[MAK]

I've made one of those "stop making excuses and just do it" decisions. I've always used the Winter cold or wind or whatever to not ride when the conditions weren't perfect. No more!!!

I will be riding a Gary Fisher '05 Nirvana hybrid and I have a few basic questions.

What special bike/mechanical related precautions should I be aware of? I usually use Tri-Flo as my lubricant. Is this adequate or is there something else I should you. I'll probably be riding on dry roads. If my next epipheny is to ride in any weather or conditions, I'll worry about wet weather lubricants later. Is there anything else that I should be considering? Do you adjust tension on your pedals? Should cables be lubricated with something special? Do you adjust tire pressures for the cold? (I usually keep them at max pressure.)

Feel free to answer any questions that I haven't considered.

Thank you.

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[Hezz]

Unless you are riding in extreme cold there is nothing special that you need to do except for routine maintenance. Just keep your bike clean if you can and let it dry out in a warm room after washing it. A quick squirt off with the hose is good enough.

Special lubricants are not needed unless you are going to be riding in extreme cold like -20 F or colder.

[Portis]

The "special stuff" you will need to be doing, is in regard to your body, not your bike. The bike will do fine. How you dress yourself is the issue.

[Hezz]

Ya, I would worry more about learning to stay the right temp by dressing properly. The only bike thing that you need to worry about is if the tires are Ok for the weather you will encounter. And if you decide to go in wet weather you will want some fenders.

Another good bit of advice is puncture resistant tubes and tire liners. They are heavier but fixing flats in the cold is not fun.