Almost regardless of circumstance, committed bike riders never have just one bike in their possession. Whether it’s because they ride enough personally that they’ll have different models for different disciplines, or their love of bikes has been passed on to partners and even their children, most cyclists need a significant amount of space to house the machines of their hobby.
That space isn’t often available inside the house, and garages are a luxury rather than a given for most properties, so bike storage tends to default to outside spaces. If that’s the case, security and protection has to be considered, which is why products such as Asgard’s Access Plus bike shed exists.
‘We make our sheds to order and on-site at our west Yorkshire facility,’ says Asgard’s Andy Heath. ‘The company is set up to be very direct. Customers can access our small team in person – me and a colleague personally reply every customer enquiry.’
Sheds made from wood or plastic might save on cost, but they can be liable to both durability and security issues. If made poorly or cheaply, metal options can suffer similarly, but Asgard says the says the way it makes its sheds goes long way to mitigating these problems.
‘Asgard’s are constructed from galvanised steel panels that we fabricate in-house, then protect with a polyester powder coat to guard against corrosion. That keeps their design solid for decades and makes them a right hassle for would-be thieves to break into,’ says Heath.
Asgard offers a range of storage options, from slim, one-bike lockers to full garage and workshop-esque constructions. As one of those aforementioned multi-bike households, secure outdoor storage is essential for me. Having tried various options in several materials in the past, I was keen to see how an Asgard product would compare.
The Asgard shed in for review is the Access Plus model. It uses a double door and hinged roof format and claims to offer space for up to four bikes and accessories. It's similar to the four-bike Access model but is 246mm longer, for an extra £13 cost. A second alternative is the Maxess E Pro, which is the same length and depth but offers extra height at a premium of £52.
The differences between options aren’t immediately obvious (ie, it’s hard to differentiate by name and designation alone) so a thorough look into each shed’s dimensions on their respective product pages is essential, for now.
'We're aware the options we currently offer might lead to mild decision paralysis,' says Heath. 'We're riders ourselves, so over time our range has expanded as we sought to solve problems that cropped up for ourselves and friends as riding habits evolved. The Access was our first iteration, then a rider in my club got into MTBs, so needed a longer option for those bikes. Hence, the Access Plus. After that, e-bikes got popular, so we needed e-bike friendly versions – options to mount plug sockets, basically – and then big guy from the club needed more height for his tall bikes, so the Maxess E Pro came along. We're now working to streamline those options so finding the models that's right is more intuitive, but that's not a quick process.'
To its credit, Asgard does already assist with myriad guides and helpful information on its site to help and explain things to prospective customers.
Asgard Access Plus dimensions and preparation
The Access Plus model external dimensions are 2306 x 1053 x 1340mm (length x depth x height, though allow an extra 100mm depth to any rear wall to allow the roof hinges to operate cleanly). It’s a substantial unit, but those dimensions get you a considerable 2171 x 910 x 1120mm of space inside – a benefit of the steel construction is that it doesn’t have to be thick to be strong and sturdy.
An essential component of being able to install and use the shed is having a stable, level base set aside for it. An unlevel base causes the shed structure to flex under its own weight, which can impact the alignment and operation of the doors and roof.
‘The gold standard is a purpose-built concrete pad – we have a guide on how to construct one on site – but the sheds can be installed just as well on level paving slabs or blocks,’ says Heath. Asgard also offers its own shed base frames with adjustable feet.
The area I had for the Access Plus shed to sit was on gravel, so I made sure it was compacted, then I levelled and squared an arrangement of concrete blocks for the Access Plus unit to sit on. It requires some time with a level and measuring tape, but proved to be an adequate and stable foundation for the unit.
Asgard Access Plus on its way
As each shed is made to order, delivery generally takes eight weeks from point of purchase.
Customers are kept up to date with delivery status, and communication on the day of delivery was abundant and clear – I gained access to a delivery van live tracking feature, which was very helpful for letting me know when it as going to arrive.
The unit arrived in sections but thankfully with very little packaging – just sheaves of cardboard for protection, so it was simple to take in and store until it was time to build.
The list of required tools for the build was basic, though I would recommend accompanying the specified tools with a socket set, a magnetic bit holder for your drill, and a tray. The socket set speeds up the tightening of several nuts and ground screws, the magnetic bit holder ensures screws stand less of a chance of falling into hard-to-retrieve areas during certain sections of the build, and the tray makes it easier to differentiate between the several screw types necessary to fix the panels together.
There’s an option for Asgard technicians to install the shed for a cost, but thanks to comprehensive instructions and an intuitive design that slots together easily, it’s simple enough to construct yourself. If you get stuck, there’s also a nifty stop-motion video on Asgard’s site showing how things go together. I was able to assemble the single-handedly in around two hours, but that was probably not advisable. Certain sections, such as the roof, are bulky and heavy, and the shed would certainly be quicker and safer to assemble with two people.
Inherent awkwardness of doing it alone aside, construction was a simple affair. Again, provided your base is level, panel screw holes align easily and each panel is clearly labelled. The screws are quick to wind in, and there’s a distinct bite point when the screw tightens, making it easy to know when it’s fastened without risk of graunching the head or stripping the threads.
The ground screws are the final element of construction and where bases get found out if they aren’t level. Asgard does provide a generous selection of shims to help even things out, but ideally they should not be necessary.
Asgard Access Plus arrangement and operation
The hinged lid and double door arrangement allow for unrestricted access to all contents within the Access Plus unit, which is just as well. Thanks to the extra length in this model, four road or gravel bikes can be tessellated to fit snugly, along with a considerable number of accessories.
As well as the sheds as a standalone, Asgard also offers ‘bundles’ products that can be used with the shed. They go a long way to exploiting the unit's storage capacity and security, providing useful options to store equipment beyond just bikes. I did question why at least some components of the bundle – for example, shelves and hooks – couldn't be offered as standard with the unit rather than at a premium, but Heath provides a convincing rationale for keeping things separate.
'The bundles are priced very competitively as it is, but we keep them separate to ensure the cost of the shed itself is kept to the absolute minimum, and it gives the option for customers to source their own accessories if preferred as well,' he says. Fair enough - it's more proof that Asgard's products are incredibly well-considered.
The package that Asgard offers with the Access Plus includes shelves and hooks made from the same coated steel as the unit, but also a sturdy wooden subfloor that fits snugly and two high-quality disc locks. I got a pair from specialists Burg Wächter, which fit neatly in under the Access Plus’s shrouds.
The locks are easy to remove though I was left with no real place to immediately put them, so took to placing them on the ground below the shrouds. Perhaps a useful addition to a future version of the shed would be pockets that attach below the shrouds for the locks to sit in once undone.
Once the locks are removed, pneumatic struts ensure the lid lifts with minimal effort and lifting a catch bar frees the doors. It would be handy to have cabin hooks on the outside of the unit to secure the doors, but this isn’t a deal breaker and is only noticeable in windy conditions.
'Trust me, introducing cabin hooks as standard as on our to-do list,' says Heath. 'It hasn't been done yet though because we're fully audited, so if we change even a screw in a unit, those plans have to be sent off and assessed, checked, double-checked, new revisions suggested. That’s three months and a massive bill, not to mention the cost of changing our manufacturing workflow. We will make that change, I just can't say when right now. For now I tend to point people to £6 kickstands from Amazon, or my custom method of choice isn't sophisticated but very effective – a brick.'
Likewise, I mentioned that touch-up paint or coating would be a useful inclusion to the purchase to help maintain the looks and durability of the shed over time – dings and scratches are inevitable - because it's something Asgard only offers as an extra. Turns out, there's very little Asgard hasn't thought of and tried already.
'We did used to include small pots,' says Heath. 'But people would pull out the pot after several years and, if not kept correctly, the paint will have gone off. As we make and paint all our sheds on-site – unlike many other companies – touch-up paint is a no-brainer for us to offer, but through experience it's better offered as an extra so customers can use fresh paint,' says Heath. The 250ml tins are said be enough to repaint an entire panel, providing a 99% visual match to the original powder coat at a cost £15.
Asgard Access Plus review verdict
Thanks to its dimensions and the provisions to customise its internal layout, the Access Plus's volume and utility is truly game-changing for those requiring extra space to store bikes and accessories. That function would useless without the security and robustness that Asgard bakes into its design, however. There’s no point having the space to store valuable cycling kit if it isn’t secure.
While the Access Plus is never going to be totally infallible, there’s no way anything contained within can be accessed without a lot of time, specialist tools and noise. While the shed has been designed and made to a standard that will last for many years, security is the area in which I think the unit stands apart. Add its UK-made credentials and authentic customer support and the premium over other storage solutions becomes realistic to justify.
When it comes to a product like Asgard’s Access Plus shed, I think it’s worth bearing in mind the difference between price and value. Something can be high cost and still great value due to the performance and longevity it offers. My experience with the Access Plus suggests that’s the case here.
- For more information on the Asgard Access Plus bike shed, visit asgardsss.co.uk
