Condensation, shed and E-bike

Hi,

Currently have an Asgard bike shelter which is wonderful and secure but also sadly badly affected by condensation. Given the size and layout of the garden it is tucked away in a corner without much airflow but this was the only space for it which I know isn’t ideal.

Would like to get some form of E-bike in the next year and concerned that I’d kill it by leaving it in the shelter. What’s singletrackworks opinion? Is it asking for trouble to leave the bike or will it be fine provided I don’t try to charge in the damp?

A removable battery might help but that does limit the choice of bikes available and I’m still conscious I’d still be leaving the motor and exposed link to the battery in the damp

Thanks!

Need to get the water off the top of the motor as much as away from the battery.

Do you ride it in the rain ?

Be interesting to hear what Asgard say about the ventilation problems as reasonable to expect their designs should be pretty effective at stopping condensation.

I messaged them the other day and they said that as I have the shelter it’s not as good as their other sheds – it doesn’t have a built in base. Also I’m aware that it’s location (tucked into a corner by the fence) means that the provided ventilation holes don’t really lead anywhere!

The only way to design an enclosed Single skin metal sheds to resist condensation is……to insulate it.

This is not true, I’ve spoken to people in Glasgow with an Asgard completely unaffected by condensation (sited far from fences and hedges etc in a windy garden) and I have one that is badly affected, side of the garden, sheltered from wind, base wider than the shed.

I’ve tried adding more ventilation and insulating panels on the roof, all to no avail. However, although the roof gets covered in condensation the bikes within are unaffected and have not shown a spot of rust over several winters. When it is proper damp and cold I mop the roof to stop drips, but the rest of the time all the damp just seems to stay on the roof.

If that’s the case for OP then an ebike should be fine, maybe.

Could you make a base and seal it to the shelter to stop damp from the ground?

You could try fitting a spinny flettner style roof vent to it, the ones you see fitted on vans. I’ve had them in my last few work vans and even with wet clothing, tools and a dripping work tent left in the back overnight I’ve not had any serious condensations issues (except for when you don’t realise the vent has been closed on the inside and therefore isn’t working!)

Any possibility of a solar panel, battery, fan type set up to force circulation.

Without increasing airflow and temperature you will not stop Condensation forming.

Do your existing bikes get condensation forming on them?

The problem with relying on passive ventilation to the elements is that there’s no control. At some point, even with loads of ventilation, conditions will be right for it to form.

Insulate the exterior with 25mm celotex and fit a tube heater?

The prospect of a permanently damp Eeb is one that doesn’t fill me with any confidence on its long term reliability.

I’ve got an eeb and 3 other bikes in an Asgard shed.

I was getting really bad condensation forming on the inside of the roof.

I’ve now made a roof to drop over the metal roof, made out of felted osb and with 25mm insulation board between the metal and osb.

It seems to have helped a lot. I also cut and fitted additional vents near the roof to mine. That didn’t seem to help much, hence me doing the roof cover thing.

My eeb sits in my van over the winter

the van isn’t insulated nor does it have ventilation

the condensation does build up and I’ve had zero issues with 2 eebs so far

some rides I don’t even wash it for a week but as long as I do my chain I’m ok

I’m not totally family with asguards but if it’s a steel shell then it seems almost inevitable you will get condensation on the roof/sides when warmer air condenses on the cold steel.

I have a wriggley tin roof on my open sided wood shed, it gets condensation in certain conditions.

My tool shed has some sort of soft felt on the underside of the wriggley tin and does not get condensation. It was applied in the factory