Winter cycling - questions

[endurancemom]

[SIZE= 14px][COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 205)]This will be the first winter that I ride a decent bike. I have a 2010 Trek FX 7.2. In past winters I had ridden a GT Timberline from a department store. I average anywhere from 65 to 90 miles per week typically.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px][COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 205)]Questions are: storing the bike in the cold winter months. I plan to ride all through winter, but wonder if I should start storing my bike in the house as it gets colder and colder? We do have a typical 2.5 car garage, though it's not heated. I don't want to damage any components by keeping it stored in the cold - what are your thoughts? [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px][COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 205)]Also, about riding in the snow covered roads - especially ones that aren't plowed yet. Is there any danger to the bike - chains, components, etc by riding through snow that's a few inches deep?[/COLOR][/SIZE]

 

[davereo]

Originally Posted by endurancemom .

[SIZE= 14px][COLOR= rgb(0,0,205)]This will be the first winter that I ride a decent bike. I have a 2010 Trek FX 7.2. In past winters I had ridden a GT Timberline from a department store. I average anywhere from 65 to 90 miles per week typically.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px][COLOR= rgb(0,0,205)]Questions are: storing the bike in the cold winter months. I plan to ride all through winter, but wonder if I should start storing my bike in the house as it gets colder and colder? We do have a typical 2.5 car garage, though it's not heated. I don't want to damage any components by keeping it stored in the cold - what are your thoughts? [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px][COLOR= rgb(0,0,205)]Also, about riding in the snow covered roads - especially ones that aren't plowed yet. Is there any danger to the bike - chains, components, etc by riding through snow that's a few inches deep?[/COLOR][/SIZE]

The components on your bike will not become damaged from cold storage. I recomend that you keep your cycling shoes and helmet in a heated area so you are not wearing blocks of ice on your body. Riding in the snow will not harm your bikes components. Riding in the snow is a danger to the rider. You could run over fallen limbs that could throw you from your bike and a host of other dangers. It is best to wait for the roads to be clear before venturing out for a winter ride.

 

[IronEnthusiast]

Hey Endurance mom,

I've kept my bike in a garage that sounds similar to yours last year and didn;t have any problems, just make sure you have good grip on your tyres and that the weather isn't too bad before heading out. My personal pet-hate is heavy gusts of wind. We have very windy days here at the moment and it can make cycling quite dodgey due to unexpected gusts!
Heres a bunch of winter cycling tips I came acorss about which might be of help to you!

http://www.newtotri.com/#/top-ten-winter-cycling-tips/4545539598

 

[InfinityMPG]

It's awesome that you've chosen to ride through the winter! I know a lot of people are only Summer riders -- these people have what is called an "off season". haha...

For winter storage I've left my commuter bike out in the cold (under a roof, but otherwise exposed). The things to worry about would be the quality of the chain lube and even some component lock-ups from ice freezing. Something I've encountered with sleet commuting is that the ice and snow will melt off of your bike and steal away some of your chain's moisture. What you get is a chain that dries out much faster than normal. For this, just make sure that at the end of the day's ride you apply more chain oil and possibly even give the chain a quick cloth-cleaning.

If you're riding through snow and your area salts the road then you really need to consider daily cleaning. The snow alone can carry extra debree and cause gear-grinding, but the added salt can cause even more problems. Don't neglect the quick brushwork and oilings; your maintenance costs could really go up in the longterm without them. These costs are also why a lot of cyclists have a bad-weather/cheap commuter bike and a speed-demon bike. Rain and snow travel can wear your parts down.

And even though it can be dicey travelling in the snow, a wider tire and good awareness can make it safe; just keep up with maintenance and give your bike what it needs!

 

[jmd10259]

This will be my 5th winter riding and is a favorite time of year for me to go. Love the crisp cool mornings for my 10km one way commute. My bike lives in my garage year round and have never worried about components. I just give them a good shot of WD40 when conditions are very nasty. Winter is what you make of it. High end bike wear is as must and my winter beater is just a well maintained 21speed CCM . I keep a studded tire for the front only when risks of freezing rain arise....best money I ever spent! Just swap out my front wheel and off I go. Good luck and do have fun for the winter!!

 

[vspa]

Originally Posted by endurancemom .


[SIZE= 14px][COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 205)]Also, about riding in the snow covered roads - especially ones that aren't plowed yet. Is there any danger to the bike - chains, components, etc by riding through snow that's a few inches deep?[/COLOR][/SIZE]

danger is on the rider, snow and frost make it extremely slippery for a bicycle,

 

[MMMhills]

Originally Posted by InfinityMPG .

It's awesome that you've chosen to ride through the winter! I know a lot of people are only Summer riders -- these people have what is called an "off season". haha...

For winter storage I've left my commuter bike out in the cold (under a roof, but otherwise exposed). [COLOR= #ff0000]The things to worry about would be the quality of the chain lube and even some component lock-ups from ice freezing. [/COLOR]Something I've encountered with sleet commuting is that the ice and snow will melt off of your bike and steal away some of your chain's moisture. What you get is a chain that dries out much faster than normal. For this, just make sure that at the end of the day's ride you apply more chain oil and possibly even give the chain a quick cloth-cleaning.

If you're riding through snow and[COLOR= #ff0000] your area salts the road then you really need to consider daily cleaning[/COLOR]. The snow alone can carry extra debree and cause gear-grinding, but the added salt can cause even more problems. Don't neglect the quick brushwork and oilings; your maintenance costs could really go up in the longterm without them. These costs are also why a lot of cyclists have a bad-weather/cheap commuter bike and a speed-demon bike. Rain and snow travel can wear your parts down.

And even though it can be dicey travelling in the snow, a wider tire and good awareness can make it safe; just keep up with maintenance and give your bike what it needs!

infinity hit it on the nose. keep it cold and you should not have problems with components freezing. If they do freeze this is a good time to bring it in and though it out and then let it dry thoroughly. Salt is the killer it will rust your drivetrain and pedals. You can be aware of this and just replace as needed or try to clean it often. Cleaning often is difficult as you need to dry it off well or components will freeze.

You might need different tired depending on the road conditions. 28-40 width tires with deep lugs work well for light snow and as thick of a tire as you can get for deep snow. get studded tires only if you encounter ice on a regular basis.

 

[bikester62]

I'm new to this - just started serious riding this summer. I bought a cheap mountain bike for the winter - an old Raleigh. Turns out I really like riding in the snow, and I really like this bike. It shifts crisply, and I like how it is geared. So I want to preserve it. So, please describe how one cleans the chain and derailer; tell me what lubricants work best, and how to apply them. My scheduled makes it really hard for me to clean the bike every day. I work about 90 hours a week. So the cleanings are going to happen Saturdays or Sundays.

Your wisdom please.

 

[MMMhills]

Originally Posted by bikester62 .

I'm new to this - just started serious riding this summer. I bought a cheap mountain bike for the winter - an old Raleigh. Turns out I really like riding in the snow, and I really like this bike. It shifts crisply, and I like how it is geared. So I want to preserve it. So, please describe how one cleans the chain and derailer; tell me what lubricants work best, and how to apply them. My scheduled makes it really hard for me to clean the bike every day. I work about 90 hours a week. So the cleanings are going to happen Saturdays or Sundays.

Your wisdom please.

The most inportant thing is to keep it dry so cables, shifters and brakes don't freeze.

You did the best thing when you bought the[COLOR= #ff0000] cheap [/COLOR][COLOR= #ff0000]old[/COLOR] raleigh. If I were you I would buy a long lasting chain lube (go to you LBS and they can help you) and apply it often and then just ride it. I find that if you store it in the cold it will do better as you get less snow melting than refreezing. If your shifting or braking starts to freeze up bring the bike in and let it though out. this is a good time to wipe everything down with an old rag.

You will get some rust but if it is an older bike who cares and plus you probably won't stop the rust unless you wash it after every ride.

 

[Powerbiker pro]

I store my electric bike in the shed over the winter and its fine. when the weather is really bad i wont go out on it unless i have too.