Trimetals Protect a Cycle

The Trimetals Protect a Cycle is a secure, well-engineered metal bike store that balances a relatively compact size, impeccable weatherproofing and secure locking. It doesn’t have endless capacity and having different keys for the four locks is a little annoying, but overall this is an impressive bike storage solution.

As anybody like me knows, having enough room for bikes – and keeping them safe – can be a major headache: N+1 stops at storage -1. The Protect a Cycle is Trimetals’ answer: a police-approved metal store that holds up to three adult bikes, built from PVC-coated galvanised steel and backed by a 25-year panel guarantee.

Build and dimensions

The shed arrives in flat packs with all the panels, fixings and instructions you need. The panels are thick, rigid and those that face outwards are treated to resist corrosion and scratching. Once erected, the shed feels solid, not like a flimsy tin shed.

Putting it together is relatively simple with the clear instructions included in the box giving you a step-by-step guide to putting it up. One thing I liked is that while the shed is solid once erected, in its flat-packed state nothing is particularly heavy, so aside from the lid and a couple of times when I needed to align a screw hole, I could generally do it by myself.

The external size is about 1.96m wide, 0.89m deep and it’s 1.33m high at the back and 1.09m at the front. Internally that translates to about 1.80m by 0.84m with a total height – lid open – of about 2.08m. The design of the lid means there isn’t much lateral movement when using it, so it is possible to use it in tighter spaces than other options that have traditional opening-outwards hinged doors.

Security

As you’d expect from a bike shed, security is at the centre of the design. The Protect a Cycle’s four locking points (two on the front, two on the side) offer a lot of security with any one of the locks alone stopping the lid from opening. The pads and hasps can be upgraded via the Silver or Gold packages, which include Sold Secure and LPS1175 ratings, ground anchors, heavy-duty chains or cables, and reinforced hasps.

The locks that come with the Protect a Cycle are Oxford’s mini-shackles, which are effectively small D-Locks. Depending on whether you get silver or gold packages they come with different floors, floor anchors, and additional chains or cables to keep your bikes secure.

There are a couple of elements that were a little annoying. The locks (or hasp positions) require drilling holes during assembly. For me this was fine because I’ve done lots of that kind of thing before, but if you don’t have a decent electric screwdriver, this could be a bit of a faff.

The only genuinely annoying part of the shed is that each of the four locks uses its own key and each key looks identical. It meant that when I first started using it, I had a one in four chance of choosing the right key. In the end, I used different coloured nail polishes to match them up, but it would be more convenient to just have multiple locks all using the same key to save time and space on my keyring.

Daily use and testing

I found the Protect a Cycle good to live with once I’d sorted out the keys. It’s easy to lift the lid and the up-and-over design allows you full front access – no awkward lifting or wrestling bikes in narrow gaps. I fitted three adult bikes (road bike, gravel bike and hybrid) inside and still had a bit of headroom and space for a pump and a helmet. I wouldn’t be able to fit another adult bike inside but I had more than enough space for both kids’ bikes alongside those three.

I left bikes in the shed in a multitude of conditions, including rain, wind and even a couple of storms. When I opened it, the bikes were still bone dry, with no signs of water ingress or condensation. The unit didn’t rattle or shift in wind, and the locking points held firm. While I only reviewed this over a couple of months, from this I’d be confident it would last a long time.

Value

The shed has an RRP of £949 for the base unit, which is about what I’d expect for kit of this quality.

The Asgard Annexe Plus E that Laura reviewed is larger and has a built-in lock – but at £1,115 it’s more expensive (though it’s presently discounted to £915), it needs more space and doesn’t look as good.

I reviewed the Asgard Access E Plus Bike Storage some time ago. It costs £878 (though is also reduced, to £775), is much larger and has more features built in, including a socket, but it requires more space and is heavier to operate.

For more in-house and in-garage storage options, check out our best bike storage buyer’s guide.

Verdict

The Trimetals Protect a Cycle is a seriously well-engineered bike shed: simple to build, practical in use and secure. It doesn’t have unlimited capacity, but it does what it promises to do with style: easy lid access, four locking points for real peace of mind and a robust design. The need to drill locks and manage multiple keys is slightly annoying, but that’s a small price to pay for what is a very good bike storage option.

Verdict

Tough, secure, well designed and easy to use, and the lid design makes it ideal for tighter spaces

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