The Best Bike Cover

Buying Guide

Bicycles are an excellent way to get exercise, get around town or even commute to work. You can bike for miles in much less time than it takes to walk, and it is much more affordable than driving. However, bikes can be quite an expensive investment depending on how you want to use them. As with any investment, you’ll want it to be protected from whatever elements it is exposed to. This will require a good bike cover. When you think of buying a bike cover, it seems like a pretty straightforward endeavor. However, there are countless things to consider when finding the right bike cover for your situation.

To find the right product for you, consider the location of your bike storage. There are several places to store your bike: inside the house, on the back of a car while traveling, long-term outside, short-term outside or in the garage. The location of your bike storage will greatly impact the type of bike cover you get. Outside storage will require a thicker, heavier material to protect from the elements whereas indoor storage can use just a lightweight cover that is easy to take on and off. A few things to look for in an appropriate bike cover for your situation are the material, size and details or accessories.

The material used to make bike covers is usually polyester. It is waterproof, affordable and durable when made well. The more important thing is to look at the denier number of the material. Denier is the strength of the material. When shopping for a bike cover, you will notice a number with the letter ‘D’ after it to denote the denier of the material. The higher the number the greater the denier. Another way to look at it is the higher the number, the heavier the materials or thicker the thread. If storing outside, you’ll want the highest denier you can find to protect your bike from the elements.

The next thing is to note the size of the bike cover. Many times, bike covers do not even reach the ground when placed over the bike. It is really important to measure the height and width of your bike before shopping, so you don’t run into this problem. There is no standard bike size, so it is always better to go up a size to ensure full coverage. And if it is super large, you might even be able to fit two bikes under the same cover.

As for accessories or added features, you can decide how fancy you want to get with your bike cover. For example, reflective material on the bike cover would be a good idea for traveling with the bikes on the back of your car. For easy lifting, you may want some heavy-duty handles on the cover, as you’ll get from the Pro Bike Tool cover. Handles also help to keep the bike cover’s shape while placing it over the bikes.

You might also consider finding a bike cover with lock holes. If you commute and need to lock your bike up during the day, it is nice to have the cover and bike protected with a lock on the tire. Some models have two grommet holes to slide the lock through both the front wheel and the cover, securing them both. One last accessory to think about is a buckle to secure the cover underneath the bike and protect it from blowing off the bike in high winds. You decide which features will work best for your bike and bike cover.

• Always look for a warranty on your bike cover.
• Be sure that if you are using a bike cover on the rear of your car, it does not cover your car’s brake lights.
• Be sure to purchase a cover with some sort of ventilation system, especially if storing for an extended time period.
• If storing in a public place, try to keep it discreet so as not to attract any unwanted attention.
• Choose a bike cover with stitched lock holes rather than grommet lock holes that tend to rust over time.