Top Tips for Winter Bike Maintenance

Keeping your road bike clean in the winter — depending on where you live and your winter cycling habits — may take a little more dedication and work than when the weather is more temperate. The majority of winter bike maintenance focuses on keeping your bike free of sweat and grime.

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Just a little TLC after each ride can save you a lot of money and grief. Proactive bike maintenance is less expensive than parts replacement. At the very least, indoor riders will want to wipe down sweat-covered surfaces after every ride. Those riding outdoors will need to spend a little more time cleaning their bikes after each ride before the next.

Neglecting your bike could result in premature wear and accelerated aging due to corrosive sweat and/or road-surface treatments.

I like my bikes to look photo-ready before every ride, so I’m rather meticulous about keeping them clean. An indicator is chain color: clean bike chains should look like they just rolled off the showroom floor, never blackened by dirt. Too much chain lube collects dirt and grime faster than a clean chain.

What you need for winter bike maintenance

Basic

• Bike detergent or Dawn dish soap
• A bucket with clean water
• Bike wipes
• Bike cleaner or safe detergent (e.g., Simple Green)
• Chain cleaning device
• Citrus-based drivetrain cleaner
• Brushes to clean components
• Rags/towels
• Shoe laces
• Drivetrain lubricant

Advanced

• Bike workstand
• Chain pliers
• Sonic parts cleaner
• Hex wrench set
• Torque wrench
• Chain measurement tool
• Thread lubricant

You can buy a cycling-specific bike cleaning kit, which should have many of these items—but don’t expect them to include shoe laces, a torque wrench, or a hydrosonic cleaner.

How indoor cyclists can extend bike and component life

Rust and oxidative corrosion (the white crust that forms as a result of extended salt and sweat buildup) are the enemy. Sweat degrades drivetrain lube, accelerates wear, and causes parts to seize, which makes service a major task. Eventually, sweat can corrode aluminum, posing a danger.

Indoor cyclists should use sweat-absorbing terry cloth frame protectors and towels to catch corrosive sweat. After each ride, give your bike a wipe—be sure to rag off the underside, too. For quick post-ride service, bike wipes are an efficient way to clean the frame, cockpit, and crank arms. Unlike the wipes used in commercial gym settings, they don’t need to be disinfectant. Wipes with a slightly rough surface are excellent for wiping grime after riding outdoors, too.

If you’re a seasonal indoor cyclist and handy with tools, at the end of every season, use a hex wrench to remove bolts and fasteners (cockpit, hydration storage, saddle, seatpost clamp, pedal spindles, and more). Give the fastener threads a wipe, lube with polylube or a similar bearing grease product, and use a torque wrench to secure to the torque recommendations. If you’re not comfortable with following torque wrench specifications, your local bike shop can do this for you.

Also, don’t neglect the underside of your saddle — keep the rails, saddle clamp, and securing bolts rust-free. If you have a bike workstand, this is an excellent opportunity to use it.

If you’re a year-round indoor rider, refresh the lube on bolt threads semi-annually. Indoor specialists should replace their bar tape annually; this allows them to inspect the bars and ensure sweat is not eating away at cockpit components. Give crank arms a wipe after every ride – you’ll be surprised how much sweat splashes onto crank arms.

I’m a seasonal indoor cyclist, and to keep my dedicated indoor bike running smoothly, I bathe the chain in a bath of diluted Simple Green, in a sonic parts cleaner after 180-200 hours of use to remove excess wax lube and sweat buildup. Before I do this, I check chain wear so I’m not cleaning a chain that should be replaced.

Cleaning your bike after outdoor winter riding

Those who live in climates that don’t get snow may have an easier time keeping their bikes clean and may even be able to clean post-ride as normal during winter months.

But for those who live where winter means snow, road salt, or brine can quickly collect on bikes and should be cleaned as part of a cycling routine to keep your rolling smoothly, for longer. After wiping your tires, give them a spin and look for cuts or nicks in the tread (treated winter roads may be harder on tires than normal), which could become bigger problems in the future. This cleaning ritual offers an opportunity to inspect your bike and components to ensure they are in top condition. Identifying minor problems before they turn into major/expensive/dangerous problems is the reward for equipment attentiveness.

If you have access to a hose, wash and wipe your bike after riding, just like you would after warm-weather riding. If you don’t have access to a hose, a garden sprayer filled with water is a good option. Avoid using a power washer, as it can cause dirt and water to enter the frame and bearing seals. Other options for those without ready access to a hose are asking a neighbor to use their hose (offer to compensate them), using a coin-op self-service car wash (shower your bike from a distance; don’t aim the sprayer directly at your bike), or even just a bucket of water. I’m not a fan of bathtub or shower cleaning, as road grime and drivetrain lubricants are really hard on bathroom surfaces, and often require more time cleaning than cleaning a bike.

Clean your chain with a dedicated chain cleaning tool. Use an old shoelace to floss between cassette cogs. A firm-bristle brush is also good for removing buildup from components. After removing all road grit from your bike, lube as recommended by the lubricant manufacturer. I really like drip wax because it doesn’t collect dirt and grime as traditional chain lubricants do.

Do’s and don’ts of winter bike cleaning

Do

• Protect your bike from sweat when riding indoors
• Clean your bike soon after a ride
• Use pet-safe, environmentally friendly cleaners
• Use only water (or maybe isopropyl alcohol) to clean brake rotors

Don't

• Skip cleaning your bike after a ride
• Use a power washer on your bike
• Use any cleaning agents on braking surfaces
• Overlube drivetrains–follow lube manufacturer instructions

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