Plastic Bike Sheds

Why choose plastic bike sheds?

Bicycles left under a cover or against a fence go rusty fast. Chains, cables and gears hate rain, and a bike in plain view is an easy target. A proper bike store with a door and a lock fixes both problems, and resin or polycarbonate does it with almost no upkeep.

Everything on this page is made from one of two materials:

• Steel-reinforced resin (Keter Factor and Newton Plus). Thick polypropylene panels with a wood-effect finish and steel in the roof and frame. They will not rot, rust or peel.
• Polycarbonate on an aluminium frame (Palram Canopia Rubicon and Skylight). Light, very tough panels that are UV protected, with skylight roof panels so you can see what you are doing without a light.

Both are low maintenance: a hose down once a year is plenty. Neither needs treating like a wooden shed, and neither will warp or swell, so the doors keep closing properly year after year. That matters for bike storage, because a door that sticks is a door that gets left unlocked.

What size bike shed do you need?

Start with the bike, not the building. A typical adult bike is around 1.7m to 1.8m long, and a big mountain bike or e-bike can be longer. So the most important figure is the inside length of the side you will park along, not the size in the name.

• One or two bicycles: look for at least 1.8m inside on one side. The Keter Factor 6x6 (1.82m inside depth) and the Palram Canopia Rubicon 6x8 (about 2.27m deep at the base) both fit two bikes parked side by side.
• Three bicycles: a 6x10 or a 7x7 gives room to line them up and still reach the back. The Rubicon 6x10 and Skylight 6x10 are about 3m deep.
• Four bicycles plus garden tools: the Keter Factor 8x8, with 2.37m x 2.37m inside, is the roomiest shed here.

Leave about 40cm each if they stand side by side, more for mountain bikes. A stand keeps them that close without handlebars tangling.

Door width and height

A cycle has to get in and out every day, so the door decides whether outdoor bike storage gets used.

This is where a lot of small models fail as bike storage. Flat-bar mountain and hybrid bikes often have handlebars 70cm to 80cm wide, so a narrow single door means tipping it on its side every time. Every model listed here has double doors at least 1.27m across. The Keter Factor and Newton Plus doors are about 1.39m wide; the Palram Canopia doors are 1.27m to 1.30m wide and about 1.71m to 1.78m high. The Rubicon 6x8 and 6x10 come with a ramp, so you can wheel a heavy e-bike straight in.

Plastic bike sheds compared

Every model on this page, with the figures from the Shedstore listings. "Bikes" is our own estimate for adult bikes, parked so you can still get them out. Prices change daily and the grid above always has today's price: the Rubicon range usually sits between £540 and £920, the Keter Factor between £800 and £1,100, and the Newton Plus around £1,300.

Every one has a floor included and double doors with a hasp for a lock, but no lock. The Keter Factor sheds also come with two shelves, handy for helmets, lights and a track pump.

The best models for bikes

Palram Canopia Rubicon: the best value

The Rubicon is the cheapest way into proper bike storage here, and the ramp makes it the easiest to use every day. The 10mm polycarbonate is twin-skinned, so it keeps the inside cooler in summer and cuts condensation compared with single-skin panels. Palram Canopia rate the 6x8 for winds up to 105km/h and a snow load of 110kg per square metre. The dark grey finish looks smart against a fence, and the 6x10 is long enough for three bikes in a row.

Keter Factor: steel-reinforced and lots of headroom

The Factor range is the Keter bike shed most people end up with. The resin panels are reinforced with steel, the heavy-duty floor is included, and there is a window, a skylight and air vents to stop the inside getting damp. The 8x8 is the one to pick for a family: four bikes on stands, with space left for a mower. Allow about three hours to build the 6x6 and four and a half for the 8x8, with two people.

Keter Newton Plus: the premium choice

The Newton Plus uses Keter's Evotech double-wall resin with a wood-textured finish, so it looks more like timber than resin. The doors are the tallest here at 1.81m and close with a locking lever. Two Victorian-style windows and a full-length skylight make it bright inside. Pick the 7'5 x 7' version (apex roof) for three bikes; the 7' x 7'5 has a reverse apex roof and suits two.

What else fits: tools and garden storage

Most people want one building for bicycles and garden tools, safe and secure under one lock. Keep the bikes along one side and use the other for a lawnmower, rakes and spades. A large model such as the Factor 8x8 or a 6x10 does both comfortably; in a 6x6, hang long-handled tools by the door and keep the rest of the space for the bicycles. Smaller garden storage, such as cushions and toys, is better in a waterproof garden storage box, away from oily chains.

Keeping bikes tidy inside the shed

Bicycles leaning against each other scratch frames and bend derailleurs. To protect them, give each one its own spot. Two simple fixes:

• A bike stand. The Asgard stands hold one, two or three bikes by the front wheel, with adjustable wheel guides so road and mountain tyres both fit. They are galvanised steel, have an integral locking point for your D-lock or chain, can be bolted down and carry a 10-year guarantee. They work in any garden building, whatever it is made of.
• A hanger. The Palram Canopia vertical bicycle hanger hangs a bicycle by its front wheel from a hook. It takes wheels from 14 to 29 inches and up to 25kg, with a rubber coating to protect the rim, and is designed for Palram Canopia sheds.

A stand plus a cable lock to it is a cheap way to make theft much harder. Add solar lights for winter evenings and shelving for kit.

Is a plastic bike shed secure?

Security is the first thing most cyclists ask about. Honestly, no garden building is a safe. Plastic panels can be cut, and so can timber and thin metal. What stops most bike theft is making your bike slower and noisier to take than the next one. Do these and a plastic bicycle store is as safe and secure as most garden storage, and better than a metal store with a flimsy hasp:

1. Fit a good padlock to the door hasp. None of these sheds include one. Look for a closed-shackle lock tested by Sold Secure.
2. Lock the bikes inside to a bike stand, or to a ground anchor bolted into the concrete base.
3. Anchor it down. The Rubicon 8x8 comes with an anchor kit; fix the others to the base too, which also stops wind lifting a light shed.
4. Mark and register your bikes on BikeRegister, the UK cycle database police use to return stolen bikes.
5. Check your home insurance. Many policies cover bikes in an outbuilding only if it is locked, and some name the lock standard. Cycling UK's bike security advice covers this well.

Good security is layers: lock, anchor, alarm. Security marking helps too. Our shed security page has alarms and locks that suit resin and polycarbonate.

Plastic vs metal vs wooden bike storage

The alternatives are a metal bike store (usually galvanised steel, often with a low pent roof) or a wooden bike storage shed. A pent bike store is lower and fits under a window (all the models here are apex rather than pent), but you crouch to get in, and a pent metal roof drips condensation onto the bikes underneath.

• Metal is cheap for the size and strong, and a heavy steel store is hard to break into, but thin steel sheets dent, drip with condensation and rust once the coating is scratched. Most metal bike storage units are low, so you stoop to get in.
• Wooden sheds look traditional, a thick log-cabin wall is reassuring for security, and are easy to fix shelves to, but they need treating every year or two and the doors can swell and stick.
• Resin and polycarbonate sit between them on price, needs no painting, will not rust, and the models here are tall enough to walk into. The downside is that you can't screw heavy racks straight into the panels, so use a freestanding bike stand or the hanger made for the job.

We go into this in more detail on our plastic vs wooden shed guide.

Base, assembly and planning

Resin and polycarbonate need a firm, level base, or the doors won't line up and the base flexes under a bike's weight. Concrete or paving slabs are best; a plastic grid base on gravel works too. See shed bases, or adjustable bases if the ground slopes.

Plan on two people for assembly. Every shed here comes flat packed.

In England, most garden sheds count as permitted development, so you don't need planning permission. The main rule is height: within 2m of a boundary it must be no more than 2.5m tall, and everything listed here is under that. Listed buildings, flats and conservation areas have extra rules, so check the Planning Portal's outbuildings guide first.

Plastic bike sheds: FAQs

What is the best plastic bike shed?

For two bikes on a budget, the Palram Canopia Rubicon 6x8, with its ramp and 1.28m doors. For a family, the Keter Factor 8x8, which fits four and your tools.

Will a bike fit in a 6x4?

Only just, and usually at an angle. A 6x4 is about 1.8m long outside, so less inside, and most 6x4 sheds have one narrow door. A 6x6 plastic shed or bigger is the realistic minimum.

Do bikes rust in plastic garden storage?

Much less than outside. Resin panels don't sweat as much as thin metal, and the Keter models have vents. Put bikes away dry and keep the vents clear.

Can I hang bikes up inside?

Not straight into the panels. Use a hanger made for the purpose, such as the Palram Canopia bicycle hanger, or a freestanding stand.

Do these sheds come with a floor?

Yes. Everything on this page includes a floor, so bikes never stand on wet ground.

Is there a Keter bike storage unit for small gardens?

Shedstore doesn't list Keter's low-lid bike stores, so they are not here. For a small garden, the Keter Factor 6x6 is the smallest Keter model we list that two bikes go into easily; see also small plastic sheds and Keter sheds.