ride on your bike regardless of what?s falling out of the sky, fair play to ya. For a lot of us, though, the hour of cleaning that tends to be necessary after a cold, damp, winter sortie will be too big a turn-off. That?s why our bikes remain in their cosy garages. What?s considered the ?winter season? will vary in from person to person; but if you are going to park your bike up for more than a couple of months at a time, and the missus won?t let you bring it in the living room, there?re a handful of little tricks that are worth remembering. Our top tips for storing your bike over winter.

Tyres

The first thing I?m going to say about tyres is pretty obvious. Make sure there?s some wind in the bastards. An underinflated (or even worse, completely flat) tyre that?s sat on the floor isn?t a happy tyre. Especially with half the weight of a bike on it. It?ll be fit for nothing but the scrap heap after six months. Be sure to get them right up to pressure when you park it up. And then give them a kick whenever your passing, just to make sure they are still full of air. If they?re the full of air, they?re the right shape, all the way round.
Mine Kasapoglu/Red Bull Content Pool

The cold temperatures in garages can play havoc with your hoops even when they are pumped up. They can freeze flat-spots into the bit that?s sat on the floor if they?re stood still for long enough; partic...