[Closed] Storing bike upside down

Brakes might be more of an issue, any air in the system will end up in the calipers.

No, but it would perhaps let air into the brakes.

I'm curious to understand how storing it upside down would save space though!

I think it should be fine, and I’m sure I read somewhere that it should actually be good for your forks, since the lube will collect around the foam rings…

Molly - I suspect by storing upside down it just means it will stand up straight?

Yep, good for the forks. Potentially bad for the brakes. Couple of pad spacers and velcro straps will negate that. Spacers in. Tie levers off, doesn't need to be really light. Then flip the bike. Your open system brake is now effectively a closed system.

No, but it would perhaps let air into the brakes.

How? Genuine question as I recently changed to putting my bike in the car when driving and it works best upside down. I thought Brakes were a 'closed' system, but I have had a 3 year old brake 'fail' since I started doing this about 8 months ago.

No, but it would perhaps let air into the brakes.

How?

It can't.

I thought Brakes were a ‘closed’ system

They are, but: when you bleed them and refit the reservoir cap it's easy to let a little bubble in there. You can mostly avoid this by using the rolling the diaphragm but you wouldn't know if you'd got a bubble in there. In normal use that little bubble isn't a problem because it floats at the top of the reservoir, but upside-down it might work its way into the hose and ultimately caliper.

So yeah it's something that might happen, but it might not.

Molly – I suspect by storing upside down it just means it will stand up straight?

Mm yeah if it were me I'd loosen the stem bolts and remove pedals, then put it tight up against a wall with a bit of cord around a cuphook in the wall if it were my house, or some kind of stick arrangement if it weren't.

If it's an open system, it can.

In related questions - I'm planning on hanging mountain bikes from the wall via the front wheel. Does that cause any maintenance issues with fork or brake fluids?

The reason for keeping it upside down is that by removing the wheels I'm making it shorter and obviously I can't just put the frame on the floor without having it to remove the derailleur so I thought storing it upside down would be an option. Maybe I could hang the frame on the wall somehow?

My bikes all live on a rack in the bedroom (flat) hanging from the front wheel and never had an issue with it. It's meant to be good for fork seals and the shock if it's in the right orientation in the frame. One bike is usually out of the rack and upside down (out of the rack = maintenance required) to stop it falling over and that's only been an issue when the brakes have needed a bleed anyway so I see it as a way of alerting me to an issue before it becomes a big problem!

I’ve hung bikes by their front wheels for years. You can tell when the fork seals need replacing by the oil leaks. Also don’t store bikes with reverbs down then forget and grab the saddle to move them. Better yet don’t use a reverb. 😀

Yes, wall hanging is an option buy front wheel. Very slimline if you also turn the bars. And it's ideal for keeping the fork seals wet but not risking the brake thing.

I use these:

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-wallmount-bike-storage-hanger

In related questions – I’m planning on hanging mountain bikes from the wall via the front wheel. Does that cause any maintenance issues with fork or brake fluids?

Nope, excellent way to store them. If you can, get ones that hinge.

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If it’s an open system, it can.

Whatever the terminology the fluid in the system is sealed from outside out the system so air can't really get in and fluid can't get out unless there's a leak. Doesn't matter what way you turn the bike up, fluid shouldn't be getting out and air shouldn't be getting in.

All mtb brakes are open systems, there shouldn't be any air in there to move about and if there is it hasn't been bled correctly.

Whatever the terminology the fluid in the system is sealed from outside out the system so air can’t really get in and fluid can’t get out unless there’s a leak. Doesn’t matter what way you turn the bike up, fluid shouldn’t be getting out and air shouldn’t be getting in.

In an ideal world, you would be right.

In the real world, there will always be air bubbles getting in somewhere. Either the fluid will degas as it gets hot. Or there will be a small bubble trapped under the diaphragm in the reservoir. Or pistons and seals wear.

Normally all that air collects in the reservoir where it does no harm until you bleed it out.

All mtb brakes are open systems, there shouldn’t be any air in there to move about and if there is it hasn’t been bled correctly.

Which is a distinct possibility when refitting the diaphragm.

When I take my bike down off the wall I'll leave it on its head for an unspecified amount of time to lube the forks.

The brake thing.

For starters buy as set and they've arrived in a box thats sat this way and that. Arrive on a new bike, many bikes are sat in their delivery box upside down. But those are obviously new and shouldnt have any air in them, though thats not always the case.

But say from bleeding you have left a tiny bubble in there. Upside down it would rise towards the calipers one would think. Calipers sitting higher than the lever

So what then happens if you store the bike hanging from its front wheel 😕 As in Ta11Pau1's pic. The hose and caliper is clearly now higher from the lever, so does any minuscule bubble of air accidentally trapped in the lever migrate up the hose to its highest point ?.

I store the bikes right way up as ive plenty of room. So question to the front wheel hangers, do they find a problem in the front brake. I'm going to guess not.

I've had bikes upside down for nearly 10 years. I rent so can't use hooks. I'm currently on the same forks for those whole 10 years. Brakes are indeed a problem if you don't use for a few weeks, coming to a stop for the first road junction can be interesting but generally you can pump them back to normal soon enough. When they stop doing that it's normally time for a bleed anyway.

Not sure how one could argue the system should never take on air - otherwise we'd never have to bleed our brakes. But I don't see why being upside down would increase the rate of air absorption

After what I experienced yesterday don’t do it, I was fitting. Brake cable and turned the frame upside down for over an hour to do all the cable routing and after I did it, took the bike on a test ride and one lever was nearly pulling to the bars! After a bit the lever throw improved, luckily it’s going to be stood normally for a week for things to settle down

Whatever the terminology the fluid in the system is sealed from outside out the system so air can’t really get in and fluid can’t get out unless there’s a leak. Doesn’t matter what way you turn the bike up, fluid shouldn’t be getting out and air shouldn’t be getting in.

Sometimes they are tricky to bleed and get all the air out of the reservoir. They work fine until you turn the bike over and the air bubble gets into the master cylinder. Clamping the levers with a cable tie when the bike is in storage will prevent this.

But I don’t see why being upside down would increase the rate of air absorption

It's not absorbing air. Read the thread.

So what then happens if you store the bike hanging from its front wheel 😕 As in Ta11Pau1’s pic. The hose and caliper is clearly now higher from the lever, so does any minuscule bubble of air accidentally trapped in the lever migrate up the hose to its highest point ?.

The caliper is the highest point, but only just really - compared to being upside down anyway.

I've never had an issue with brakes this way, of course I make sure not to pull the levers anyway. I have had no bikes upside down for not than long and the lever go to the bar on the first pull though. Normally a few pumps gets them firm again.

but only just really

🤣 but there's more gravity affecting something going straight up than something not far off horizontal to the floor... 😉😁

Physics, innit.

Ahem.

But no, never had any brake issues with hanging them by the from wheel. And you get the benefit of the fork seals being lubed!

Loosen stem and put bars parallel to the wall, store/hang upright