How to get your bike ready for the winter season
Either if you want to put the bike in the garage or continue cycling, in both cases, it is recommended to take a number of additional measures during the winter to ensure the longevity of your bike.
You can do this yourself, or have it done by a bicycle repairer.
1. Wash your bicycle regularly:
To avoid damage by mud or salt, it's recommended to rince your bike properly with water when you get home.
- Hot water dissolves salt faster. Check if there is dirt or salt, and if necessary, wash your bike with a brush.
- Rinse with a garden hose or a bucket of water.
- Dry: Make sure the bike is completely dry. And don't forget the rims and spokes.
- Put your bike in a warm and dry place to prevent that cables would freeze after washing them.
- Check the paint on the frame. You can also rub the bike with special bike (gloss) oil or silicone spray.
2. Check the moving parts:
- Clean the chain regularly and thoroughly with degreaser and grease it with chain grease.
- Make sure the hubs, bottom bracket, head set and pedals move smoothly through adequate lubrication.
- Check that all nuts and bolts are tight and grease them if necessary with Vaseline. Replace rusty parts or or let a bicycle repairer take care of it.
- Check the brake pads and the lighting.
3. Tires:
- It can be helpful to provide your bike winter tires, just like with your car. Look especially whether your tires have sufficient tread and are sufficiently inflated. The deeper the profile of a tire, the more grip. Fenders are useful against splashing dirt and moisture.
4. Winterizing ?
- Use acid-free grease to rub your bike before you winterize it. This will prevent that chrome parts will rust.
- You can protect rubber parts with, for example, silicone grease (do not use it on your tires).
- If you use a bag, then choose one in breathable material to avoid the influence of moisture.
- Remove the pedals and the saddle and handlebar and grease it with assembly grease. This prevents them from getting stuck.
5. Electric bike
If you have an electric bike, we advise to take additional precautions for the battery:
- If the temperature drops, so does the capacity of the battery. Therefore, it is wise to recharge your battery inside. Charge the battery at room temperature. So, the battery pack will charge faster. The starting temperature will then be higher too, which is beneficial for the radius of action.
LCD-displays use to react more slowly at low temperatures. Which doesn't mean the display is defective. When the ambient temperature rises, the data will appear again at a normal speed.
If you don't use the electric bike in the winter, then keep the battery indoors in frost-free area and never warmer than 30°C. Avoid humid places (relative humidity between 5 and 65% RH).
- Store the battery at least half full and charge every month for an hour.
- Don't store the battery connected to a charger.
6. When you get your bicycle out of the storage
- then clean it properly and check everything again: brakes, acceleration, lights, bell, chain.
General tips:
- Use the correct type of greases for each part. - Ask for the advice of a bicycle dealer.
- Do not wait too long to clean a bike when it gets very dirty and always dry thoroughly.
- Are there any minor problems to the bicycle, then repair it as soon as possible to prevent worse.
- Proper maintenance will extend the life of your bike and increases safety. If you are handy, you can do the small maintenance yourself. But yet, let your bike be checked regularly by a professional.
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