In more detail
The long version.
Why flats stopped having space for bikes, what the riding calendar looks like, and how to put a bike away without ruining it.
Why there is nowhere to put it
Flats have been shrinking for years
Average one and two-bedroom apartments in South African cities have come down from around 67 m² to 55, 49 and in places 39 or 35 m², and bachelor units are now quoted as small as 22 to 27 m². Micro-apartments of 18 to 40 m² are a recognised category in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.
A road bike is not large, but it is long, dirty and awkwardly shaped, and it cannot go in a cupboard. In a 24 m² flat it competes directly with the space you actually live in — which is why it ends up in the passage, on a balcony, or in a common area the body corporate would rather it was not in.
Storage is not really about the bike. It is about getting the passage back.
The riding calendar
A city with a big season
About 30,000 riders took part in the 48th Cape Town Cycle Tour on 8 March 2026, and roughly a third of them — some 10,000 — were expected to travel in from outside the city. That is a lot of bikes arriving, and a lot of bikes that are ridden hard for part of the year and not at all for the rest.
Which changes what you need
A bike you ride weekly wants a drive-up unit you can reach without an appointment. A bike going away until next season is a different problem, and one a collected pod handles well.
Putting a bike away properly
Clean, dry, and off its tyres if you can
Cape Town air is salty and a drivetrain left dirty will corrode. Clean and dry the bike, leave some pressure in the tyres so they hold their shape, and stand or hang it rather than leaning it against a wall for months.
Motorbikes need more planning
Fuel is not permitted in storage, so a motorbike needs to be drained before it goes in, and you should think about what a long stand does to the battery. Ask us before booking if you are unsure what is allowed.
Cape Storit does not insure the goods stored inside a unit. A bike is usually worth checking with your insurer about specifically, since some policies treat a bike away from home differently.
