[Closed] Prepping a bike to be stored for years*

*Of course not 😉

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Just cover them in oil, not WD40 as that will evaporate, but some standard light oil.
That will stop rust.

As for the tyres, well I dont think you can do much for them other than keep them out of sunlight.

I would take out the innertubes and coat them and the inside of the tyre with talc, then put them back.

Basically you want to avoid moisture which leads to rust and UV for the rubber bits.

Taking your suspension apart is pointless.

Worth considering where your going to store them. Like already said, moisture and UV are the things to avoid. If you can keep them in a centrally heated house, away from a window, you wont really have any problems. Storing in a cold, damp shed/garage, moisture will get everything.

You could hide the seat post in a body cavity to use as a shank or trade for snout

Bury them

Or you could cover them in salt and put them in a barrel.

Pickling can work also.

You near any peat bogs? Just find a nice quiet corner and lob it in. Preserve anything those peat bogs…

…vinegar? [damn it ^^ beaten to it]

I've often thought that releasing the pressure on air suspension would be a good move, never put it into practice though?

I'd maybe drop the mechs into the smallest sprockets front and rear so the springs have the least tension in them.

I did read the other day about Charlie Wegelius taking his best bike to bits every year, cleaning with Brasso and wrapping all the bits in newspaper then reassembling in the spring.

Depends how valuable they are to you.

Why not strip them down and keep the frames and wheels and sell everything else whilst its still worth something. Then when you come to use them again you can buy new stuff.

In 15 years time the current dura ace will be worse than the bottom of the range gears. (In theory)

I'd just whip the seat pin out, and assume the tyres will be unusable (maybe use them up on another bike).
I've had 2 pr of tyres go brittle in a store room, indoors, with no windows. And the seatpin is fused to the frame. At least jammed enough that I cba to put in the effort of sorting it (ca. 1989 frame, with 126mm dropouts - would cost 3x more to upgrade than I paid for it)

Why not simply invent a time machine and send the bike however far into the future you think you will live to see (from prison)?

In 15 years time the current dura ace will be worse than the bottom of the range gears. (In theory)

And the rest! 7800 Dura Ace is now 11 years old and only surpassed by 9000 IMO!

When I wanted to store an old moped I bought a kit with a massive plastic bag, a big sack of silicone stuff and a vacuum attachment. Put clean bikes in bag with the silicon, add the vacuum attachment an suck the air out. Tie off bag and thats it. Kit comes with a simple humidity guage you chuck in the bag too.

I left my bike in my Dad's garage for longer than 5 years. Picked it up, put some air in the tyres, and went straight out for a ride.

Just give it a service/oil before leaving it, and another before using it. Job done.

I've got tyres older than 10 years on my bike now. They're fine. Maybe taking the seatpost out is a good idea, anything else is anal and unnecessary.

Scottoiler FS365 is great stuff for stopping things corroding - spray that all over them, they'll survive pretty well. Bikes generally do, you just have to prevent corrosion.

Bury them and get the map tattooed on the top of your head then let your hair grow.
Make sure there are no future developments planned on burial site in future (HS2).
If you drop the soap, leave it.

Good luck,
and don't let the bastards grind you down.