Check in often for owner,
Paul Ahart's tips and tricks for the cycling enthusiast.
WINTER BIKE MAINTENANCE...THE EASY WAY
Most people put their bikes away with the
first sprinkles of autumn and leave them languishing in the garage until the
following summer. Getting back on board after many months of lay-off
results in SORE BUTT, sore back and legs, and various other ailments related to
non-use of cycling muscles. Years ago, when I had to give up running (my
former winter fitness activity) due to sore knees, I discovered that winter
riding is do-able, and is even fun when dressed right. Probably the worst
thing is putting up with incredulous stares from drivers, who obviously
are thinking: "Who is that nut?"
One of the main reasons people avoid riding in winter is
having to deal with the road muck and grime that attracts itself to the bike
when the roads are wet. Dealing with this gunk is what this little article
is all about. We rent bikes, and when the rains come (even in summer) we
have to clean our bikes, since I don't want to be renting out filthy
machines. We've come up with a quick and easy way to take care of this:
1. CLEAN THE BIKE WHILE IT IS STILL WET. A wet
rag and a garden hose will quickly wipe and spray away the grime. Be
careful to not spray water into the hubs, crank bearings, headset bearings, seat
tube and head tube (into which inserts your handlebar stem).
Special areas that attract the most road gunk: the frame around the front
and rear brakes, the brake pads and wheel rims, the downtube of the frame, the
seat tube (to which is attached your front derailleur), the front derailleur
itself, and the rear derailleur. If everything is still wet from the ride,
just lightly spray off with water, maybe with help from a wet rag.
2. WIPE DOWN EVERYTHING WITH A DRY RAG. Gee, you
don't want waterspots on your frame, do you? That should about do
it. If you want to be really fastidious, get out a can of spray TriFlow or
ProLink (my favorite) with a squirt nozzle, and give the pivot joints on the
brake calipers and derailleurs a tiny shot. Then wipe off excess.
Check the chain...If the rollers are very shiny and polished-looking, apply lube
with a dropper bottle to each link. Backpedal to work it in, the wipe off
excess.
Here at the bike shop we came up with a great,
cheap and fast method of polishing a bike after cleaning.....Get out a can of
spray furniture polish...Lemon Pledge works great....Spray some on a rag and
wipe down the clean frame with it. It will shine like a new car, and will
clean easier next time, with a coat of wax under all that dirt and grime.
Oh, don't get it on your brake pads or wheel rims!!
That's all that's needed to keep your bike clean in winter,
and remove the "dirty bike" excuse from your repertoire of excuses for
not riding in winter.
As an aside, if you really get into this winter riding thing,
consider mudguards (fenders). They help keep you and the bike cleaner
(notice I didn't say "clean"). Road racing bikes often have such
tight clearances between frame and tires that normal fender installation is
difficult or impossible. Creative installation can be done using zip-ties.
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