Snow cycling and freezing breaks

joebatz
joebatz Posts: 32
edited December 2010 in Commuting chat
Just arrived at work after a lovely 10mile cross country commute.
The cycle paths here in Cambridgeshire are terible very icy same in most places i guess?

I have 2 problems i could do with some advice or suggestions on., firstly my breaks are freezing solid, especialy my front break which froze to my wheel this morning which luckly i had only just left home so i carried my bike home and freed it again with hot water. But after about 15 mins of cycling it was frozen again so no front break at all and my back break was also very stiff this morning. Secondly my bike has hub gears and they froze solid too so i was stuck in 3rd gear all the way to work.
Unfortunatly my bike has to be left outside at night, any suggestions please on how i can solve the problem?

Comments

  • Alphabet
    Alphabet Posts: 436
    other than bringing your bike inside, wrap it up a bit? De-icer all over it? Dunno to be honest. I wouldn't want to be stuck with rim brakes in this weather. the fixie has been relegated to the shed and I'm on the disc braked mtb with knobblies til the white stuff melts. even then they're a bit squeaky. As my house is in the middle of rennovations, i can just chuck it in the hall when i get home. it lives in the office at work too.
    Benotto SS/Fixie FCN:5
    Kona Kula FCN:9

    Looking for a cycling buddy?
  • joebatz
    joebatz Posts: 32
    My best road bike is in the shed for winter so no room there for my winter bike. I guess it means talking the wife in to letting me bring my bike in at night.
  • MonkeyMonster
    MonkeyMonster Posts: 4,629
    Get some good low temp grease for your brakes, take and smother that goo inside. Same could be said of the hub gear but more "fun" to do...
    Le Cannon [98 Cannondale M400] [FCN: 8]
    The Mad Monkey [2013 Hoy 003] [FCN: 4]
  • jermas
    jermas Posts: 484
    Silicone grease works wonders for brake/gear cables.
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    Alphabet wrote:
    brakes

    Well said.
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Doh, bring the bike in overnight then - so everything drys out. I'm washing the mtb, drying with a fan heater in the garage, re-lubing, then leaving it in the house overnight to dry.

    Despite all my components looking like big blocks of snow and ice this morning, everything worked as normal. The bike also comes in the office during the day - otherwise it would be a permanent block of ice.

    You need to get the bike thawed out at room temperature. If outside all day/night, it will just freeze up.
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    MonkeyMonster wrote:
    Get some good low temp grease for your brakes, take and smother that goo inside. Same could be said of the hub gear but more "fun" to do...

    Not meaning to teach anyone to suck eggs, but greasing the brakes doesn't mean greasing the pads/rims! Could make for an interesting ride :twisted:
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • Fireblade96
    Fireblade96 Posts: 1,123
    No brakes, no gears ?

    You've got a fixie. Roll up your jeans and embrace your inner hipster.
    Misguided Idealist
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Bringing it inside is a temporary fix which will get you just far enough away from home to make it easier to carry on than return. Lube and lube enough to stop water penetrating and freezing (especially in windchill) is the only answer. My gears froze in double-digit freezing temps - nothing for it but to MTFU and carry on the rest of the 15 hilly miles.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • ndru
    ndru Posts: 382
    Is it the brakes or maybe it's just the cables? Check out
    http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2009/12/20/frozen-cable-time/
    http://iamnotacyclist.blogspot.com/

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