Winter-proofing your bicycle & Winter bike maintenance

Hey, with winter pretty much upon us i thought i would share (and invite) ideas for helping your bike deal with the rain/grit of winter.

• putting a bit of old inner tube over the seat post clamp and headset bearings to help stop water getting in.
  
• give your frame (if steel) a treatment with framesaver to help prevent rust
  
• use mudguards!
  
• ensure all removable parts are well greased/lubed up
  
• use wider/non slick tyres
  
  

that's about it. can anyone else proffer any suggestions?

Regarding covering your headset, there's already something you can use!

Lizardskin headset seals;

Aaahh it's a head set tea cosy.

has anyone tried winter boots? I looked at the Sidi's but they seemed to be really over-priced and to use their old tech. Reviews also suggested they let water in the top which would defeat the point a bit.

Endura do really good winter overshoes.

VB, I remember seeing you in Sidi overshoes a few months back when we were at the Ship? How were they in the rain?

has anyone tried winter boots?

I've got Shimano SH-RW01 and SH-W101 and they work well for cold wet roads and splashing through mud puddles, but I haven't used them in pissing rain so I can't comment on the oft noted problem with all winter shoes that the rain tends to run in the top. I prefer the SH-RW01 to summer shoes with over shoes.

I wrap my top tube and down tube in cling film then gaffa round the lot - saves the paint finish from winter grime/grit and maybe makes the bike less atrractive to thievery when locked up in the dark?

has anyone tried winter boots? I looked at the Sidi's but they seemed to be really over-priced and to use their old tech. Reviews also suggested they let water in the top which would defeat the point a bit.

I have some northwave winter boots, they are great in general wet and snow conditions, however in the pissing rain, they do let eventually let water in - and being waterproof - they keep water in - it's the old Sealskinz syndrome.
They are also pretty heavy. However I still wear them in the winter.

VB, I remember seeing you in Sidi overshoes a few months back when we were at the Ship? How were they in the rain?

They're good. But they don't seal at the top properly... maybe I have twigs for legs? So the water splashing down from the down tube still ends up in your shoes.

Overshoes are great at protecting and keeping your shoes clean, but not so great at keeping your feet truly dry.

I've tried neoprene ones before, and they work fairly well. But I've found they wear too quick so in that respect I don't think they're great.

I like the idea of the neoprene seal above the ankle, but neoprene all over means they wear underneath and around the edges. But not to use neoprene means to use large velcro fittings.

What did the muddy hell riders do?

has anyone tried winter boots? I looked at the Sidi's but they seemed to be really over-priced and to use their old tech. Reviews also suggested they let water in the top which would defeat the point a bit.

Northwave - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Northwave_Celsius_GTX_MTB_Cycling_Boots/5360032088/

They do let water in over the top, but this has only happened whilst offroading and never on the road. Feet were wet but still toasty warm.

The headset warmers trap dirt and grit next to the headset, not a great idea.

Just maintain your bikes, simple.

eventually let water in - and being waterproof - they keep water in

That's how a wetsuit keeps you warm, and I've heard that the winter boots have the same effect. Because it's only one lot of water not a continuous flow, it soon heats up to body temperature and after that it can't extract any more energy out of your body. Wet feet, but warm.

True, I definitely never had cold feet - even the afternoon after the epic snow, rode in, in the morning toasty warm dry feet, rode home in the afternoon when it had all started melting, toasty warm feet, however I did have to empty about half a pint of water out of each boot when I got home. I think if they could solve the 'water getting in the top' problem they'd be perfect
They were extreme circumstances though!

But that's the problem space. If your feet get soaked on the way into work, your shoes might still be soaked when you have to put them on in the evening to come home.

I'd rather have dry feet and need to consider some heating mechanism I think. Not that it gets that severe, but thats's where I'd like to be.

What did the muddy hell riders do?

It wasn't that muddy so not a problem at all. Generally in cx races you just get wet feet. I've a dedicated pair of shoes for cx racing so I don't have to worry too much about getting them clean and dry after racing to wear to ride to work the next day.

I don't think you can ever keep feet completely dry. When it's wet I wear overshoes to work and hope they keep enough off that I can dry my shoes out enough during the day to have dryish feet when I set off for home.

Yeah, my shoes aren't drying before hometime with overshoes.

A neoprene sweatband type thing might be the simple answer... just to stop crap getting inside the top of the overshoes. I bet this is the kind of thing a diving store would sell.

Try some sort of gator so that water that splashes onto you shins rain runs down on top of the shoe rather than inside.

What did the muddy hell riders do?

They Hardened the fuck up

My 2p

This is very boring, especially in the winter, but clean your bike. Road grime holds onto moisture, and eventually ruins parts. My winter bike redefines the word penge, yet I wash and oil it at least once a week.

As for the feet thing. I'm a big fan of waterproof overshoes. Mainly because you can take them off for quicker drying.

I've been commuting through Norwegian winters for some years now, and have usually gone for hybrid bikes because of the clearance for mudguards with 40+mm studded tyres, and the cheaply replaced, resiliant, MTB components. The ride of hybrids is soul destroyingly dull though, so this year I have built 'The Mongrel'. Its based on a cycloX frame with Deore MTB componentry (fecking cheap + fecking tough), Crud catchers with 42mm conti nordic spikes, and Midge bars for control in extreme conditions. Its far more fun to ride, but the shorter wheel base seems to reduce the amount of wash-out warning considerbly. Should be fun :S

leave your pinni/cinelli at home and ride the beater

leave your pinni/cinelli at home and ride the beater

Advice, I'm sure we all need :)

I generally spray a generous amount of GT85 down the seat tube/head tube and try and keep the bike from from not getting too cruddy over winter... I also spray some GT85 onto a rag and give the frame a good going over with it once it's clean and wipe off any excess... Easier to clean later...

wash it at the beginning of summer

Advice, I'm sure we all need :)

a more practical solution than wrapping it in cling film and old bit of inner tube I think ..;)