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- Winter is a time we should embrace our riding
and not hibernate, and by that, I mean unless
the weather is, well, truly apocalyptic,
then there's no reason why you can't still
get out and ride.
But in winter, the roads are typically dirtier,
wetter, saltier, and darker than they are
the rest of the year, and all this combines
together into a perfect cocktail of bike death.
That said, you're gonna want to take care
of your pride and joy so that it takes care of you.
Here's five things you should be doing.
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It's a horrible fact but it's certainly
the case where I live that punctures
are more common in winter.
Now, there are a number of reasons for this.
Potholes are seemingly more common and larger
in winter, and this can be down to a process
called freeze-thaw.
But also, potholes can often be hidden
by being filled with water and riding in lower
light conditions; and there's more debris
on the road in winter, which is often down
to the increased rainwater doing an excellent
job of washing flints and thorns all across the road.
Consequently, I'd suggest that you swap
to a dedicated winter tire, something like this
Continental 4-Season, which has an added layer
of puncture protection which is gonna help
you stop getting a puncture when you really,
really don't wanna get one on a cold winter's ride.
But also a tougher rubber compound, too.
Now, this is something I like to do in winter,
and I also like to go for a slightly wider,
sort of, 28 millimeter width tire,
as this gives a bit more grit when the roads
are generally slippier.
Now, winter tires do have a slight penalty
with regards to rolling resistance.
They're a little bit slower than summer tires,
generally speaking.
But I don't consider this a bad thing,
because when you switch back onto your summer tires,
it feels like you're coming out of hibernation.
They are noticeably quicker and it feels great.
Something else you may want to consider doing
as well is running a dedicated set of winter
wheels so that you don't trash your Sunday best hoops.
But more on that in a little moment.
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Use lights and be seen.
Now, even if you're not riding in the dark,
the winter months can often be very gloomy,
and consequently, I always like to ride
with a rear light on the back of my bike.
But a front one is also strongly advised.
If I'm gonna be riding in a non-urban area
and it's likely to be dark, then my approach
would be to have several smaller flashing lights,
front and rear, that enable other road users
to see me, and then some bigger units to illuminate
and light my path.
The other reason for having multiple lights
is that if you're forgetful and you don't charge
one of them, or if one simply fails,
you've always got a backup and can remain
visible to others.
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Next, we're gonna talk about lube.
Now, how about dry lube?
Well, unless you live somewhere really sunny
in winter, in which case you're probably not
even watching this video, you can forget it.
What you want is wet lube, and the reason
for that is that dry lube washes off very quickly
as soon as there's some rain.
If you use a dry lube and it washes off,
it can turn a lovely bike ride into, well,
a very miserable one with your drivetrain
sounding like a rusty bag of spanners.
Wet lube can make your bike a little bit dirtier
and it attracts dirt a bit more than a dry lube,
but the crucial thing here is that it stays
attached to your chain even when it rains.
Remember though that your drivetrain is gonna
get muckier in winter, and consequently,
you should de-grease it as often as possible.
If you allow the dirty lube to build up,
it turns into a grinding paste
which can really wear down your components.
Sticking with lube for a moment,
but in it's semi-solid state, let's talk about grease.
Now, I like to cover sealed bearings
in the thickest grease suitable for this application,
and my preference is marine grease.
This grease does a great job of staying in place
for a long time because it's so thick and viscous.
It's also resistant to salt and corrosion.
But bear in mind that if you're going to apply
it to a cup-and-cone bearing, for example,
it won't spin as freely because it is so thick.
Now, this grease does a great job,
but if you can't get hold of it,
then a re-application, well, fresh application
of a multi-purpose grease will do just fine.
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Brakes and rims.
Now, us disc brake users can chuckle here, (chuckles)
but if you're using rim brakes,
then the increased amount of dirt and water
on the road can combine to cause serious
potential damage to your rims
as it wears it down when you're braking.
That said, you're gonna really wanna take care of them.
Firstly, we'd recommend that you don't use
your best wheels in winter.
But we'd also recommend that you frequently clean
down your rims with some soapy water,
and also clean the insides of your brake pads
as well so that there's no dirt stuck in there
which is gonna scrape in to the rim.
And if you're using disc brakes,
then although these perform better
and arguably require less maintenance
in bad conditions, you should still wipe
down your discs with a disc brake cleaner
and clean your pads, too, as this will
prolong the life of them as well.
We're gonna recommend that you try and clean
your rims and the insides of your brake pads
as often as possible as this will help prolong
the life of your rims.
But also keep an eye on how quick your pads
are wearing as they can wear down at an alarming
rate in winter when the roads are dirty.
Also, consider swapping out to a wet weather
set of brake pads as these do actually make a difference.
And braking in the wet, the performance
is much less than braking in the dry.
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Finally, we've got mudguards slash fenders,
if you're American.
Now, we're finishing on bit of a controversial
one here because not everyone likes
the use of mudguards.
Some people think they look pants,
fools.
Mudguards help keep you dry and healthy,
and help keep your bike working better and for longer.
But how?
Well, the main way they work is by containing
all the road spray in the mudguard,
and this stops it getting all over your bike,
and also into areas where there's grease,
where if you get water in there,
it will quicken the process of washing
that grease out, meaning that the bearings
will dry up and get rusty, and you'll have
to replace them sooner than you ordinarily would.
Mudguards also help keep you and your bike
cleaner by capturing a lot of the dirt behind them.
So this keeps your feet cleaner and drier,
but also your down tube as well, and notably, your bum.
Now, what kind of mudguards should you go for?
Well, that depends on your bike.
Some bikes have special dedicated eyelets
that fixed mudguards can slot into,
but if you don't have those on your bike,
don't worry, because there's loads of options
available now for bikes that don't have them.
So guards such as these can fit onto the fork
and onto the seat stays and you can still
get good coverage.
But you can also go for something like a simple
Ass Saver, which won't offer much protection,
but it will keep your bum a bit dry.
If you're gonna go down the mudguard route,
then I would suggest going for as much coverage as possible.
Now this is gonna depend on your specific frame
because you might have some issues with regards
to clearance, but it's worth doing
because it's gonna keep you and your bike drier
and cleaner, and it's also gonna help stop
your parts wearing as fast as they would without them.
I hope you found this video useful,
and if you have, then please give it a thumbs
up and share it with your mates.
And for another video, I highly recommend
size 15 minute bike cleaning video
because it's an excellent way to efficiently
keep your pride and joy in good condition
during the harsh winter months.
You can click here.