Keep your bike running through winter

 

 

No doubt inspired to keep riding thanks to various articles on what to wear, which lights to choose and how to train during the winter you will doubtlessly be wanting to keep your beloved bike running through this period.

 

If you haven’t seen them yet then take a look at our Guides and How To’s index.

 

With winter comes more rain, more cold and, at its most extreme, snow and ice.  All of this, combined with a reduction in sunshine hours, leads to the roads and trails griming up.  If you’re out there slogging it out (and we hope you are!) you’ll be wanting to make sure your bike stays in good form, just as your form is improving.

 

As with most things bike; a little effort really can go a long way.  The following is a short guide on keeping your bike going strong.

 

Lubrication

With the increase in the amount of moisture on the roads and in the air it’s time to switch to a more durable chain lubricant.  The dry and/or spray lubrications you have been using for the rest of the year won’t cut it any more. 

 

A dry lubricant will get washed off the chain relatively quickly, leaving you with a chain that is dry and squeaky.  Not only can this be remarkably irritating but it is also wearing out your chain, cassette and chain-rings at a far faster rate than is necessary.  A wet lubricant will cling to your chain for longer and not be washed away by the elements

 

Chain checking

Your chain is quite often not as loved as it should be given the amount of work it does.  Whilst your chain wears it is important to remember that your cassette and chain-rings wear with it.  This is an unavoidable consequence of a mechanical drive-train but, as above, proper lubrication will help exponentially.

 

It is highly recommended that you invest in a chain-checker.  This incredibly simple device will last forever and checks the wear on your chain in seconds.  By regularly checking your chain and replacing it before it becomes too worn you can save yourself large amounts of cash by extending the lifetime of your expensive chain-rings and cassette.  This is particularly important in winter when wear rates are higher, or if you ride in sandy areas.

 

Tyre choice

Admittedly not necessarily to do with keeping your bike running specifically but of importance none the less.  Winter conditions demand different tyres whether you’re riding on-road or off-road.

 

Road – those lightweight skinny racing tyres you’ve been using all summer are going to wear at a far faster rate in winter than you would like.  Why not remove them and replace them with a thicker, slightly heavier, tyre for winter?  Not only will you keep your summer tyres in good condition but they’re also not designed to deal with the extra water and muck on the roads and, after all, you want to stay upright on the bike.

 

Off Road – your local trails may well take on a new personality in the winter.  What was a super fast drifting corner in the height of summer has now become a game of roulette thanks to the liberally applied winter grease.  Swap those summer tyres out for something with more tread, and more spaces between the tread to allow the mud to clear out.

 

To see our selection of tyres see here.


Mudguards

They may not be seem as ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’ by certain cycling factions but they can be worth their weight in gold when it comes to keeping you comfortable on the bike.

 

A front guard will prevent much from flying up into your face and covering you with grime.  Not only is this incredibly irritating but it can lead to particles getting stuck in your eye if you’re not wearing any glasses.  The front guard also helps prevent muck being flicked up onto your shins which can make you colder earlier than you need to be.

 

A rear guard prevents a great deal of grime being thrown up your back.  Not only does this keep you cleaner than you otherwise might be but also prevents you from cooling down quicker than you need if out riding in lower temperatures.

 

Mudguards also do an excellent job at keeping most of your bike clean.  This is important when it comes to the last and most vital piece of advice.  Yes, it is the one we’ve all been dreading….


To see our selection of mudguards see here.

 

Cleaning – do it

 

If only we resided in a world where the necessity to clean our possessions was redundant.  However, until that day, we must stay on top of our bikes and clean them with regularity.  It sounds painfully obvious but so many of us are guilty of doing it less than we should.

 

Clean your bike on a schedule and make sure you re-lubricate afterwards as mentioned in the first paragraph

 

Follow these few simple rules and you’ll be happily riding your way through winter on a bike that will leave winter in as good a condition as when it arrived