steverford

I live in a cold and snowy city in the Upper Midwest (famed for pizza, gangsters, and political corruption…bet you can’t guess which one). I’m carless, and a very committed biker who bikes to work every day, rain or shine. But before I mostly hung up the bike in late November and brought it back down in early March. This year, however, I decided I’d keep biking through the winter so I got a good closeout deal on a 2007 Gary Fisher Tassajara with thick tires for better handling through the snow and ice (other bike is a road bike).

It’s worked out great and I’ve even sort of gotten into snow biking. And though I have fallen some, it’s surprisingly good on the snow and ice. I didn’t even stop a few weeks ago when it was five below with a 20 below wind chill.

But road salt is a real problem. It keeps getting into my brakes, corroding them, and they have to be taken apart and cleaned out. So far I’ve had the bike shop do this but I figure I better teach myself how to do it. We replaced all the cables with stainless but the brakes still go. And I’ve gotten a litany of information on what to do about it. Wash the bike, don’t wash the bike; store it outside, store it inside; wipe it down, don’t wipe it down, etc. So I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations? Is there anything that could be replaced on the brakes that would make them more resistant to the salt? Should I just figure I need to clean them out often? Also, of course, it's getting on the chain, gears, frame, etc. Any info on handling that would be appreciated too.

Thanks!

Al1943

As you probably know, salt is bad for every part of your bike (and car, truck, motorcycle, shoes, clothing, etc.)
Exactly what part of the brake system is having the worst problems, pads, calipers, cables, levers?

I recommend that you lubricate the chain and brake cables and shift cables often. You will probably need to disconnect the cables to access that part of the cables that run through the housings.

I would keep the bike indoors when not in use.

Al

steverford

Thanks! I'm having the most trouble with the calipers and cables. What do you think about washing or wiping down the bike and how often?

Al1943

Clean and lubricate the caliper pivot points and cables as they pass through the housings. Always replace housings when you replace cables, the housings are at least as important if not more so.
As for how often, this will depend on how dirty the bike is and how much time you have for maintenance.
I don't ride in salt and I wipe my bike down after almost every ride. Being retired now I have plenty of time for maintenance. YMMV.
Keep in mind that the main issue here is safety.
If your brake pads aren't holding well try KoolStop salmon colored brake pads.

Al

Wanderer

Ain't winter wonderful here????!!!!!!

LarDasse74

1. Look further down the list of forums and there is a "winter Biking" forum... they will have tonnes of useful advice for keeping your bike running.

2. If you are riding primarily on wet or slushy roads then narrow (~26 X 1.5) tires - not wide ones - will actually give you better traction - esp. when the surface is wet pavement covered in heavy wet snow. Salty roads only get icy when the temp is quite cold, like -10 deg. C, otherwise roads are just wet with salty water.

3. Put a few drops of oil on every moving part. Add more oil as necessary... when springtime comes it is much less stressful to remove excess oil than it is to throw the whole bike away because everything is seized and corroded.

4. If the roads are usually covered with ice or slippery hard-packed snow, consider getting studded winter tires. You are far less likely to break your spine if you have studded tires.

maddmaxx 

I have seen corrosion in the thread/nipple area on the ends of spokes ridden on salted roads. This can be death for aluminium nipples and its not all that good for brass either. Perhaps a spot of grease to cover that area might help.

LarDasse74

Good point! But light oil would be better - the practice used to be to put very lightweight oil on the spoke threads when building, but there is no reason why you can't put a drop on the nipple where the spoke goes in - give the wheels a good spin and let centrifugal force do its job.

cody k

i do alot of winter biking also my old bike with the rim breaks had problems with the salt it was a pain in the you know what my newer bike had disc breaks wich i put the shimano deore hydrolic breaks on and the salt does not seem to be a problem now it made a big difference my problem is now when ever it gets below zero my rear shock looses air pressure after it warms up its fine it wont loose 1 speck of air havent figured that one out yet, but you could put disc breaks on yours you would probably need the disc hubs rotors and break assembly it could get spendy i some how got a heck of a deal on ebay got my breakset brandnew for $75 you just got to shop around but if you dont want to go that way all i can say is wipe it down and lube it after every ride a thin layer of grease on everythink helps keeps the crud from sticking to it

AEO

use car wax with a rag, it'll clean off light road grime and also give your parts a protective coating.

onbike 1939

It's a constant problem here in Scotland and most serious cyclists own two or more bikes. One is kept solely for winter use so as to keep the better bikes corrosion-free.

cyclezealot

A suggestion Go cycling in Michigan. Only the major highways gets salted. They don't have the money for any side roads... Likely, studded bike tires are a huge seller this year.