Commuting - Winter commute

I posted this in the winter forum - thought I'd try here, too...I

rode a dept store bike all last winter. Man, did that take a toll. In the Spring I bought a Giant Rincon that I absolutely love. I've been debating this in my mind for months: do I ride the dept store beater (which doesn't have much live left in 'er) or do I ride my beautiful Rincon? I think I want I want to ride my Rincon. My Lbs person says that's ok, but I'll need to replace the crank, chain and cogs in the Spring.

I would really like your opinions on this one. It's not that the Rincon is a $2,000 bike or anything. Still, $450 CDN is a lot of dough fo me. But...I just love riding it and want to keep riding it.

Details:

Commute: between 10 and 20 kms (one way), depending on the route; mostly paths, some road.
Geography: Saskatchewan - very cold, very windy, BUT, they don't use salt on the roads here.
Riding conditions: Mostly just cold, some snow from time to time, but it's hard-pack; lots of ice - we don't seem to get a lot of cold/warm/cold/warm conditions - slush in the Spring, of course.

What do you think and what can I do to keep my bike in decent shape (if I do ride it this winter)?

Thanks so much, everyone!

Ron

Just keep it CLEAN. No salt no problem. When you get home from your commute, just do a quick cleaning of the chain, cranks, casette (rear gears) and spray some lube on the rear derailer bits, and the front, and the chain.

But, I haven't tried this yet. This is MY winter plan ;-)

Planning ahead, eh?? Yer bike's yer bike...I wouldn't worry too much about it...I agree with rykoala - road salt is the most serious problem - no salt no problem. Keep your cables, der's, brakes and chain well lubed ~ and a thorough overhaul every year or three would be my advice on maintenance. For Saskatchewan I guess special low temp lube all around might be in order??? Fenders, lights, maybe some studded tires (Nokia - same as the phone co. - are the best). Good luck!! :)

I commuted 2 winters on a 10 year old Norco Katmandu with lots of salt on the roads. It still works, but needs some drivetrain attention. With no salt on the roads out your way, youi should be able to ride that bike forever!

Fenders, lights, maybe some studded tires (Nokia - same as the phone co. - are the best). Good luck!! :)

Agree on the equipment. But then you probably have those, as you have ridden through one winter already. Just a side note: Nokia (the current phone company) sold its tyre manufacturing business in 1988, resulting in Nokian Tyres. The two are separate corporations.

--J

I commuted through last winter here on a Cross Check. We don't have as much snow as you, but we have lots of road salt.

The other folks' advice is right on target: Wipe down your bike after each ride. Keep it lubed. Get lights, fenders and studded tires. Also get warm clothes--wool socks, booties, insulated tights, and (my preference) Under Armour Cold Gear shirts. With aCold Gear shirt and a nylon shell, I feel toastie at 20 degrees F.

clean? hmmm...

Save your Bike? hmmm...

SAVE YOURSELF! Get yourself a pair of Nokian w106 tires (search BF on this, you'll see what I've written on them) and you'll be much happier. They last a lifetime, and help extend said by not having you slip and fall stoopidly.

Good luck!
Tom

P.S. I commute through the winter all the time (as long as it's not death bringing with cars sliding) here in CH-land

I ride two bikes throughout the winter...my standard old steel touring commuter bike when its wetter than slicker. It has fenders and keeps me clean. When it is snowy and icy I ride my Litespeed Pisgah moutain bike with Nokian Extreme 286 studded tires.

I think that protecting your bike is pretty easy. As stated above a little extra cleaning and lubing and you will not need to replace any parts. On the other hand, protecting yourself is tricker. You must protect yourself from frostbite and out of control motorists on slick surfaces. One item I will not ride without are my studded tires. They seem pricey, but the margin of safety they provide is huge. They allow me to ride trails that may be icey and not well maintained which keep me off the roadways where I would have to compete with motorists that have difficulty driving when the conditions are good.

Anyway...don't worry too much about bike deterioration, a little extra maintenance takes care of that. But, think carefully about your own safety and plan ahead. You can comfortably commute all winter long.

My SS mountain bike with full fenders loves to play in the snow. I just cleaned my drivetrain every few days and no probs. And i store it indoors.

Fenders are a must. As for clothes: long johns, a sky mask, gloves, and a coat. Screw all that spandex crap.

My Lbs person says that's ok, but I'll need to replace the crank, chain and cogs in the Spring.
why exactly? because they got cold? sounds a bit suspicious to me-a drive train should be able to withstand ONE winter commuting-sounds like your LBS person just wants to sell another drive train to me.

I'd ride the Rincon, as others have said studded tires are a must.

Where in Sask are you? In regina they do use salt/potash on many of the roads, and it has totally eaten my old winter beater, granted I didn't take good care of it. This winter I'll be riding my xc bike some, and my yet to be purchased beater when it's super cold or sloppy.

My Lbs person says that's ok, but I'll need to replace the crank, chain and cogs in the Spring.

[QUOTE=Ronocerous]why exactly? because they got cold? sounds a bit suspicious to me-a drive train should be able to withstand ONE winter commuting-sounds like your LBS person just wants to sell another drive train to me

Maybe LBS owner saw you hadn't maintained your drive train well and assumed you would continue the pattern over the winter. Maybe LBS was just trying to prepare you to buy something new. It all depends on how well you take care of your drive train. If you clean and lube after every wet ride, it will last a lot longer. If you let it go all winter, you'll buy a new one in the spring.

If you've ridden a lot, have your chain checked for stretching. Mine started to skip after about 2K miles (six months), LBS checked it, said it was stretched. A new chain solved the problem.

why exactly? because they got cold? sounds a bit suspicious to me-a drive train should be able to withstand ONE winter commuting-sounds like your LBS person just wants to sell another drive train to me.

I agree -- either that or they really don't know. My commuter has the same drivetrain, including chain, as it did when I bought it eleven years ago. Admittedly, that's a bit extreme but the bike still operates fine. I put 100-125 miles on the bike every week! Chicago winters can be tough but taking the time to keep the bike and drivetrain clean goes a long way.

I feel the need to clarify that I have only commuted on the bike a full winter three times. Other years I commuted one-two days a week during the winter months.

Time for a total n00b question: how exactly does one clean the cranks? I have found a lot of websites telling me what the cranks are, but nothing that says this is how you clean it, step by step. Do I need to take it apart every time?

Also, any suggestions on how to do this in an apartment where running water through a hose isn't available during the winter?

Thanks in advance for the advice.