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Bike storage: Why is something so simple made so hard?
March 5, 2025
If Britain’s politicians are serious about encouraging more people to cycle, they could start by making it easier to store a bike. After all, for many, a bike is a vital mode of transport, but keeping it safe when locked in public, or even at home, is an afterthought. Bike-friendly changes to planning and housing policy are long overdue but in the meantime, how do we make do with what we have?
Front garden bike storage
For those lucky enough to have a front garden, storing a bike should be easy. But planning laws say that any structure, including a bike shed, technically needs consent. In reality, most people get away with it - unless they live in a conservation area or have a neighbour who still hasn’t forgiven you for painting your door ‘not quite British racing green’.
If a complaint is made, planning permission may be required, turning a simple bike storage solution into a bureaucratic headache.
Change may be coming, however. The government is consulting on a proposal to allow bike sheds in front gardens without planning permission. The proposed size limit - 2 metres wide, 1 metre deep, and 1.5 metres high - would accommodate most bikes. Unless your household has multiple bikes, or a cargo bike or an adapted cycle.
If you store your bicycle, adapted cycle or cargo bike in a front garden that’s accessible to the public, we’ll cover it against theft and vandalism on condition you secure it through its frame to an immovable object using the appropriate standard of lock, and you’re able to check on the bike at least once every 18 hours – think of it like tending to a needy houseplant.
Security and bike storage
Storage is only half the battle; security is the other. Bike theft is a huge issue in the UK, with thieves viewing sheds as vending machines that dispense free bicycles. As a result, many cycle insurance policies demand heavy-duty locks even for bikes stored in supposedly ‘secure’ locations.
ETA cycle insurance takes a more realistic approach: Bikes stored in sheds are covered without needing to be locked, as long as the shed itself is locked (we don’t specify what type). If the bike is visible through a window, you just need to cover it - an old sheet or blanket will do the job.
There’s a clear disconnect between the push for more people to cycle and the lack of infrastructure to support it. Local authorities could do far more - bike hangers in residential streets are one proven solution, yet provision is patchy. New housing developments should include secure cycle storage as standard, rather than treating it as an optional extra.
Making it easier to store a bike at home is a small but significant step towards increasing cycling rates. If the government is serious about active travel, ensuring everyone has a safe, convenient place to keep their bike should be a priority.
Meanwhile, as the UK's original provider of specialist cycle insurance, we will continue to offer policies that are sympathetic to how bikes are used, and stored, in the real world.
Get Cycle Rescue for free with ETA bicycle insurance
If you suffer a breakdown (including punctures, or even a flat e-bike battery) while out cycling, our 24-hour Cycle Rescue team is on hand to arrange transport for you and your bicycle to a safe location. The service is included for free with ETA cycle insurance, along with:
• Theft, accidental damage & vandalism
• E-bike battery theft cover
• Cycle Rescue
• No devaluation of your bike over time
• £2m third party PLUS £20,000 personal accident cover
• Shed and garage storage
• Low standard excess of 5% (£50 minimum)
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.
Information correct at time of publication.
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