Winter Bike Maintenance

When you get right down to it, the difference between keeping a bike running smoothly in winter is more a matter of degree (and I don't mean temperature) than action. You do the same things in February that you do in August; it's just that when the world is cold and the days are short you have to do these things far more often. And you must do them religiously.

Why? Because failing to pull maintenance in winter can — and will, in a very short time — stop you dead in your tracks. Cracks in cable housing, for instance, are something to look for frequently no matter what the season. But while in summer water will enter, rust the cable, and cause problems over time, water seeping in during the winter will freeze up just as soon as the mercury dips to 32 degrees. You are going to come out of your warm home or office, school or factory, jump on your bike, and pedal off — only to find that when you try to shift or squeeze your brakes, nothing happens. You'd better hope it's your gear cable; otherwise, just as you approach that first busy intersection, aieeee! . . .

The Problem

Now, it's easy to make up a weekly bike-maintenance schedule, easy to have all the best intentions and to make it thorough and involved, and even comparatively easy to stick with it when the weather's warm and the days are long. This is true even if you like this sort of pastime as little as I do, or possess my minuscule aptitude for mechanics. That's because warm-weather bike cleaning can even be pleasant, working away on a back porch or garage or outside almost anywhere, the warm sun promising fun rides to come and your bike growing prettier and sounding so much better as you brush away the gunk and oil things until they purr.

What isn't easy is doing the old clean-and-lube in the cold. And doing it every time your workout or day's commute has been through wintry slush, or through snow that's melted into every possible space just to freeze again overnight. Yes, this level of attention will help you make it through the season with almost trouble-free riding and will do much to avoid undue wear and tear on your chain and components. But I personally find it difficult to do when anywhere I work on the bike is too cold for comfort. Speaking personally, the last thing I want to do when I get home in the dark after a winter ride or commute is labor away on my bike. And the very thought of getting up a half or even quarter hour earlier the next morning to begin the day with bike maintenance is one of those things that sounds good in the evening but terrible — to the point of impossibility — at 5:00 a.m.

The Solution

My answer to this problem is one I suggest to all, at least to all those of you who aren't inveterate mechanics: Make your bike as easily cleaned and lubed as humanly possibly, so that a simple brush-down-and-lube will do the trick on most days. Remember — even maintenance that's"quick and dirty" is far better than "very good and seldom done."