I finally broke down and bought a garage/shed. For the past 25 years I have never had a good workspace for my bikes. Twenty five years ago I parked my bike under a set of outside stairs at my house. I used a cover and it kept it pretty clean but if I wanted to work on the bike I had to do it in my driveway. Constantly running in and out of the basement for tools.
Although we were a struggling family with 2 kids, I managed to buy a tin shed form Sears. It was 6x8 and fit the bike and my tools. I had to pull the bike out to work on it BUT it kept everything in one location. That shed has been standing for 22 years now. It was $138 when I bought it. I would say that I got my moneys worth out of it. The key to keeping it all these years was that I always removed the snow from the roof, EVERY storm.
In 2004 I bought a 12x24 portable (tent) garage in order to have a dry place to store my newly acquired 68 Ford convertible (big block 4 speed). That garage has been handy but it is not very secure and anyone that knows how to zip their pants can get into it.
Earlier this winter I sold off the last of my hot rods and moved my bikes (6 of them) into the garage. Although they all fit I don’t like the fact that anyone can get into it. After all I do live in a city. So on Monday I broke down and ordered a 12x20 shed. It will have 7 foot walls, barn doors on one end, transom windows as well as 2 regular windows and a side door. For the first time in my life I will have a secure, dry location to putter on my bikes. It will have electricity and a compressor. I am debating putting a small wood stove in it for the winters. I cant wait for it to get here (4-6 weeks).
Side note: If you are in the market for a portable garage; Shelter Logic is a brand that you can buy at local stores. The garage is fine and will last about 4-5 years. That is what my first one was. It was OK. The next one I bought was a little more money but is a far better product. It is made by a company called Rhino Shelters. They are in CT and will ship anywhere. The tubing is much beefier and the tent material is much thicker. It is also made from “ripstop” material so if you need to cut a hole in it, the hole will never grow. I’ve had it for 4 years now and it still looks brand new. It was worth every penny. I own the spare lot next to my house so the tent will now move over there and be used to house the ride on mower, yard tools and generator.
