Topic: Apartment Living and Bike owning

[Ceej]

Welp, I am moving to an apartment next month, so bye bye garage.  I was lucky enough in the house i currently live in to have a disconnected garage all to myself.  One of my roommates(female) didnt even know the house had a garage until recently.  My new place is in a fairly quiet part of town that sees little traffic, but there are no parking lots, all on street parking.  I was thinking maybe i could pull my bike up on the sidewalk beside/behind my building, but i dont know if that would get me into trouble or not.  Or always try to keep my bike next to my car, at least it will be blocked on one side.  Im going to get a cover for the bike before i move as well.  Winter storage and maintenance isnt too much of a problem as I can take the bike to my parents garage which is only about 30 miles away.

So, what advice/tips do you guys have for this situation?

thanks, CJ 

[kghost]

Its easier to get forgiveness than permission 

If they have an issue with it next to the building they'll tell you.

Many places and home owner associations have rules about what can occupy your patio but hey all they can tell ya to do is move it.

[Dusthawk]

Well, if you really want a garage, check out the classifieds for a garage for rent. Where I am there are none right now but the first one I see I'm going to grab. They usually go for pretty cheap so it seems a good idea to me at least.

Peace,

Jeff

[Ceej]

yeah the patio thing would be great, but, my patio is more of a balcony, its raised about 5 feet off the ground and isnt accessable from outside the building.  Which has its good and bad points.  Ill check out the garages for rent, but i dont know if my income has room for that.  Thanks

[GroovieGhoulie]

I'm lucky with both my apartments in that they are ground level and I would just pull the bike inside when the weather was bad, I had to work on it or I just wanted to.  My old place was better for that since it had a tile floor and the new place's landlady is a cast-iron #$%*!!  If she found out that I pulled the bike in the apartment (I haven't had to yet), she would flip the hell out, keep my deposit and probably charge me for "damages" even though I have tarps and such I pul down whenever I bring it in.

I have a buddy with a garage.  I might borrow his garage for the weekend soon so I can change my fork seals and valve cover gasket.

[ElCheapo]

Its easier to get forgiveness than permission 

If they have an issue with it next to the building they'll tell you.

Many places and home owner associations have rules about what can occupy your patio but hey all they can tell ya to do is move it.

My words exactly 

[Gordon]

Its easier to get forgiveness than permission 

If they have an issue with it next to the building they'll tell you.

Many places and home owner associations have rules about what can occupy your patio but hey all they can tell ya to do is move it.

My words exactly 

Back in the early 90's I was living in an apartment in Austin, TX.  I had spent two straight days pulling the engine from my '71 VW van, working on it, and was about an hour away from having it back in and finished when this lady from the manager's office came by with her clipboard.  She said that not only was I not allowed to work on my car in the parking lot, but since the registration was expired, she was going to have it towed the next day if I didn't move it.

I simply asked her what exactly they were doing about all the obvious drug deals that were going on at that apartment complex day and night, and what she thought regular visits by the police would do to the rent prices.  She huffed, walked away, and never said a word about my van again.

Luckily I got out of that place about six months later!

[Bob Wessner]

I simply asked her what exactly they were doing about all the obvious drug deals that were going on at that apartment complex day and night, and what she thought regular visits by the police would do to the rent prices. 

Shrewd move. 

[Uncle Ernie]

The last time I lived in an apt, I kept my bike under concrete stairs at a motel a couple blocks away.  You must at least lock it very well behind the building, or I guarantee it will be stolen. It has happened to me and I've seen it happen to others.  Just a matter of time.

[pmpski_1]

See about a storage locker. It may be cheaper than a "garage". You could probably get one with an outlet for lights or a small heater. When I was a kid we had one of these places for band practice. The owner loved it. Half of his places were rented out to people running small businesses out of 'em.

Or get a cargo van. Find one that someone is getting rid of cheap and park it on the street. Park your bike in it. Take your bike with you. Wrench on your bike in it. Portable garage

[mcpuffett]

just what i was thinkin pmpski, i have 3 750's and only room in my shed for 2 so 1 has to live in the back of my van  ;)get your self a van cj     mick.

[Gordon]

And then once you're living in your van, the next step is to move down by the RIVER!

[Rushoid]

And then once you're living in your van, the next step is to move down by the RIVER!

BWAAHAAHAA!! 

[Pinhead]

"Oxford Defiance"

http://www.lockitt.com/lockdown.htm#Terraforce

[dusterdude]

is the female roommate goin with you?or is your space still available?

[Ceej]

is the female roommate goin with you?or is your space still available?

haha, nope, we all got the boot.

 I think i might go teh storage locker route, there is a place about a mile from my apartment, so it shouldnt be too inconvenient.

[pablo78cb550]

ya see that? that's my living room. nuff said.

[Ceej]

I oughta just make a ramp up the stairs to my building, cruise right on down the hall into my apartment.  Who would even notice.

[heffay]

at MMI in Phoenix many of us (50+) lived in the same complex near the school.  most of us had dirt/motocross bikes as we lived in the desert.  usually a bike (or 5) in the living room... often in pieces.  getting them to the second floor was the best part   

[huntman58]

dang i hated living in an apartment as they did not even allow bike in the parking lot so mine had to live on the street . In a time of one year the bike was knocked over three times by punks and hit and run one time grrrrrrr . new manager young couple and they at lest let me bring it in to the lot but i first had to change the 4 into 1 header out with a nice and stoke sounding pipes, ya think running an open header amid at the complaner front door and bedroom window had any thing to do with that ?now the poor thing sets out side all the time and has had two covers rot on it . I need at lest a car port to hot to work on it here no shade .

[byidesign]

Do make sure it's secured,from vandalism/theft.
   if you have some buddies that ride, it might be better to share a storage unit
    to lighten costs and provide secure workspace too..
            Hope it helps
                    Bruce