Metal Bike Sheds

Why choose a metal bike shed?

Steel is the material most people pick for outdoor bike storage once they have had a bike stolen. A timber one can be opened with a crowbar or a cordless saw in minutes, while a well-made steel bike store has to be cut through panel by panel. Here is the honest balance:

• Security: steel walls, hidden fixings and multi-point locks. Several sheds here are independently attack-tested.
• Low upkeep: galvanised finishes are weatherproof and never need staining or treating, just an occasional wash.
• Long guarantees: 10 years on Asgard, 15 years on Globel and 25 years on Trimetals panels.
• Fire resistant: steel won't burn, which matters if it stands near a fence or house wall.
• Cost: quality metal storage costs two to four times as much as timber of the same size.
• Looks: they are practical rather than pretty, although green, ivory and cream finishes blend into a garden.
• Condensation: a sealed box of steel can drip on cold nights unless it is ventilated.
• A hard base: most models must be bolted to a hard, level base to be secure.
• Durable: a metal shed won't rot, swell or be chewed by rodents, so it keeps its shape for decades.

Metal bike sheds compared

Shop pages show one model at a time. Here are all the metal bike sheds in this range side by side, using the specs from Shedstore's UK listings. The size in a product name is the outside footprint, so the internal width is the number to check against your longest bicycle. Prices change daily, so we show bands.

Most Trimetals models come in cream, green and anthracite with identical sizes, and the Asgard models in green, ivory and grey, so the colour never costs you space.

Galvanised steel, weather and condensation

Every metal shed on this page is galvanised: the steel is coated in zinc, which corrodes slowly in place of the steel underneath and keeps protecting scratches and cut edges. That is why good galvanised steel can carry a 10 to 25-year guarantee while cheap painted ones start to corrode within a few winters. The Galvanizers Association explains how the coating works.

Hot-dip galvanised

The Globel shed is made from high-tensile steel dipped in molten zinc, so every surface is coated inside and out. Its cladding and roof are 0.3mm thick, and internal bracing stiffens the frame against wind. Asgard uses heavy-gauge galvanised steel and reinforced box sections, which is why the Annexe alone weighs 16.2 stone.

PVC-coated galvanised

Trimetals adds a PVC coating over the galvanising. The zinc stops corrosion and the PVC layer handles outdoor weather and UV, keeping the shell weatherproof, giving the smooth coloured finish and the 25-year panel guarantee. They are made in the UK, with the major parts arriving factory assembled.

Stopping condensation

Warm, damp air meets a cold steel roof on clear nights and turns to water. Asgard builds hidden ventilation into the eaves of its stores to keep air moving. With any outdoor metal storage, let a wet bicycle drip before you put it away, keep soil and leaves away from the walls, and a floor raised off the base (the Trimetals frame sits 75mm off the ground) keeps tyres out of puddles.

How secure is a metal bike shed?

Cycle theft from gardens and outdoor stores is common, and "heavy duty" on a listing proves nothing. Look for independent testing instead:

• LPS 1175 Security Rating 1: the Loss Prevention Certification Board's attack test with hand tools. The Trimetals Protect-a-Cycle holds it, and the Protect A Bike stores list LPCB levels 1 and 2. You can search certified products on RedBookLive.
• Secured by Design: the UK police security initiative, carried by both Trimetals security ranges.
• Sold Secure: graded lock testing. That model comes with two Silver-rated padlocks and a Silver ground anchor, and the Protect A Bike stores add a Gold-rated anchor and a Thatcham-approved 1.5m chain.
• Police, insurer and locksmith approval: the Asgard Annexe and Access sheds list approvals from the police, insurers, the UK Locksmiths Association and the LPCB.

Internal locks or padlocks?

Asgard hides its locking inside the store: the Annexe and Trojan Plus use a 5-point system with a pick and drill-resistant euro cylinder, and screw ends sit inside where they can't be undone. The standard Trimetals models use two padlock points on a hasp, with padlocks sold separately, so the security depends on the padlock you buy. Choose a closed-shackle lock with a Sold Secure rating.

Whatever you buy, bolt the shed down, chain each frame to an anchor inside, and record the frame numbers on BikeRegister. Check what your home insurance asks for when bicycles are stored outside. For the toughest options in every size, see our secure bike sheds.

Asgard, Trimetals or Globel?

Three makers supply the metal bike sheds in this range, and each takes a different approach to locks, access and price.

Asgard

Asgard builds its stores in the UK from heavy-gauge steel and puts the emphasis on hidden, multi-point locks, an integral steel floor with fixing bolts and built-in ventilation. Its cycle storage runs from the 6ft x 3ft Annexe to the Access models for four bikes and the tall Trojan Plus. Browse every Asgard bike shed.

Trimetals

Trimetals makes its bicycle store in one main footprint (6ft 4in x 2ft 9in) with a lid that lifts on springs for walk-in access. You choose the security level: the standard shed, the ramped shed with a steel floor, or the police-approved version with its full lock kit. The Protect A Bike stores are its large walk-in versions. See every Trimetals bike shed.

Globel

The Globel Heritage 6x6 is the budget way into steel bike storage. It gives four adult bikes far more floor space than a 6x3, with 1,560mm-wide doors, but it has no floor, thinner panels and a padlock-and-hasp style lock, so it suits households who want weather protection first and top-level security second.

What size metal bike shed do you need?

Getting the dimensions right matters more than anything else when you choose a bike storage shed. Bicycles stand side by side across the depth, so the internal width has to beat the length of the longest one. A typical adult bike is about 1.7m to 1.8m long; 29er mountain bikes and long e-bikes can be closer to 1.9m.

• Up to three adult bikes: a 6ft x 3ft shed with about 1,725 to 1,800mm inside, such as the Trimetals or Annexe.
• Four bikes: the Asgard Access (1,980mm) or Access Plus (2,230mm), or the Globel 6x6. More on our 4 bike sheds page.
• Bikes plus tools: the Trojan Plus gives about 2,080mm of internal height, with pre-drilled holes for hooks and shelves.
• A family fleet or cargo bikes: a 9ft Protect A Bike store, and the 960 takes two motorbikes. Compare them on our large bike sheds and motorbike sheds pages.

Turning the bars and parking them nose to tail lets them sit closer together.

1. Measure your longest bicycle from tyre to tyre and add 50-100mm.
2. Compare that with the internal width in the table above.
3. Mark the outside footprint on the ground, including any roof overhang.
4. Check there is room to lift the lid or swing the doors open.

Lift-up lid or double doors?

Most metal bike sheds open in one of two ways. A lid that lifts the whole roof, as on most models here, lets you wheel cycles out from the front without stepping inside, and needs no room in front for doors to swing. That suits a narrow side passage or a front path where garden space is tight. The Access models combine a gas-assisted lid with double doors, so you can grab a helmet without opening the whole front.

Double doors, as on the Annexe, Globel and Trojan Plus, need clear ground in front but give a taller opening and a proper roof overhead. The Annexe doors can be fitted on the left or right side, which helps against a wall. Electric bicycles often weigh over 20kg, so a ramped model with its one-piece aluminium ramp saves you lifting one over a sill every day.

Bases, fixing down and assembly

Metal bike storage needs a firm, level base, and concrete or paving slabs bedded on mortar is the standard answer. The Asgard and Trimetals models come with fixings to bolt the floor or frame to it, which stops thieves tipping it over and stops wind lifting the roof. The Globel arrives without a floor, so it sits straight on the slab.

Assembly is realistic for two people with basic tools. Shedstore lists two to four hours for the Annexe and the 6ft x 3ft bicycle store, whose major parts arrive factory assembled. The bigger stores are heavy: the Protect A Bike 950 ships at 205kg, so plan the delivery route through the garden. Asgard also offers a paid installation service on some models.

Do you need planning permission?

In England most garden storage buildings are permitted development, so you don't need to apply, as long as it is not in front of the house, is no taller than 2.5m within 2m of a boundary, and outbuildings cover no more than half the garden. Every model here is under 2.2m tall. Flats, listed buildings and some conservation areas have tighter rules, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own, so check with your council if the only space is the front garden.

Looking after a metal bike storage shed

Steel needs very little care outdoors, but a few minutes twice a year keeps it looking new.

• Wash the walls and roof with soapy water once or twice a year and rinse off bird droppings and salt.
• Touch up any deep scratch that reaches bare steel with a zinc-rich paint.
• Oil hinges, gas struts and lock cylinders once a year.
• Sweep garden leaves away from the base so rain drains off rather than pooling against the walls.
• Keep the drainage gap and vents clear so the steel can breathe.

Which metal bike shed should you buy?

Match the bike storage to your space, your fleet and the security you need:

• Lowest price for four bikes: the Globel Heritage 6x6.
• Narrow side return: a model with a lift-up roof.
• Heavy e-bikes: a ramped Trimetals model.
• Highest security for three bikes: the Protect-a-Cycle or the Asgard Annexe.
• Four large bikes: the Asgard Access Plus.
• A whole family's bikes: a Protect A Bike 940 or 950.
• Two motorbikes: the Protect A Bike 960.

Metal bike sheds FAQs

Are metal bike sheds better than wooden ones?

For security and upkeep, yes: steel can't be prised apart like timber boards and never needs treating outdoors. Wooden sheds cost less and look softer in a garden.

Do metal bike sheds get condensation?

They can on cold, clear nights. Ventilated sheds like the Asgard range, a raised floor and letting wet bikes dry first keep it under control.

Will a metal bike shed rust?

Galvanised steel resists corrosion for many years, which is why these sheds carry 10 to 25-year guarantees. Deep scratches to bare steel are the main risk.

Does a metal shed need a concrete base?

A level concrete pad or paving is recommended for all of them, and most models here are designed to be bolted down for security.

Can I fit an electric bike in a metal shed?

Yes, check its length against the internal width first. The ramped units are rated for e-bikes, and the Access Plus takes 29-inch wheels.

Can a steel bike shed lower my insurance?

Some insurers recognise approved bike storage such as Secured by Design or LPCB-rated sheds. Ask your insurer before you buy.