The best part of riding in the winter may be the solitude found on the multi use trail that keeps the bulk of our city within its limits. Three inches of snow with more coming down makes for the best conditions. Pedaling the long way around town to my favorite downtown coffee shop is a highlight of my winter riding. The snow falling deadens the sound of traffic....it brings a quiet hush over the trail. It's something everyone should experience.
I want to experience it as much as possible. That means keeping a few things in mind when taking care of my bike. The snow, ice, water and salt can be hard on bikes. Here are a few tips to help you and your bike get through the winter in one piece.
Bike storage is where this conversation is going to start. If your bike is lucky enough to have heated storage, you will want to set your bike outside for a few minutes before you take off on your ride. If your bike is warm and you start pedaling through snow, the snow will melt and then quickly freeze to your bike. It can build up enough to keep the wheels from spinning. In some cases it can melt and the water will run down the cables into the housings and cause bigger problems down the road. A completely frozen cable can turn into a broken shift lever. For this reason, take your bike outside a few minutes before your ride and let it cool off to the same temperature as the air. You will have less snow and ice build up.
Go ride, have fun and when you return home bounce the snow off your bike. You don't want it to melt on your bike and then freeze. Get as much off as you can by bouncing it.
Brush the snow off of the drivetrain. If you leave your bike outside, the snow can freeze and cause shifting problems on your next ride. If you go indoors, it can melt and run into the cables and causing shifting problems when you head out into the cold on your next ride.
If you do these simple steps you should be able to get more riding in over the winter. To prevent the freeze...thaw...freeze...thaw of going in and out with a bike, consider storing your bike in your garage instead of your heated house.
Some other things to help you along with your cycling journey....
- Have a winter bike. Find a good used mountain bike or fat bike to ride.
- Use fenders when you can. Full wrap fenders can keep snow and water from collecting on your bike.
- Use a good lube for wet conditions. Dry lubes have their place, but nothing works better in the winter than Finishline's Wet Lube.
- Switch to a 1x drivetrain. Get rid of that left shifter and front derailleur and have a system that has one chainring up front and a full range of gears in back. Similar to the Salsa Beargrease.
Last but not least, get out and have fun!
