Winter Cycling - My winter bike looks like crap..

Wonder if anyone else has this problem....

I am trying to clean up my winter bike and use it as a dedicated grocery getter/ trailer hauler until the snow starts to fly again. I've actually cleaned it up twice now... In trying to clean it up nicely, I notice rust appearing on the brakes, the FD, even the Sugino crank I bought just two years ago.Only the Deore RD for some mysterious reason doesn't look too bad. I lost several spokes due to what looks like rust... so I bought a new wheel for the front. I went over the frame with steel wool last year and put some frame saver on the inside, so that looks OK.... at least now.

Do you go through any special cleanup process? Does your winter beater look pretty crappy?

If you ride in salt country you will experience rust and the bike will suffer. I take my winter bike into my basement shop for a thorough bath at the end of the season. This year the rear wheel was beyond saving with nasty looking spokes and a questionable free wheel. Surprisingly the rim looked good so I rebuilt with SS spokes this time. I also find the brakes have to be disassembled each year and packed with grease. A couple of years ago I surface cleaned them and stored the bike only to find I had seized brakes when winter came.

I focus on fixing up a cheap winter bike (<$100) and using reliable components so I won't get stranded. Aesthetics are wasted on a winter commuter.

i get all my bikes for free so i don't care too much about rust. here is the bike i used this winter.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs133.snc3/18052_323684001671_518091671_4590509_4450742_n.jpg
and yes that is a 2x4 instead of a rear shock

You know, I'm thinking right now is a good time to be getting my winter bike ready. Maybe a few upgrades.

and yes that is a 2x4 instead of a rear shock

Nice. Reminds me of all those Canadian Tire bikes floating around that had the middle of the seat tube cut out from the factory for no concieveable reason unless it was to fool clueless people and kids into thinking it was a suspension frame. You know the ones I mean, right?

Nice. Reminds me of all those Canadian Tire bikes floating around that had the middle of the seat tube cut out from the factory for no concieveable reason unless it was to fool clueless people and kids into thinking it was a suspension frame. You know the ones I mean, right?
i have seen those bikes at Canadian tire. the bikes that Canadian tire have been selling over the past few years have started to go down the crapper as far as quality goes. it looks like all the bike are made super cheap.

that 2x4 is there as a bit of a red neck lift kit to make the front half of the frame sit right with the 20" rear tire. plus it helped me get all my power and torque to the ground instead of wasting it when the shock moved.

I spent two days overhauling my winter bike. Complete teardown and regrease. This pic was before it's first winter on the road. I've since changed the saddle and replaced the tires with Vittoria randonneurs - sucks fixing flats in the cold.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/kdl2525/Bikes/WinterBuild008.jpg

I spent two days overhauling my winter bike. Complete teardown and regrease. This pic was before it's first winter on the road. I've since changed the saddle and replaced the tires with Vittoria randonneurs - sucks fixing flats in the cold.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/kdl2525/Bikes/WinterBuild008.jpg
To me that bike looks way too nice to subject to winter commuting.

Gerv - what is this "frame saver" product that you mentioned? I bought a can of Rust Check Spray from Canadian Tire (http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/AutoBodyRepair1/AutoBodyRustControl/PRD~0477907P/Rust%252BCheck%252BSpray.jsp)and I'm hoping to use it on my steel-framed bike this winter.

To me that bike looks way too nice to subject to winter commuting.

Thanks, although does look fairly nice the frame was given to me and some of the components are off a 1990 Schwinn 594 that I upgraded to Ultegra. At that point I had less than 25 dollars into it - Cinelli cork tape, chain and cables. I wanted to ride in the crappy weather and this was a very economical way to do it. Oh yeah, the wheels are Mavic MA 40s from the Schwinn, so it's a 7sp.

Original RD

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/kdl2525/Bikes/WinterBuild002.jpg

Original shifters. The brake levers are from the 594.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/kdl2525/Bikes/WinterBuild003.jpg

Crank off 594 and an Ultegra FD I had lying around

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/kdl2525/Bikes/WinterBuild001.jpg