How to take care of your balcony so that you can use it in the summer?
Late spring and summer is the time when people living in blocks of flats start appreciating their balconies much more. At the end of the day, it is a perfect spot to sit down after a difficult day at work and enjoy fresh air, warm and sunny weather and relax while reading a book or having a nice cup of tea or coffee. However, the reality of how we manage the space on our balcony may be completely different. Given our limited space, the balcony often turns into storage place, where we put unnecessary seasonal objects, including our bicycles – the most common sport equipment. Is keeping a bicycle on the balcony really a good solution? Check out how you can store it to be able to fully use the potential of your balcony.
Storing your bicycle on the balcony
A bicycle is definitely most people’s first choice when it comes to sport equipment. Not only does it allow us to actively spend time with the whole family, but for some of us it is also a means of transport in big cities with bad traffic. Undoubtedly, having and riding a bike has a lot of advantages and brings us lots of satisfaction. However, there is a period when cycling becomes much less pleasant. Snow, rain, strong wind or sub-zero temperatures can effectively stop us from riding our bike around town.
What is more, a tiny flat makes it a necessity for many bike owners to keep them on the balcony, regardless of the season, especially if they don’t have an alternative place to keep it. The fact is that a bicycle should be stored in a closed, ventilated place with an appropriate temperature. But what can we do if we have no other choice but to keep our bicycles on the balcony throughout the year?
How to keep a bicycle on the balcony?
A bicycle, just like any other kind of sport equipment, should undergo regular maintenance and, what is equally important, should be stored in appropriate conditions. Heavy snow or rain outside may lead to a situation in which the bicycle that was kept on the balcony during winter needs to undergo extensive servicing and riding it may not be very safe. At this point, some people may ask themselves a question: Should we keep a bicycle on the balcony during winter?
Keeping a bicycle on the balcony during winter is a relatively good solution if we have prepared our equipment accordingly. First of all, if we intend to keep our bicycle on the balcony during winter, we should thoroughly clean it, dry it, and safeguard some of its parts. For example, if our bike is equipped with different kinds of electronic devices, such as a bike computer or lights, we should remove the batteries before putting in on the balcony. This way, we prevent the leak of acid, which can damage the equipment.
Another element that is a must for people who are wondering how to keep their bike on the balcony is an appropriate bike case. A case for a bicycle that will be kept on the balcony is a very good solution not only during winter, but also when keeping the bike on the balcony is a permanent situation for us. A bicycle case, obviously if it is a high-quality one, will effectively protect our equipment against factors such as humidity, low temperatures, as well as sunlight. Moreover, the case should be big enough to cover the whole bicycle.
How to safeguard a bicycle kept on the balcony?
Even though your balcony may seem like a convenient place to store your bike, it is not always a safe one. It turns out that bicycles getting stolen from balconies is a common occurrence and even the police warn us against it. Remember that a potential thief will not be discouraged by the fact that your bike is on the 3rd or 4th floor. There are some well-known cases when thieves climbed up to higher floors and then used ropes to pass a bike to their accomplices waiting for them downstairs.
Therefore, safeguarding your bicycle is definitely a must. In order to do so, you need to store it in such a way that it is not visible from the street and lock it with a padlock to a rail or another element that cannot be dismantled.
Self storage units as a perfect space to store your bike
Let’s face it – storing your bicycle on the balcony can simply become daunting and also make it impossible for us to use this space. We need to remember that even the space of the tiniest balcony can be organised in a way that will make spending summer afternoons or evenings there very pleasant. We can find a lot of inspiration and ideas online about how to arrange this space and turn it into a real city jungle full of beautiful plants. What should I do with my bike then?
