Winter Cycling - Derailleurs in deep snow

I ride in deep snow every chance I get, since about 1995. When the snow is so deep that it's hitting the pedals it's a lot of work to go very far. That's about when I stop trying to go in the snow for more than a few blocks. Unless the depth varies and I get a shallower area once in a while.
This does not ever get up to the rear derailleur. I have had sticky snow go up onto the cassette and the rear derailleur. But I have never had any chain or derailleur problems at all. I do have fenders and that keeps a lot of the crud off of the chain and the front derailleur. The problem with a single speed is that in 5" of snow you need a very low gear to ride a long way, and that's very low when you can go a little faster. I think multi gear is the only way to go in the snow because you need a very low gear to ride 20 miles in 5" of snow. Then if you can ride on the road or some hard ice or packed snow the higher gears are a big benefit. My guess is that derailleur problems from deep snow is not as common as one thinks it is.

So... who has actually had rear derailleur or chain problems from deep snow? What happened?

If you had a shifting problem do you know if it was the derailleur or the cable getting stuck? How did you know?

Now I've thought about this too.

I've had the RD stuck a few times (not very common though), but a light kick with the heel has always been enough to get it working again. Of course when riding in snow you sometimes don't have a chance to coast, so you would have to stop. So I agree that this is not the biggest problem with winter riding. Tires and brakes are much more important.

I still think that the best would be a internal geared rear hub and a triple crankset with a front derailer. This would give a large range of gears, and if the FD freezes you can put the chain on the middle ring (or granny if you like) and still have like 7 gears working in the rear.

Tangentially, or maybe not, I bought a Lizard Skins "Grunge Guard" to cover my RD. That was mainly just to keep it clean, not free of ice or snow, but it would keep ice and snow out of it too. They're flippery-soft rubber and don't hinder the derailleur; I got mine from Cambriabike.com when I was getting the new derailleur.

For off-road riding this is probably true. The only real problem in most situations is a frozen cable. However for road riding (commuting) its a different story. The salted roads means that there is alot of water and slush even when the temps are well below freezing. When that water/slush hits the cold metal of your bike it freezes. This can easily freeze your derailer in place. Hub gears eliminate the derailer but still have to deal with shift cables.
Plus for commuting derailers are just one more thing to have to maintain in bad conditions. I'll stick with my fixe for now. In addtion to having no gear problems I get a backup braking system (I perfer hand operated brakes normally).
Craig

I've had the top pulley of my rear dérailleur ball up with ice and cause the chain to jump around on the cassette. Not a huge issue as I stopped and cleaned it.

Tangentially, or maybe not, I bought a Lizard Skins "Grunge Guard" to cover my RD. That was mainly just to keep it clean, not free of ice or snow, but it would keep ice and snow out of it too. They're flippery-soft rubber and don't hinder the derailleur; I got mine from Cambriabike.com when I was getting the new derailleur.

Good Idea mech ! Do you have to take the derailleur off?



For off-road riding this is probably true. The only real problem in most situations is a frozen cable. However for road riding (commuting) its a different story. The salted roads means that there is alot of water and slush even when the temps are well below freezing. When that water/slush hits the cold metal of your bike it freezes. This can easily freeze your derailer in place. Hub gears eliminate the derailer but still have to deal with shift cables.
Plus for commuting derailers are just one more thing to have to maintain in bad conditions. I'll stick with my fixe for now. In addtion to having no gear problems I get a backup braking system (I perfer hand operated brakes normally).
Craig

Good point, I have ridden in those icing conditions. My spokes ended up getting to be huge. My guess is that my full coverage, high clearance motocross fenders keep a lot of the ice off the rear derailleur. Just a guess, but they do keep the bike amazingly clean.

Good Idea mech ! Do you have to take the derailleur off?

Nope, it sort of "buttons" around the derailleur like a shirt :) I did put a ziptie around the forward end where it wraps around the pulley-cage-tensioning-spring housing. There's a rear flap that you can unbutton to get at the limit screws without taking the whole thing off. I'll try to post a photo of it at lunchtime :)

Ok, courtesy of my much-abused Canon A60, a pic of the Grunge Guard with the rear "unbuttoned." The red circles show the two "buttons" and the rear flap's "buttonhole."

Ok, courtesy of my much-abused Canon A60, a pic of the Grunge Guard with the rear "unbuttoned." The red circles show the two "buttons" and the rear flap's "buttonhole."

Thanks for the nice photos. Do you open it to dry it out ever?

Thanks for the nice photos. Do you open it to dry it out ever?I've never opened it since installation, but when I'm putting my new fenders on this weekend, I'll open it and see how it looks in there, and maybe drool some more Ice Wax on the derailleur pivots :)

I've never opened it since installation, but when I'm putting my new fenders on this weekend, I'll open it and see how it looks in there, and maybe drool some more Ice Wax on the derailleur pivots :)

I would like to hear what you see in there. When ever you get around to it. The reason I bring it up is sometimes things like that keep water in. Sometimes on wheel bearings I see that. Thanks mech.

They also make a clear model so you can see what's going on, or what isn't, from the outside. I have one and a black front derailleur guard. Better safe than sorry.

I would like to hear what you see in there. When ever you get around to it. The reason I bring it up is sometimes things like that keep water in. Sometimes on wheel bearings I see that. Thanks mech.I opened up the Grunge Guard after giving my bike a good scrubdown and rinse. Here's a pic:



It did a good job of keeping grit out of the derailleur's pivots, which was the main goal. I'm putting on my new SKS full fender set, which should help keep the front derailleur clean. I may have regrets later, since they're going to add more than a pound to an already-heavy bike, as well as more air drag, and they can pack up with slush if the conditions are right... wrong... whichever way you look at it ;)

I opened up the Grunge Guard after giving my bike a good scrubdown and rinse. Here's a pic:



It did a good job of keeping grit out of the derailleur's pivots, which was the main goal. I'm putting on my new SKS full fender set, which should help keep the front derailleur clean. I may have regrets later, since they're going to add more than a pound to an already-heavy bike, as well as more air drag, and they can pack up with slush if the conditions are right... wrong... whichever way you look at it ;)

Once again, thanks for the nice photo. It looks very clean in there, I like that a lot. Now I know what I want for Christmas.

We get a lot of near-freezing weather here, and it is very common for winter storms to be a mix of snow and rain. My derailleur often ices up under those conditions, and just stays in whatever gear it's in until I get the bike someplace warm.

I also find that ice is very abrasive, along with the salt and sand that's on the road. Ice also quickly removes lubricant. End of winter usually means a new chain and cassette. I also believe that in near-freezing weather water gets into bearings and damages them by expansion when it freezes. I've had to replace my headset the last two springs as well.

I think under those conditions an internal hub would work a lot better. If you want a front derailleur, how do you tension the chain?

We get a lot of near-freezing weather here, and it is very common for winter storms to be a mix of snow and rain. My derailleur often ices up under those conditions, and just stays in whatever gear it's in until I get the bike someplace warm.

I also find that ice is very abrasive, along with the salt and sand that's on the road. Ice also quickly removes lubricant. End of winter usually means a new chain and cassette. I also believe that in near-freezing weather water gets into bearings and damages them by expansion when it freezes. I've had to replace my headset the last two springs as well.

I think under those conditions an internal hub would work a lot better. If you want a front derailleur, how do you tension the chain?

How do you know that it is the derailleur and not the cable that is freezing?
Did you seperate the derailleur from the cable and try it?

My thoughts are that it is really the cable, that's what I see typically. If it is the cable then the internal hub has the same cable and same problems.

I have had problems with tension. Where the RD would not shift "UP".
Course it drove me nuts... I replaced the Cable and Housing. Shifts better, but I am thinking the spring is getting worn. Might be time for this old guy to spree for a new RD. Grrrrrrrrr