Trimetals Bike Sheds

Why choose Trimetals bike sheds?

Trimetals designs and builds its metal storage in Dorset, and every Trimetals store shares a few features that set them apart from most other garden storage:

• PVC-coated galvanised steel: the zinc layer stops rust and the PVC skin resists scratches far better than a painted finish, which matters when you drag pedals and handlebars past the walls every day.
• A 25-year panel guarantee: one of the longest on any garden storage sold in the UK. Asgard, the other big name in steel, gives 10 years.
• Up-and-over lid: on the three-cycle Trimetals models the whole roof and front lift on springs, so you get full walk-in access without needing room for doors to swing open.
• Fire resistant and maintenance free: no staining, treating or painting, ever.
• Independent approval: the Trimetals Bicycle Store is endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, scored 9/10 in Mountain Biking UK, and the Protect-a-Cycle versions meet the Police Preferred Specification.

The Trimetals bike shed range compared

Retailers list each colour as a separate product, which makes the range look bigger than it is. There are really five models: three versions of the same three-cycle store and two sizes of the walk-in Protect A Bike (plus a motorbike-sized third). These figures come from Shedstore's UK listings; prices change often, so we show bands.

All Trimetals bike sheds have the 25-year panel guarantee and need a level concrete or paved base to bolt down to.

Bicycle Store, Ramped or Protect-a-Cycle?

All three share the same metal body, the same 1,800mm internal width and the same spring-assisted lid. What changes is the floor, the ramp and how much security hardware comes in the box.

Trimetals Bicycle Store

The entry model and the one most people buy. It stores up to three adult bicycles, has two padlock points on the lid and bolts down from the inside. Padlocks are not supplied, and the floor is an optional 12mm exterior plywood panel, so add both to your basket if you want them. It comes in cream, anthracite or two-tone green.

Ramped Bicycle Store

The same unit with a steel floor and a one-piece aluminium ramp on reinforced hinges. The ramp drops down to wheel a cycle in and folds back up to form part of the base. If you ride a heavy electric bike, or anyone in the family struggles to lift a bicycle over the front lip, it is worth the extra.

Protect-a-Cycle

This is the Bicycle Store with a full security pack: two stainless steel hasps with Sold Secure padlocks, a heavy-duty ground anchor, a steel floor and an alarmed cable lock tested by the Loss Prevention Certification Board. It holds LPS 1175 Security Rating 1 and Secured by Design status, the police-backed standard. Choose it if you live in a high-theft area, own expensive bicycles or your insurer wants approved storage. It is sold with or without the ramp.

Protect A Bike 940, 950 and 960: walk-in Trimetals storage

Need room for more than three cycles? This Trimetals range is a different design: a 9ft deep metal building with a pent roof, wide double doors and a 2,100mm ridge, so you walk in rather than lift a lid. All three come with a steel floor, a Gold-rated ground anchor, a 1.5m Thatcham-approved chain and lock, a battery PIR alarm and external bolts with lock nuts so the panels can't be undone from outside.

• 940 (9ft x 4ft): 1,310mm wide inside and 2,625mm deep, with 1,160mm doors. Room for a family's bicycles, or one motorbike.
• 950 (9ft x 5ft): 1,395mm doors and a wider floor (1,680mm at the base) for more cycles and storage space.
• 960 (9ft x 6ft): the largest, built to take two motorbikes. See our motorbike sheds for more on sizing.

They are heavy (195-224kg packed), so plan for two people on assembly day. If you mainly need floor area, compare them with our large bike sheds and the 4 bike sheds.

Trimetals security ratings explained

Security is the main reason people pay more for metal, so it helps to know what each badge means:

• Sold Secure tests locks, anchors and chains against real attack tools. Silver and Gold are the grades cycle insurers most often refer to. The Protect-a-Cycle padlocks and anchor carry these ratings.
• LPCB LPS 1175 is the Loss Prevention Certification Board's test for whole products such as doors and enclosures. Security Rating 1 means the unit resisted a timed attack with hand tools.
• Secured by Design is the UK police initiative. Products that meet the Police Preferred Specification can use its mark.

The standard Bicycle Store has none of these as a unit. It is still metal and lockable, but if your home insurance names a standard for bicycles kept outside, the Protect-a-Cycle or Protect A Bike is the safer choice. Ask your insurer before you buy. For other approved options, see our secure bike sheds.

Will your bikes fit in a Trimetals bike shed?

The 6ft x 3ft name is the outside footprint. Inside, the three-cycle Trimetals stores give you 1,800mm wide by 840mm deep, so measure your longest bicycle from tyre to tyre. Most road, gravel and hybrid frames are under 1,800mm; long-wheelbase e-bikes, tandems and cargo models may not be. In road.cc's Protect-a-Cycle review (8/10), the tester fitted road, gravel and hybrid bicycles with room left for a pump, a helmet and two children's cycles.

Check the height above the store too. With the lid fully open the unit stands about 2,070mm tall, so look out for low eaves, a window sill or overhanging branches. You don't need space in front for doors to swing, which is why this storage works so well on a narrow driveway or in a small front garden where space is tight. For other space-saving bike storage, browse our small bike sheds.

Base, delivery and assembly

Every Trimetals store is designed to be bolted to a flat, level concrete base; Trimetals recommends 100mm thick, and the hard base area for the three-cycle Trimetals stores is about 1.95 x 1.00m. Paving slabs on a solid bed work for the walk-in Trimetals models. A store that isn't bolted down is much easier to tip or prise open.

• The three-cycle models arrive flat-packed in three boxes, with the major parts pre-assembled at the factory.
• Nothing in the flat pack is especially heavy, and the road.cc tester built theirs mostly single-handed. Go steady with a cordless driver: one buyer found the nylon lock nuts seized when spun too fast.
• Fitting hasps may mean drilling, so have a drill to hand.
• Delivery is free to most UK addresses; Trimetals quotes delivery within about four weeks.

Trimetals vs Asgard

They are the two big UK makers of metal bike storage, and both offer police-approved models. The main differences:

• Guarantee: 25 years on Trimetals panels against 10 years on Asgard.
• Finish: Trimetals uses PVC-coated steel; Asgard uses a painted galvanised finish.
• Opening: Trimetals' lift-up lid needs no clearance in front; most Asgard stores have hinged doors or a lid-and-door combination.
• Locks: Asgard builds in multi-point locks with keys; the standard Trimetals store relies on padlocks.
• Size: Asgard's Access Plus fits four cycles and longer 29er frames, where the Trimetals three-cycle store stays slimmer.

Compare both in our Asgard bike sheds range.

Looking after your Trimetals storage

• Maintenance is minimal: wash the panels with soapy water once or twice a year; there is nothing to paint or treat.
• Let wet bicycles drip dry before you shut the lid, and add the floor, so condensation doesn't rust chains left untouched for weeks.
• Oil the lid springs, hinges and locks once a year.
• Mark the keys (coloured tape or nail varnish works) if each lock has its own key.
• Keep leaves clear of the base so rain runs away from the metal.

Prefer the look of timber? Our wooden bike sheds cost less but need regular treatment.

Do you need planning permission for Trimetals storage?

In England, a store in the back garden is usually permitted development: under 2.5m tall within 2m of a boundary, and every Trimetals model is well under that. Outbuildings in front of the house are not covered by those rules, and flats, listed buildings and conservation areas have tighter limits. If the front garden is your only space, ask your council's planning team first.

Trimetals bike shed FAQs

How many bicycles fit in a Trimetals bike shed?

The Bicycle Store, Ramped and Protect-a-Cycle models hold up to three adult cycles. The walk-in 940 and 950 take more cycles or a motorbike, and the 960 takes two motorbikes.

Are Trimetals bike sheds police approved?

The Protect-a-Cycle and Protect A Bike models meet the Police Preferred Specification (Secured by Design) and carry LPCB ratings. The standard Bicycle Store does not.

Do padlocks come with Trimetals storage?

Not on the standard or ramped Bicycle Store: you get two padlock points. The Protect-a-Cycle and Protect A Bike include locks, hasps and an anchor.

Can I fit an e-bike in a Trimetals store?

Yes, if it is under 1,800mm long. The ramped versions are rated to take the weight of a rider and a heavy electric bicycle, which makes them easier to load.

Where is Trimetals storage made?

Trimetals designs and builds every unit in Dorset, England, which keeps spare parts easy to get.

What is the Trimetals guarantee?

25 years against rust perforation on the PVC-coated galvanised steel panels, on every model in the range.