Help your bike survive the winter
The problem with having a bike on campus is that there is nowhere to store it during the winter. If you have a cheap bike, indoor storage could cost more than the bike itself. If you are planning on not riding much or at all during the winter and you have to store your bike outside, there are a few tips to keep the bike usable in the spring.
If you do nothing, your bike will probably be unusable in the spring. Your chain will rust and at best will not work well. At worst, it will rust to the point of not working. Your cassette or freewheel will also rust and may be destroyed by the elements.
While leaving your bike outside is not ideal, here are several tips that may help you avoid problems for very little money.
Buy some bearing or general purpose waterproof grease. Tubes of grease can cost as little as a couple bucks. You don't want to use lightweight oil or lube as it will not last. Smear the grease over your chain and rear and front sprocket areas. Only do this if you are not riding the bike for the winter. If you ride it much, the grease will attract dirt and grime and reduce the life of your drive train. This will be messy and you will have to clean and degrease your bike in the spring, but at least you have a good possibility of your bike being usable in the spring. Also, put a coating on any stem bolts, brake bolts and your spokes, particularly on the nipple/spoke connection near the rims. Take your seatpost out and lube it with the grease as well. A stuck seat post might destroy your bike.
Buy a bike cover. There are plastic bike covers that you can buy for $15 or less that will offer your bike some protection from the elements. Not perfect but it probably will help keep some of the rain and snow off the bike.
Use shopping Bag for the seat. Tie a plastic bag around it to keep it dry while it's parked. It might keep the elements from destroying your seat, especially the UV rays.
Apply Frame Saver or WD-40 for steel frames. You can use this spray to try to inhibit rust inside your bike for steel bicycles. While you are taking out the seat post to lube, spray some down your seat tube. Bicycle-specific frame saver is the best, but you can use a liberal amount of WD-40 in a pinch, or if you're on a restrictive budget.
Keep your tires inflated. To avoid damage, keep your tires inflated. You will probably only need to pump them up a few times during the winter. No matter what, your tires will wear more if they are subjected to the cold and light of the outdoors, but keeping air in them will minimize the damage.
Don't lock up next to the road before they plow the street or parking lot. You may find your bike buried. Worse yet, they might damage your wheels or bike with the snow they push against it.
Don't forget a Spring tune-up. In the spring, your bike will need a good cleaning and a tune-up no matter what measures you take. They cost around 30 to 40 dollars, although the spring would be a good time to get a membership ($25 students and low-income, $40 for everyone else) at the Bike Project to help you work on your own bike. At a minimum your bike will need to be cleaned and lubed, including your drive train and all bearings.
5 comments
Murph
If you are a regular at Mike N Molly’s, talk to me about storing your bike. I have room for a few in the shed over the winter. Very few, like 4… but I’ll let those 4 stay out of the elements til March.
CH
Good tips for winterizing! I’ll add that if you’re going to store the bike on campus, try to find a spot in the middle of the racks and not at the ends. The drunk’n'stupids manage to trash a lot of the bikes at the ends of the racks, but the center ones don’t get as much abuse. If you can find a nice secluded spot to lock it up, that might even be better—less foot traffic around it = less chance for it to be abused.
One of the student groups used to do winter storage in the West Main Hall of the Memorial Stadium, but that ended around the time they refurbished the building. It would be nice for the groups to find space again….
Tony C.
For those that are a bit more robust there are similar tips for “Riding” your bike all winter. Mainly, keep things lubricated and if you don’t want the bike to dissolve from the road salt you should wipe it down with WD40 (or equivalent) every time its sloppy wet and everything gets coated with salty slush.
I was truing my winter bike’s wheels the other day and ended up having to replace a ton of spokes. The spoke nipples were crumbling like powder due to the salt corrosion and I had to cut the spokes to remove them.
Usually aluminum is the better option relative to rust and corrosion, but salt changes the equation. Salts break down the usually protective aluminum oxide layer that usually makes Aluminum oxidation resistant. Aluminum will corrode away like powder if you don’t take care of it in salty conditions.
Good luck, and keep riding!
Andrea Antulov
I don’t think asking both cities and the UI to subsidize a bike storage facility is unreasonable. It would not have to be heated. What better way to ensure every bike has beyond the legal requirement of reflective material, lights, and is road worthy and its driver understands the rules of the road and consequences? This would very much help those who have no choice but to ride in the winter risking frost bite if it breaks down.
Now that Daylight Saving Time has ended, it is more important than ever to remind everyone that
A. It is a $75 fine and state law to have a bike light. (and you are invisible to vehicles without both in the side mirrors and to pedestrians)
B. Campus Safety (Goodwin and Springfield,333-1216) & The Bike Project (link above) both were given hundreds of bike lights and reflective material for your wheels, frame, backpack, ankles and helmut to distribute without cost.
Tony C.
Andrea - To clarify I believe those bike lights and reflectors were already distributed. There are no more freebies that I’m aware of.
Also, the lights and reflectors were purchased by local groups (last year it was CUMTD, University, and both cities) to support the subsequent donation to the lazy folks who don’t buy their own $10 bike light.
Sorry. I’m starting to get a bit cynical. Not putting a light on your bike is sorta like driving your car with both headlights and tail lights broken. Duh.
You’re not that likely to get a ticket for riding lightless, but you’re pretty likely to get schmeared by a car - and if you do its your own damn fault.
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Why wait ‘til 3 pm?
I’m excited to go tonight- should be very fun!
Next, I want to know about growing up on Ennis Lane. Or the neighboring Surbana Estates. http://pathfindergroupil.com/index.php/surbanaestates
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hey, if hair ain’t gon’ be over your head, my jokes may as well be.
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Very inspired Photochops as well….
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