Will a bicycle with hydraulic disc brakes leak if I store it upside down (1 Viewer)

[jongood]

I've got a few too many bicycles at the moment and looking at ways of storing them in the garage at home. I've got quite a bit of redunadant space above the motorbikes and saw this nifty trick of screwing a couple of tool hooks in the roof joists and hanging the bike from the wheel rims upside down. I think this would work better for me than the hoist things because it gets them tighter to the ceiling. But I'm wondering if it will affect the hydraulic brakes?

 

[gpat]

It's a good question. My view is that it wont. Or at least it shouldn't.

 

[The Wino]

Not sure but I think I'd put a loop of rope around the saddle and have two hooks at the front for the handlebars and hang it the right way up

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[icantremember]

I have a Mioura Tower which stores four bikes in a small area .....

BikeTower15 | MINOURA JAPAN

Spring loaded, telescoping multi-level double bike storage and display stand. Adjustable height between 1.7-3.1m, Holds two (up to four with optional cradles) bikes and can be set up in a room, house or shops.

www.minoura.jp

 

[Carpmart]

won’t leak, or rather shouldn’t leak as it’s a sealed reservoir.. what you will probably achieve is pushing any air in the system to your callipers, so expect a ‘long pedal’!

 

[1ten]

They wont leak, I store the bikes that aren't used all the time in the rafters of my garage and pull them up on a rope and pulley.
They are attached with a loop around the saddle and another over the bars.
Bikes are a right pain to store, 9 in my garage!

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[1ten]

won’t leak, or rather shouldn’t leak as it’s a sealed reservoir.. what you will probably achieve is pushing any air in the system to your callipers, so expect a ‘long pedal’!

Makes it easier to bleed

 

[Carpmart]

Makes it easier to bleed

Very true!

 

[Jim]

Shouldn't affect the brakes, or suspension if you have it. But if you have sprung forks, many/most of those use oil for dampening in one of the legs. This oil is thin and upside down will leak if your seals are not 100%.

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[1ten]

Shouldn't affect the brakes, or suspension if you have it. But if you have sprung forks, many/most of those use oil for dampening in one of the legs. This oil is thin and upside down will leak if your seals are not 100%.

That's a fair point and great excuse to up grade and get air forks

 

[kevenh]

Late to the discussion but a cycle’s hydraulic brakes are a sealed system yy
Oil in suspension parts though, hmm!
Right, I think I’ve recovered previous replies

Air v oil suspension - it might be a performance upgrade but I’ve found maintenance costs of air suspension higher.
Are there top spec MTB suspension forks using cheap to maintain springs or oil?

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Not sure but I think I'd put a loop of rope around the saddle and have two hooks at the front for the handlebars and hang it the right way up

Yes that's the way I would do it. I would rather bang my head on the tyres than handle bars.

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[Roger S]

This is how I store my bike, it does cost twice as much as your idea though !

 

[Wildbill]

Bikes are ment to be wheels down any hydrolics are designed to be stored and operates the right way up gravity is a strange thing only person that actually knew about it has passed away
Thers a opportunity for a study.
Of the effects of gravity on push bike braking systems when hung upside down for long periods of time.
Bill

 

[jongood]

This is how I store my bike, it does cost twice as much as your idea though ! View attachment 677008

That looks a good solution for my Hydraulics one, Not sure if there's enough in the budget for the string though

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[Roger S]

The problem is you use 4 hooks rather than 2

 

[Landy Andy]

Won’t be a problem for brakes or suspension. They are both sealed systems.
You’d soon know if the suspension wasn’t as it wouldn’t work for long, and you will notice that people/manufactures mount rear shocks either way up.

 

[funflair]

That looks a good solution for my Hydraulics one, Not sure if there's enough in the budget for the string though

You know I like a bargain Jon

And interestingly (or not) I have just shortened a hydraulic pipe on the Pino and even though the master cylinder open end was pointing down when I took the pipe out I have not needed to bleed it.

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[MR BLO]

Not a problem with modern bikes and air shock / fork technology. I store mine upside down and the answer is no leaks.
Just takes a little while for all oil to drain back through any suspension dampers when you turn it back right side up that’s all. On modern bikes with air shocks even having weeping seals in use is not a problem because even the longest travel forks typically hold <15ml of oil and under use the fork grease typically resides at the top of the stroke acting as an additional static barrier. Rear shock stroke is typically <50% of the fork and with a proportional reduction in oil volume.
Actually storage upside down is a good way of identifying if your brakes need bleeding. If the bite point changes as a result of the bike being the wrong way up - even for as little as 10 minutes - then brakes need bleeding.

 

[Manic]

You could something like this screwed to the roof joist.

BLACK UPRIGHT PULLEY Metal Plate Washing Line Cord Rope Cable Holder Clothes 5056011410173 | eBay

Isle Of Man, Wight, & Scilly. Multiple Uses - Commonly Used For Raising And Lowering Washing Lines & Awnings. Plate Length 72mm x 35mm Width. Inner Wheel Width 8mm. White Hinge. Northern Ireland.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Soycd]

Will a bicycle with hydraulic disc brakes leak if I store it upside down​

Sounds like the title of a song by The Smiths.

Sorry to be flippant!

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[jongood]

You could something like this screwed to the roof joist.

BLACK UPRIGHT PULLEY Metal Plate Washing Line Cord Rope Cable Holder Clothes 5056011410173 | eBay

Isle Of Man, Wight, & Scilly. Multiple Uses - Commonly Used For Raising And Lowering Washing Lines & Awnings. Plate Length 72mm x 35mm Width. Inner Wheel Width 8mm. White Hinge. Northern Ireland.

www.ebay.co.uk

Ive tried one of those previously and its hard to get them high enough.