Tips for owning a bike in a condo
By Newinhomes on Apr 06, 2018
There’s some rain and even snow in the forecast, but it looks like temperatures are starting to remain consistently above zero degrees celsius. You know what that means? It’s time to dust off your bike and get rolling!
There are countless benefits to riding your bike, especially in an urban area like downtown Toronto where everything is nearby. Bikes are cheaper than cars, they have a smaller impact on our road infrastructure, riding is good for your health, and it gets you outside more! We know we just said the benefits are countless, but there are 101 benefits of cycling you can read about right here.
If you haven’t been biking all winter, then your bike was likely in storage somewhere. Biking is supposed to be a convenient mode of transportation, but easily accessible bike storage in condos can be a rare find.
That’s why we’re sharing these helpful bike storage tips with you!
The balcony
Some condos allows bike storage on balconies and some don’t. Before making any big springtime balcony decisions, it’s important to review your condo balcony bylaws.
If you are going to store your bike on your balcony, make sure it’s in a spot where it’s protected from the elements. You may also want to get a cover for it if you don’t have great coverage from the rain.
Wall mounts
Hanging your bike on the wall inside your unit always seems like a good idea in theory, especially in photos like the one above. But, if you ride your bike in Toronto on a daily basis, then you know that your bike is going to get dirty the moment you bring it outside.
If you are going to mount your bike on the wall, do so in a place where falling dirt, oil, or water can’t damage any of your furniture or possessions. You may also want to put a floor cover down.
Higher storage locker
In some condos, you may have no choice but to store your bike in your storage locker. If you have a locker on one of the higher parking levels, then great, but it if yours is on a lower level, it can be a pain to bike up five levels of parking before leaving your building.
Condo units that come with a locker are usually tied to that locker with some sort of numerical code in order for the condo board to keep track. That doesn’t mean you can’t rent out your locker to someone else in the building and rent a locker on a higher parking level for yourself!
Toronto bicycle lockers
The City of Toronto has bike lockers for rent all over the downtown core. They cost $10 a month and you have to rent it for a minimum of four months. Each locker holds a single bike, plus room for equipment like panniers, locks, lights, etc.
These bike lockers are available on a first come, first served basis, so while there are many convenient locations, the ones closest to you may be rented already. If you discover your most desired locker is currently in use, you can join a waitlist.
We hope these tips get you excited to get out cycling this spring!
