How badly have you neglected bike maintenance this winter?

curium

So during the spring/summer most weekends I can be found giving my bike a wash, oiling the chain and generally fettling for fun. Last winter after damaging my ankle I was off the bike from November to mid-January.

This year I've ridden continuously but the combination of short days and bad weather has meant I've had little time/opportunity to do any bike maintenance except for mending punctures (two yesterday!).

I commute across London 12.5 miles each way (SE3 to N19).

On my morning commute yesterday my front derailleur cable snapped, leaving me stuck in the granny ring. The chain and sprockets are showing spots of rust despite my best attempts to oil regularly and while mending the last puncture I noticed my rear brake blocks had about 1mm before I would have the carrier pressing against the rim.

I've never seen my bike looking so sorry for itself.

I'm off work today and had planned to strip, wash and oil my steed as well as replace the necessary bits but it is raining steadily outside (I have no garage) and I'll probably have to go to work by train tonight.

Is anyone else's bike in as sad a state?

MisterMuncher

It's not too bad, but it is bad. Chain and cassette seem to be rusting up every other day, even with leaving the bike indoors or under covers. There's something of a vicious circle where you need to maintain the bike for the very same reasons that you'd much rather not maintain the bike. It's very hard to bring yourself to do any job that'll just be negated by simple use in a couple of days.

I think I'll be sticking fairly tightly to lubrication and cleaning, but I've no desire to replace any components till March or so. Might as well just stick with the already worn stuff as replace it now and then do so again when "summer" comes.

Big_Paul

I've reverted back to using my Corratec with the Nexus hub for commuting as despite it weighing as much as a small tank, cleaning and oiling the chain and a general wipe down is all you have to do.

Long_Time_Lurker

I commute and also go on night rides on the same MTB so I never have the time to clean it.
I'm hoping that the thick layer of mud has formed a protective coating over all of the components.
The only think I do is clean and relube the chain every 2 weeks. It seems to do the job over winter.

BigLights

I give my poor commuter bike a lot of abuse. Oil the chain maybe once every month or 6 weeks, but that's it. Zero else. it does get a big service though, every 4-6 months (or whenever it decides to stop working properly) which generally involves a stripdown, new cassette/chain, new cables etc.

godders1

I did have to replace the BB a couple of weeks back but in terms of regular maintenance I've neglected it pretty badly, that's why I bought a hub geared bike though! I did give it a really good servicing in October in anticipation (including replacing cables and brake pads).

Since about October I've cleaned and lubed the chain once (and only cos I had the bike up in the stand when replacing the BB ). I will have to re-lube the gear cable over the christmas break though as the hub isn't shifting brilliantly. That's a 5 minute job though and can be done indoors.

paul_mck

boardman singlespeed for commuting so no maint bar oiling the chain and the odd blast with the pressure washer to get the crud off.

good bike was just stripped to the bare frame and new BB, cleaned up headset etc. Then new cables and some other new bits. All set for 2013

richk

my bikes feeling badly neglected. I came off on ice on 4th December (cracked an old collar bone fracture) and having put the bike away in the garage havent looked at it since...

mikebikemike

I've usually too bushed after work to bother to clean mine and too late to clean it in the morning.
I'm therefore so glad that I have been using a beat up steal framed mountain bike with slicks for commuting whilst I make my mind up about what Winter road bike to buy. Tifosi/Ribble/Genesis/Pompie. I'll probably not make my mind up for next winter either and still be on the same bike

matt@theforce

I've tried to keep on top of maintenance but with 34-35miles per day in ALL weathers it has taken its toll. I tend to oil the chain every week/every other day and lube the mechs at the same time. I noticed the brake pads were starting to get low very quickly with all the crap/water etc but noticed this morning riding to work in the rain that the rear brake was becoming very stiff, now its pretty much seized and I can't release it and have an 17mile ride home with about 1000ft of climbing todo

Thankfully today is my last shift of this year so I can give it some TLC before my big xmas eve ride & SWMBO thinks my new brake pads arrived today

Initialised

Mine got pretty bad with the snow. It got really sluggish, a good clean and lube sorted it. Brakes keep needing tweaks, gears aren't working right and need indexed.

Bordersroadie

mikebikemike wrote:

I've usually too bushed after work to bother to clean mine and too late to clean it in the morning.
I'm therefore so glad that I have been using a beat up steal framed mountain bike with slicks for commuting whilst I make my mind up about what Winter road bike to buy. Tifosi/Ribble/Genesis/Pompie. I'll probably not make my mind up for next winter either and still be on the same bike

I can relate to that, Mike. I built up a really nice wet weather bike (Kinesis T2 with 105 and handbuilt wheels) which I intended using for my 12 mile each way commute but ended up putting a rigid fork, full mudguards and some 28c Gatorskins on an old MTB because I was sick of ditching my lovely new "winter bike" and not cleaning it enough. When do people get time to clean their commuting bike? It soon goes downhill if you don't, especially mine as I live at the end of a half mile muddy farm track.

So in the n+1 tradition I now have a quite nice lightweight rigid-fork MTB/commuter that I can just generally neglect apart from regular chain/derailleur oiling and the odd tweak here and there, and my originally intended winter bike just gets used for weekend wet/winter training rides.

Mr Plum

The only things I've done to the commuter since July is pump the tyres and oil the chain. It needs a lot of TLC...

roger_merriman

SS so not a lot, to do really. keep it cleanish and that seems to do the trick.

iPete

Howzat?

Luckily it's a fixie so doesn't take much to get shiny again...

Drew123

Have you got birds roosting in it or something? That stuff looks toxic...

OneForTheRoad

Same as a few of you, been too knackered to bother in the evening and weekends seem too busy forl proper maintainence. Been giving chain a very quick wipe and re-lube aboute once a week.

Front derailleur seized yesterday and horrible scratchy squeeky and clunking noises seem to be the norm at the mo (the bike that is)

I was wondering about taking a can of WD40 to work so that on particularly bad/wet days I can give the chain drive a quick squirt to drive out the water after the journey in. I know its not a lube but figgered it would be better than nothing and could do the same after the jpurney home?

iPete

Drew123 wrote:

Have you got birds roosting in it or something? That stuff looks toxic...

It could well be, depends what they are feeding the horses that circulate Hyde park

armyknife

Very badly; tomorrow I'll endeavour to make one ok commuting/winter utility bike out of two basket cases.

anthdci

very badly neglected, the amount of grime in there was atrocious. Has the cassette, chain, derailers all off degreased and frame cleaned, everything put back together and re-oiled ready to start the year.

Jamesgti

Yeah my has been neglected ride it to and from work and just it it in garage once home when I should give it a clean.

Hopefully give it a good old clean this weekend as it needs it after all the crap from the roads.

mudcow007

mines similar to petes

the track i commute on is normally full of fallen leaves which basically get mashed up into soup which then ends up all over my bike even though i have guards on

roll on the summer

DrLex

mudcow007 wrote:

[...] fallen leaves which basically get mashed up into soup[...]

Memorably referred to as "tyre lube" by my colleague. Is half across the shared path I use; you can guess which half...

Initialised

iPete wrote:

Howzat?

Luckily it's a fixie so doesn't take much to get shiny again...

That looks pretty clean, and but I have taken to riding muddy trails instead of roads as the winter set in.

Hip Priest

I knackered the bearings in my headset by riding in poor conditions with no front mudguard. All the grit and crap off the front wheel ended up in the head tube.

sreuk72

erm maintenance ??

I kinda bought my bike a few months ago second hand hybrid and it was serviced at purchase and to be honest never touched it since other than the odd random time my bars come loose from the stem in the middle of a ride lol scarey, moments happen......

I have noticed a lovely orange color on chain but it looks cool against the polished alloy frame hehee(seriously no oil ) not had a bike in yrs so not very well equipped

Im planning a major rebuild soon new bits will cost £300 then I will get it setup properly and serviced and purchase some good old oil at same time

DrLex

Seat stay bridge mount of rear mudguard corroded through this morning, luckily on the final few hundred yards of my commute. Two zip ties later, and I'm ready for tonight's return trip!

Initialised

Currently wearing the orange chain of shame.