Techs-Mechs: Winterizing Your Bike Part 2

by Mr Van P on Oct 18, 2009 7:36 PM EDT Comment 10 comments

Last week we covered how we clean and service our bikes after a long season on the road. Of course some of us ride right through the winter which presents plenty of challenges not only to our wardrobe but also to our bikes. Where I ride (Massachusetts) we average about 4 feet (1.25 Meters) of snow per year temps rarely get more than a few degrees above freezing for Dec-Feb and we get plenty of sleet and freezing rain in the mix too. The roads get plowed, sanded and salted frequently, but more prevelant are the cracks and potholes that develop with the fridgid ground temps. No need to subject my nice road bikes to the punishment that this mean season offers. What do i ride?

Frame: Aluminum cyclocross frame (Felt F1X). Long wheelbase, beefy frame and fork, lots of clearance for easy cleaning and more upright geometry for more stable handling (and to give the back a rest for a few months).

Wheels/tires: I have a set of Campy Protons as well as some handbuilts. The Proton's can't be killed, and the handbuits are fairly new, so I will ride another year on the 2004 Proton's. For those not familiar with Campy wheels, the Proton are a low profile box rim wheelset. Not super light but bomproof and I like the low profile for riding on windy days. For tires I use Panaracer 26mm road tires. On really sloppy days I have some 30mm cross tires, but I'm riding with a road group and it's not easy to keep up with them on knobbies for more than 10-15 miles. The 26's don't cost me any noticable speed and they take the hits better from the cracks and holes in the road than 23mm tires. I will likely buy some 28mm tires this winter since the 26's are getting worn. 28mm tires on Proton's could survive a cyclocross race.

Drivetrain: I put away the nice stuff for the winter and use an old 12/25 cassette that still has some life and whatever leftover chain I have in the box will work too. I also use an older crankset. I don't like to throw away drivetrain parts if I can help it. An old chain on a new cassette or chainrings is a big no-no. Of coure if all three drivetrain parts are old, then who cares? They see so much salt and sand that it would make no sense to trash a $200 Record cassette for a February group ride. I have a big bottle of Pedros Ice wax. I prefer Pro-Link Gold for the summer months, but the Wax seems to work fine in the winter. It doesn't last long, but neither do my winter rides.

Other: I enjoy the cyclocross-style bars with the shallow drops and the flare at the end (very stable and comfy). The 84 deg stem is flipped up for a more upright postion. I use cantilever brakes since thats what the cross frame requires, but honestly they are easy to clean and the stopping power is adequate. I normally ride Speedlay pedals on my road bike, but for winter I opt for the more weather friendly Crank Bro Eggbeaters. I have dabbled with purchasing winter road shoes but so far wool socks and booties seem to work ok. Winter rides for me are rarely longer than 35 miles, so even on really cold days I can get inside before the toes turn to ice cubes.

With this cross/road combo set up, i can pretty much ride fast enough to enjoy a spirited club ride, but don't spend the whole time trying to avoid sand and holes. Sometimes I'll even pass folks on the dirt just for kicks.

What conditions to you face in the winter and what are you riding?

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An o/t update

So . . . I tried installing the old c-record derailleur on the time-trial bike (which is what I ride most during the winter, btw—if you can call what we get down here ‘winter’).

And . . . it didn’t work worth a darn. The old design won’t wrap the 39-11 combination—or, rather, it won’t wrap that combination and leave you enough chain to get into 53×21

So the ultegra rear mech—after a thorough VanP inspired cleaning session—went back on the bike. (It should be obvious, but I use friction only on the time trial bike . . .)

by R Mc on Oct 18, 2009 8:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Winter potholes?

Heck you just described our SUMMER potholes. The winter ones you can drown in. I wish I was joking more than I am. I ride a 20+ year old Trek 850 “Mountain” bike which frame and fork I love and you can’t seem to get anything like it anymore. It has NO suspension and is pounds lighter than any current mtn frame and fork set I can find. I don’t look at many thousand dollar ones. Everybody has these heavy suspensions even on city bikes. They are just extra weight to me – beef up the dang wheels and spokes and dump that extra weight. Leave that stuff for off roaders.

I ride a cross bike for touring with 28mm (110 kilos plus loaded) and love it. 9 rings on the back and I noticed that the chain has lasted the longest of any chainI’ve had. So I guess the issues with newer chains are with the thinner ones. I generally have stressed the chain cause I am not a smart shifter and often get into bad cross shifting areas, and I weigh a lot and can really bring the strain to the crank, but knock on wood for this, maybe I am being a little smarter on the shifting.

Notice this is all for speeds that are likely half what the main poster rides at.

by Markk on Oct 18, 2009 10:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Winter riding with summer shoes

If dry – Use some big black socks and put them over your shoes.
Cut a hole in the bottom for the cleat and away you go all euro style.

If colder, or a little damp – Place a plastic bag on the outside of the sock on your front forefoot to and this will help in blocking wind, keeping heat in, and light water out.

. . . . and then there is neoprene . . . . .

by Ryan_Liles on Oct 19, 2009 6:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I set 30 degrees as my

threshold for riding without shoe covers. Usually though rides are in the morning so it will generally warm up from there. I have some Pearl Izumi Am-Fib booties that are pretty warm but bulky. I agree, though just keeping the wind off your feet is 90% of the game.

by Mr Van P on Oct 19, 2009 8:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I must be soft.

I throw the booties on at a forecast of 40 or less. Last winter there were a few mornings when I set off from the house in single digit temps. I am learning from that experience and am looking for some weatherproof socks to go in shoes and under the booties. Frostbite sucks!

The only other real issue I had last winter was getting iced up. On one memorable ride I kept getting covered in a layer of ice. If I kept in the same position for too long (more than 3-5 minutes) then bending my arms would cause sheets of ice to pop off. Cool!

My “bad weather beast” is hardtail MTB, running with disc brakes. I run slicks on it until the snow and ice become too much and then put some x-Country tyres on. My commute includes a good 10 miles of rarely used roads so no snow plows or cars to break things up. I have a rear fender, and am probably going to install a front one this week.

Oh and the other thing is lights. Because I leave and arrive home when it is dark I am well, very well lit!

I am not kind to this setup, but it just keeps rolling along. It’s a Marin Aluminum frame, running XTR from about 6/7 yrs ago. I used to ride it on the dusty hills around LA, but it is doing equally well in Pittsburgh’s winter weather.

I used this last winter for commuting twice weekly (anywhere from 20 – 30 miles each way depending on the route I choose on the day) and for a longer “fun ride” on Sundays.

"Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill" - Fausto Coppi

by muk on Oct 19, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

30 Deg is really just a guideline

and it’s assuming that 30 deg at my start time of 9:00am will warm to 40 deg by the time I finish a couple hours later. My feet generally don’t get to cold. I’m a real baby regardign my torso though and would much rather be to warm than not warm enough.

I suspect a lot of folks use hard tail MTB’s for winter riding. I like to alternate woods and road in the winter, but some of the road guys only have standard road bikes with 23mm tires so I’d be giving up too much speed (and i’m barely hanging in there now with regular gear). I am seeing a few guys in the club take up cross the past couple years so I think eventually the cross bikes will start to outnumber the road bikes in the Winter.

Anyone have any opinions on ceramic rims for bad weather? I have always opted for standard alloy rims over the CD for my road bikes, but could see myself picking up some Reflex CD’s at some point if they were worth it.

by Mr Van P on Oct 19, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Start Time makes a difference

I usually start my rides in deep darkness, and it actually gets colder just around sunrise. I check the temperature outside and if it is below 40 then that’s the call for me to “gear up”. Below 20 and I get serious!

I’m actually considering the shift from the Hard Tail to a ‘cross bike. Simply because the riding position would be more familiar, and the distances that I am riding. The MTB is more work than the road bike, there’s no denying it!

Part of the challenge is that I might need a triple on the ’cross bike. I have a couple of seriously steep little hills to tackle (approaching 20%), and in the snow and ice it is best to sit down and spin. The third chain ring comes in handy there. I also have some stretches where, even on the MTB I get wound up to 25-26 mph, and I like that and would hate to lose that top gearing.

I’d be interested to hear from anyone else that is commuting through relative “virgin” snow and ice on a ‘cross bike. What’s your experience?

"Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill" - Fausto Coppi

by muk on Oct 19, 2009 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

my commute involves

a car and then a subway, but I must say that on weekends i wait for the plows or salt truck.

My cross bike has a wide range of chainrings ranging from a standard 53/39 (I use this when it becomes a road bike) a 50/34 compact, but also a 46/36t set up for cross races. I also have the 46t ring for the non-compact 135mm campy cranks. Honestly, I’ll likely just use the 46/39t for cross racing since I like the 39 for most of the race and if i need more of a granny than the 39/26t combo, i’m faster running (or briskly walking).

by Mr Van P on Oct 19, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you guys are tough

Here? warm cycling clothes – long sleeves, thick some days, layers some days, long lycra bibs, some toe covers for not so cold and serious booties for colder. Ride all year no problemo except just can’t go over the high passes. No need to change bikes. But tons of stuff perfect for riding all year – no snow, temps not so bad – both dirt roads for mtn bike (which i’d like to do more of) or road cycling. Take some coast roads in the winter that i shun in the summer due to heat and tourist traffic. That’s about it. (ducks)

Actually my only problem with the winter is the short days – don’t ride much during the work week – or if so just hour long rides or so.

by yeehoo on Oct 21, 2009 6:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs