Repair notes

Keeping Your Bike Alive Through a Wet Winter

I've been wrenching on bikes in my garage for about fifteen years now, and winter is honestly the hardest season on both the bike and the mechanic. My garage doesn't have heat, so I'm out there in layers trying to keep things running while rain hammers the roof. Here's what I've learned about keeping a bike functional when everything outside wants to corrode, seize up, or fall apart.

The Reality of Winter Corrosion

Winter isn't just cold, it's wet and often salty if your local roads get treated. I ride year-round because I don't have another option for my commute, and I've watched chains rust solid in a week when I got lazy about maintenance. The biggest enemy is road spray that sits on your components. After every wet ride, I at least wipe down the chain, derailleurs, and any exposed cables with an old t-shirt. It takes five minutes and saves hours of work later. If you've got disc brakes, check that salt and grime aren't building up around the calipers. I learned this the hard way when a caliper piston seized on me mid-ride. For rim brakes, that wet grit acts like grinding paste on your rims. Clear it off or you'll be buying new wheels sooner than you planned.

Lubrication in Cold Wet Conditions

Your summer chain lube will not cut it in winter. I switched to a wet lube years ago for the rainy months and it's made a massive difference. The thicker stuff clings better and doesn't wash off immediately, though it does attract more dirt so you need to clean and reapply more often. I do my chain every week during heavy rain periods. Here's my routine: wipe the chain down with a rag, apply lube to each link while backpedaling slowly, let it sit for a minute, then wipe off the excess. That excess is important to remove because it just collects road grime. I also put a tiny bit of lube on derailleur pivots and brake pivot points, anywhere that moves and could seize. Don't overlook your cables if you've got cable-actuated brakes or shifting. Water gets in the housing and causes rust and friction. I've started using cables with sealed housing and it helps, but I still drip a bit of light oil into the cable ends occasionally.

Protecting What You Can

I'm not saying wrap your bike in bubble wrap, but some basic protection goes a long way. I use full fenders which I know look dorky but they genuinely keep road spray off the drivetrain and frame. The difference is night and day. I also wrap a piece of old inner tube around my frame where cables rub, because winter grit accelerates paint wear and then you get rust starting in those spots. For storage, if you can bring your bike inside even into a hallway or basement, do it. My bike lives in the garage which isn't ideal, but I at least prop it up so it's not sitting in any water pooled on the floor. I learned to hang it after finding surface rust on my chainstays from ground moisture. If you've got quick-release wheels and can bring just the bike frame inside, that's better than nothing. Also, this might be obvious, but don't leave a wet bike to freeze. Ice expanding in your components can crack things. Let it thaw and dry if possible before the temperature drops.

The Mid-Winter Deep Check

Around January I force myself to do a more thorough inspection even though it's freezing in the garage. I pull the wheels off and check spoke tension, look for rust or pitting on the brake surfaces, and inspect the chain for stiff links. A stiff link will cause shifting problems and can even break under load. I flex the chain side to side and watch for any links that don't move smoothly. I also check all the bolts, especially rack and fender bolts, because winter vibration and temperature changes can loosen things. I once had a rear rack bolt vibrate completely out and didn't notice until the rack was hanging off sideways. Check your brake pads too, they wear faster in wet conditions. If you've got cantilever or V-brakes, make sure the springs haven't corroded and that the arms still move freely. For headset and bottom bracket, I just check for play or grinding. If there's an issue, I deal with it immediately because these can get way worse fast in wet conditions. This inspection takes maybe an hour but catches problems before they strand you.

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