How to prepare your bike for the cold.

How to prepare your bike for the cold snap.

Ok, so you’ve got your thermal gloves, and the 10 layers of fleece, not forgetting your waterproofs and that oh so fetching fluorescent jacket to cover it all, but, what about your bike?
The two wheeled friend that’s supposed to get you from A – B – Z?

Whether you’re just a commuter interested in travelling to and from work each day, or, you’re like me, and you find a strange thrill in taking your bike out in the cold, wet, muddy tracks, in the pitch black, just to see if you can still handle it. There are a few essential tips I’ve picked up over the years to make sure your bike actually stays capable of taking you where you want to go.

1: Invest in a set of ‘winter’ tyres.
I love road riding in the summer, a set of semi slick tyres on the bike offers a perfect balance of grip on those corners and a perfectly smooth ride otherwise. On the other hand, when the cold hits, like it did a couple of weeks ago. The last thing you want is a slick tyre.
So get yourself some proper off roading tyres, they tend to offer a much better riding surface, and the deep treads help to pick up some of the grit from the roads, or crud from the trails, and this will help you stay upright.

2: Sticking with the tyres – puncture prevention.
there is nothing worse than being stuck in the middle of nowhere, in sub zero temperatures because you’ve got a puncture.  No matter how warm you’ve wrapped yourself it is nearly impossible to repair a tyre with gloves on.
Slime filled inner tubes are the answer.  Slime is an amazing substance that companies put inside your cycle inner tubes. This substance is a form of rubber that creates a solid barrier, repairing punctures from the inside out.
As well as making inner tubes, if you really want to go all the way, Slime also make a solid version to run on the inside of your wheel, between the inner tube and rim, preventing punctures from a runaway spoke.

If you’re not keen on the whole idea of replacing your inner tubes, then invest in some sealant spray, a similar idea to Slime but this is designed to work after you have a puncture, it comes in a high pressure can and you simply attach it to your tyre fill valve and let it go. It will refill your tyre, and fix the puncture at the same time, good enough for a quick repair, but you will still need to repair it properly as soon as possible.

3: Tools – Not everything is wheels.
Your bike is actually a complex piece of precision engineering, regardless of what you might think of it when it doesn’t do what you’d like and throws you halfway down a hill.

Many companies now produce small, cycle specific toolkits that either come in a hard case for your bike, or attach under the seat.

I can see you scoffing now, but trust me, the day you need it, will be the one day you left it at home.

4: Spares – an extra bike.

Almost.  When you’re preparing for that long winter commute, or that trail ride in the snow, don’t forget the spares to keep you going.  I’ve seen people bring everything, and the kitchen sink, with them on a trail. I take a few essentials.
Spare brake pads; whether you’re a fan of discs, cantilever, or v’s bring spare pads! For both front and back.
Chain links, there’s nothing worse than a broken chain in the middle of nowhere, so a couple of spare links, and the universal chain tool from your tool kit ( told you you’d need it) will prove invaluable.
Batteries, for your lights. If you use traditional battery powered lights, bring spares for them all, just in case.
However, if you’ve made the switch to high powered rechargeables, I know this might be a bit difficult. So have a couple of conventional battery powered backups already attached to your bike for that eventuality.

And my last essential for winter riding?
Mud Guards! Or crud catchers, or whatever you want to call them. Don’t leave home without them, being cold wet and muddy is one thing, but having it flying in your face, completely different.

And there you have it.

A few simple, and cheap essentials to keep you on the road, and your bike healthy in the cold weather.

I hope you found this useful, and if you’re still having problems, it’s time to get a new bike, so check me out at: Full Suspension Mountain bikes.

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