Conference noted::bicycle

> Should I deflate the tires, or leave them alone?
>
> I suppose they will leak down little by little, anyway.  I'm just
> curious if I should let *all* of the air out.  They're skinny Michelin
> clinchers, if that makes a difference. 

Deflate them, by all means.  Most skinny clincher tubes have Presta
valves.  Presta valves have a fairly soft rubber seal, because they
don't have a spring to push the stem harder into the seal as does a
Schrader valve. If you leave them inflated for an extended period, like
over the winter, the seal will deform and make it much more difficult to
inflate or deflate the tire in the future. 

I've still got an 8-year-old sew-up on one of my bikes, that I abused in
this way, and I have to pump the floor pump up to something greater than
the gauge shows (10 atm) before the valve will let go with a "click" and
begin allowing air into the tire.  Slowly.  To deflate the tire, I have
to push the stem and then wiggle it to the side - there's one particular
spot where it'll let the air out.  Very slowly. 

Additional storage tips:

Clean and lubricate the bike thoroughly, as if you were getting it ready
for a new season.  Make sure it's all in perfect working order.  Be sure 
to take the seat post out and regrease it - I've seen seat posts weld
themselves in place by galvanic action. 

If you're a fanatic and want to go all the way, disconnect your brake
and derailleur cables to minimize cable stretch and take some tension
off the springs.  (This can be a pain if your cables have those little
aluminum ferrules clamped on the ends.) 

Cover the bike to keep dust and airborne grease from settling on it -
especially if it's near a woodstove or in a kitchen.

    If you're going to regrease the seat tube, you should also regrease
    the handlebar stem.
    
    I've seen it recommended, and I also recommend that before puumping
    up a presta valve, you (with your hand) let some air out of it.
    This will help to break the seal and make it easier to pump up.
    
    ed

    
    Another winter storage question....
    
    How about "where" to store it and why (if you have a choise)? 
    
    Specifically in an unheated garage or the basement
                                                                 
    thanks
    

Re: .3

> How about "where" to store it [in New England] and why (if you have a
> choise)? 

Given the choice, I'll store it in a part of the house that is heated, 
to reduce the temperature stress on lubricants and rubber parts.  

As it happens, I'm not in such a position, at least not entirely.  My
good bike lives inside all the time - when I'm not actively *riding* it
outside, it's usually mounted on a wind trainer, even during the summer.
But my commuting bike lives on an unheated glassed-in porch, and I had
to fight to get even that concession from a non-cyclist wife. 

If it's a choice between an unheated garage and a basement, think about 
how damp the basement is.  In the spring, when things thaw out, there's 
a great potential for rust and corrosion in a damp basement.  (That was 
one of the arguments I used about the commuting bike.)  If the basement 
is nice and dry, then it's probably a better place than the garage, 
because some heat will leak through the floors above and keep it a 
little warmer.

- Dick

    
     How are all of you riders keeping your bicycles off of the tires.
     I realize it would be best to hang it by the frame - how about
     hanging it from the wheels? I've seen it done before, but hanging
     the bike by the wheels makes me more uncomfortable than letting
     the bike stand on the wheels.
    
     What's your opinion?
    
     Harry
    
    

    re:
    	What's your opinion.
    
    	Harry, it's like the Nike slogan.  Just keep on
    riding it and you won't have to worry about it.
    
    	But, if I did put my bike up for a long period of time 
    I'd probably mount it on the wall (over the fireplace?) 
    without the wheels attached.  You can buy a pair of bicycle 
    wall  hangers in any hardware store for around a buck.  I 
    would also remove the tubes and tires, since I'd probably 
    want to true the wheels and check for roundness since they 
    are off the bike anyway.  Then I'd give the bike a good
    going over before I put it back on the road (new cables,
    chain, lube and adjust, etc.)  
    
    	I don't consider myself a fanatic, ( Fisher/Ellis type :-) ) 
    but when the weather cooperates I brake out the wheels most
    suitable for the occasion just to get an occasional dose of what
    it's like to be back on the road again.  I've already had my new bike
    out once this year (I'm assuming you live in New England...if 
    you are in the Artic that's different).  So "Just Do It" or
    at least maintain it while it's just hanging around the house.
    
    					_Jerry
    PS,
    	If your not into Bicycle maintenance and you live close
    to New Hampshire, there is a GSW Effective Cyclist course starting
    next week.  Runs several weeks and covers everything you need
    to know about how to keep your machine and yourself in good
    shape.
    cooperates

    I hang them by the wheels.  I built a rack that I used in the spare
    bedroom so that I could hang them in an alternating pattern, up-down-
    up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down... and they fit in much less space that
    way.  Many bike shops do this too.  I don't think the stress amounts to
    a hundredth of the stress that a pot-hole or small stone can deliver
    when you're riding.
    
    A Harvey Wallhanger wouldn't help me much.
    
    ed

    
    Ed,
    
    Do you hang them by both wheels or just one?
    
    Harry

    I think that the only item to worry about when storing your bike
    is that it not sit on the tires for a very long time.

    Over a period of months, the air will diffuse out of the tires
    and they will go flat.  If the bike were resting in the
    "ready to ride" position, this would make creases in the tires.

    Any other configurations of hanging by the rims or frame are just
    a matter of convenience and storage space.  Do what you like.

    I imagine that metal creep will come into play eventually, but only
    on a geologic time scale.  (Glaciers might be a bigger worry.)
    
    -Jeff Bell

    How else would you store BATBIKES?  Hanging upside-down from the
    rafters in the garage of course.

    As stated earlier, the stress of holding up a 20 lb bike is nothing
    compared to the stress they take when you're actually riding them on
    the road.

I hang mine with one hook. The hook is just at the right height so that the
rear wheel is touching the floor. I had my wife hold the bike up against the
wall while I marked the location of the hook. I put the hook in, hung the bike
up and noticed the tire was off the ground by about a � inch, so I bent the
hook down just enough to let some weight rest on the rear wheel. I felt this
set up is fine for the wheels. This method takes up very little room, plus
you don't have to lift the bike over your head.

Tom
  

    All my bikes, except the Santana hang by one wheel.  The hooks are all
    the same height and none of the bikes touches the floor.
    
    Some of them do touch the wall with the lower tire because of weight
    distributions.
    
    ed