The best bike sheds from Bikmo’s perspective
Bikmo shares their top tips of what to look for when shopping for storage sheds for your bikes
Keeping your bikes locked securely at home is essential to keeping your bikes safe, as well as hopefully covered on an insurance policy you have. However, not all sheds are made equally.
Check out Bikmo's blog on the best sheds, and what to look for when buying one.
Why get a bike shed?
Apart from the obvious security benefits of keeping your bike locked in a shed, it will also act as a good defence to the weather if you do have to leave it outside of your house or garage.
However, a garden bicycle shed may not be a completely weatherproof solution, especially a wooden one. If you’re asking yourself, will my bike rust in the shed? The answer is, maybe, if you don’t look after it properly.
Covering it up, and keeping it clean, dry and regularly serviced, will help prolong the good condition and running of your bike.
E-bike user? Make sure to bring your e-bike battery inside during long periods of not using the bike, and over winter. Even in a shed, it’s likely that the cold will result in your battery’s cells dying prematurely.
Which is the best bike shed for insurance purposes?
Not all home or dedicated cycle insurance is clear on what a shed is, so it’s worth checking your policy. Bikmo’s policies are specifically designed to be hassle-free. For your Bikmo cycle policy to remain valid while your bike is stored in a shed, your bike must be:
- Stored in a lockable wooden, metal or plastic shed
- Within the boundaries of your home
- Only be accessible by you or your guests
This means a shared bike lockup in a block of flats wouldn’t be covered, but a shed in your front or back garden would be.
The shed must also be secured to the ground and immovable. It's worth checking your chosen manufacturer's installation guidelines and instructions. Most include details on how to fix it to the ground and other ways to further secure it.
Bikmo considers each bike shed on an individual basis, due to the huge range of bike storage options (and levels of security) on the market.
Wooden bike sheds
Wooden bike sheds are the more environmentally friendly option out of plastic, wooden or metal. If you’re going for aesthetics, a wooden bicycle shed can be more pleasing to the eye.
You can customise the look of your wooden outdoor bicycle shed by painting it to complement the rest of your garden, and add additional security with locks, hooks and shelves to store and lock your bikes, helmets and kit tidily inside.
The downside of a wooden bicycle shed is the risk of weather getting in. Not all are completely watertight, and many are not as secure as you think.
What to look out for when choosing a wooden bike shed
- Avoid overlapping cladding. It tends to be thin, unfinished, and not very strong or weatherproof. Because of this, the wood is likely to warp over time, affecting not only the security of the shed, but the protection of your bikes from the weather outside.
- Look for tongue and groove cladding. It is much more ‘weathertight’ and secure, as well as being less likely to warp over time.
- Choose a strong, thicker frame and hinges on the inside of the door. To prevent thieves from breaking the wood or simply unscrewing the hinges to pull open the door!
Best wooden bike sheds
Good quality, high security wooden bike sheds do come at a price, but what price can you really put on the guaranteed security of your pride and joy?
Bikmo has suggested, at the top end of the scale, the best brands for the most secure wooden bicycle sheds are Power Sheds, or Pedalbase and Spokeshed sheds, the latter two can be found on Bike Shed Company’s website, one of Bikmo’s partners.
Their sheds are hand built with sustainable UK grown timber and the highest quality components for maximum security.
Bikmo’s top wooden shed picks:
Power Apex Shed – RRP from £524
For a high quality wooden bicycle shed in the mid-range pricing, the Power Shed Apex would be our top pick. These sheds are highly adaptable, made from high tongue and groove grade timber, and come with a free 10 year guarantee against timber rot, decay or insect infestation.
Plus, you can get a sneak peek of how your new shed will look in your garden using the augmented reality app on your phone!
Pedalbase 3 – RRP from £1920
The Pedalbase 3 stores up to three adult bikes and features a shackleless padlock and internal anchor point to secure them to. Also available in a bigger model, Pedalbase 5.
Spokeshed 3 – RRP from £2280
The Spokeshed 3 also stores up to three adult bikes with the same shackleless padlock and internal anchor as the Pedalbase, but it’s taller and the added height gives room for a deep shelf for extra storage. Also available in a bigger model, Spokeshed 5.
Metal bike sheds
Metal bike sheds typically offer higher security out of the box than wooden sheds, and are more secure overall compared to wooden or plastic. The galvanised steel is highly weatherproof, very durable and low maintenance.
There are some downsides to metal bike storage sheds. They can be harder to customise with hooks and shelves than wooden sheds, and they can be really difficult to assemble – but once you’ve got it up, it’s up for good!
What to look out for when choosing a metal bike shed
- Look for thick steel panels. As to be expected, thicker steel panels will translate to higher quality and better security. Anything above the standard thickness of 0.25mm is a good option.
- Ventilation is important. Metal sheds are prone to condensation and rust if not properly ventilated, and this can damage your bikes inside. Check the description of whichever shed you’re buying to make sure it has air ventilation covered, with vents on both sides.
- Door hinges that are hidden inside the shed. Or, attached with security bolts that can’t be unscrewed.
Best metal bike sheds
There are a few main brands when looking for good quality metal bicycle sheds. As with the wooden shed brands, these high-end storage solutions do come at a price, but are covered by long manufacturer guarantees lasting several years.
Bikmo’s top metal shed picks:
Asgard metal bike sheds from £589
For a top of the range metal bicycle shed offering the highest level of security, look at Asgard. These sheds are police, locksmith and insurance approved. They’re made with thicker metal panels, stronger internal locks and hinges, and integrated metal floors.
Trimetals Bike Storage unit RRP from £799.99
Trimetals is a leading outdoor metal bike storage manufacturer with a 50 year history. The Trimetals bicycle shed is robust and weatherproof, requiring no maintenance. Its spring-assisted lid lifts easily with room for three adult bikes.
Two padlocks secure your bikes away and this shed comes with a 25 year panel guarantee.
Plastic bike sheds
We’re happy to say bikes can now be covered under a Bikmo insurance policy when they’re stored in a plastic bike shed. Bikmo responded to plastic bike sheds becoming an increasingly popular storage option for cyclists.
Plastic bike sheds are a great option due to their convenience. They’re easy to assemble, maintain, and, if required, move around.
However, the downside to this is that the sheds are often less secure, so it’s important to look for high-security options if you’re looking to go for a plastic bike shed. They can often be less aesthetically pleasing and possibly not as environmentally friendly compared to wooden sheds. This is all personal preference though!
What to look out for when choosing a plastic bike shed
- Look for plastics with UV protection. This will help to minimise the fading and cracking of the shed.
- Ventilation grills. Make sure your shed has these to prevent the build-up of moisture inside.
- Internal steel support. Plastic sheds can often be flimsy, particularly cheap ones. Steel supports stop this issue and offer protection against high winds and snowy weather.
Best plastic bike sheds
There are a few main brands available when looking for high-quality and secure plastic bicycle sheds.
Bikmo’s top plastic shed picks:
Cyclepods Lockerpod from £663
There are 3 levels for the Lockerpod with each also being rated by Sold Secure themselves.
Lifetime 6′ x 3.5′ Heavy Duty Storage Shed with an RRP of £819.99
Lifetime storage sheds offer a range of sizes. They’re fairly compact, easy to build and then use.
Need an insurer that knows bikes and bike sheds? Chat to Bikmo
Not all home or dedicated cycle insurance is clear on what a shed is, so it’s worth checking your current policy if you think your bikes are covered on a home insurance or dedicated cycle insurance policy.
Bikmo considers each bike shed on an individual basis, due to the huge range of bike storage options (and levels of security) on the market.
If you explore the great outdoors on two wheels, then you may want to consider cycle specific insurance.
Bikmo offers The Club enhanced cover^ on their policies to members and non-members, plus an exclusive discount to Club members.
Some of the benefits of getting your bikes insured with Bikmo via the Club include:
- 12 months for the price of 11* for Club members
- 25% discount** on e-bike policies (compared to regular bicycles ones)
- 50% saving when insuring multiple bikes, covering the whole family on the same policy
14 days FREE insurance on ALL new bikes. No card details or cancellation required! Activation required. This can be activated through our main bike insurance page here.
Bikmo’s hassle-free cover includes:
There’s also options for personal cover for you too.
Get a quote in seconds or Find out more
* 12 months for the price of 11 is applied as an 8.33% discount. Minimum premium £3.73/mo and policy wording applies. This promotion is provided by Bikmo Limited, 1 Minerva Court, Minerva Avenue, Chester, CH1 4QT, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ref.745230
** Data and reduction on e-bike policies from 2020. Full announcement can be found here - https://bikmo.com/uk/blog/e-bike-insurance-cost-reduction/
^ Subject to Bikmo’s locking requirements. Enhanced cover benefits: Available to all members and non members; available only when purchasing a Bikmo policy via https://www.caravanclub.co.uk; enhanced cover benefits will be applied as endorsements and shown on your schedule.
First published June 2024