Hibernating the good bike

Colinthecop

My 'good bike' has gone away for the winter. It's currently hanging in my garage on one of those front tyre hooks.

Having a wife who wears trousers, it'll be staying there for many months and is not allowed to live in the house when it's cold.

Ignoring the MTFU option, what can I do to ensure no harm comes to my favourite bestist bike...?

I was thinking along the lines of, a liberal spraying of grease, taking the tension out the cables, air out of the tyres - that sort of thing.

I just feel a bit guilty leaving it, and I don't want it extracting some sort of revenge by breaking itself over winter.

antsmithmk

Even in Jan or Feb there will be days of 10 degrees plus and dry roads. Why not still ride when the weather is right?

Colinthecop

Because of all the salt and crap on the road.... And I have my slow crappy winter bike for that.

ugo.santalucia

I wouldn't do any of that...

Tyres are better inflated than not and you don't need to overgrease components. Garages are reasonably dry places to keep a bike, sheds are a different matter.
If your garage is really damp, then consider a bike bag, otherwise just make sure everythig is dry, you service the freehub, headset and hubs if cup/cone... the rest won't mind a bit of winter

Pross

I've always kept my bikes in a shed with no additional precautions (my old 653 even spent a harsh winter a couple of years ago outside under a tarpaulin). Never had any problems. However, I've noticed with the CAADX I bought last year, mainly as a winter hack / commuter, that all the bolt heads are rusting for some reason. I guess it is just cheaper materials.

slowbike

Personally I don't like those front wheel hooks, but other than that, providing the garage is dry, it'll be fine.
The tyres will naturally deflate over time, some oil on the chain will help protect that, I'd leave the gears in small/small to release most of the tension on the cables, but other than that - nothing.
Perhaps get it down once in a while and move it around - or if you can't do that, just rotate the wheels & crank and wiggle the handlebars...

cougie

My bikes just stay in the garage - no special treatment. I'd definitely not let the tyres down they arent designed to carry weight like that.

if anything I'd make sure that they dont go flat over the winter.

slowbike

Although flat tyres aren't a problem if it's hanging ...

6wheels

A pal of mine used to take wheels off, seat post,and put it in the loft.

arthur_scrimshaw

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I wouldn't do any of that...

Tyres are better inflated than not and you don't need to overgrease components. Garages are reasonably dry places to keep a bike, sheds are a different matter.
If your garage is really damp, then consider a bike bag, otherwise just make sure everythig is dry, you service the freehub, headset and hubs if cup/cone... the rest won't mind a bit of winter

+1 I use a CTC bike bag (making sure everything is dry first) then cable tie the end to make a good seal

mugensi

Mine stays in the garage without any pre-winter treatment. The garage isnt heated but its dry and so I dont see the need to do any winter prep. It does rest on carpet though :roll:

fudgey

My winter bike is exactly the same as my summer bike, but dirty.
I didnt spend all that to stick it in the garage and not use it.

Just clean it more often and it will be fine.

CiB

I leave the good bike in the garage leaning against the bench and use the winter bike for commuting, but to keep the nice bike active I use it 2 or 3 times a week anyway, as it's a nice bike and really good to ride. It'll wear out eventually I expect but winter use doesn't seem to have done it any harm, and the idea of not riding a nice bike for half the year would have me questioning if it was worth buying it in the first place tbh.

Colinthecop

Ok, maybe calling it a 'best bike' on here is a bit of an exaggeration.

It's my best bike but it's not that bestish in the grand scheme of things.

Imagine all the bikes owner by BR members were records. You'd have Bernithebiker at No.1 with his One SL5 Direction bike.

I'd be way way down the rankings with my Nana Mousquori greatest Tarmac hits... :oops:

cal_stewart

Just ride it, it won't melt

ugo.santalucia

Cal_Stewart wrote:

Just ride it, it won't melt

Often used as a joke line, but in fact epoxy resins in composites can take up to 5% w/w in moisture. That of course means your frame could be 50 grams heavier than if it was 100% dry (hypothetical scenario, you will never have it 100% dry) but more importantly the glass transition roughly drops 20 degrees C per 1% of moisture... do your maths and see if it's safe to brake on a rim which has been exposed to high level of moisture...

nibby

CiB wrote:

I leave the good bike in the garage leaning against the bench and use the winter bike for commuting, but to keep the nice bike active I use it 2 or 3 times a week anyway, as it's a nice bike and really good to ride. It'll wear out eventually I expect but winter use doesn't seem to have done it any harm, and the idea of not riding a nice bike for half the year would have me questioning if it was worth buying it in the first place tbh.

100%

If the roads are salty just wash it when you get back, 5 mins job done.

banditvic

Just spray all mechs cassette and chain with wd40 don't worry about dropping tyre pressure, that will happen anyway. give it a clean off in spring.

Dippydog3

Dismantle it completely.
Clean each piece separately.
Store the bits in a box in your nice warm house.
Have fun putting it back together again in spring.

MountainMonster

People, these are bikes. Obsessing over cleanliness on something that is used outdoors is ridiculous.

Ride it whenever you want. There's no need to buy special cleaning products, or treat it different, just because it's hanging in a shed.

Colinthecop

nibby wrote:

If the roads are salty just wash it when you get back, 5 mins job done.

5 mins...?

Jeez, I must be crap, it takes me about half an hour to clean my bike. :oops:

CiB

Quick wipe of the dirtier bits of the frame & rims with an old tee shirt, a bit of GT85 or similar on an oily rag to hold around the chain whilst pedalling backwards for a few seconds, and wipe over the surfaces with a cleaner cloth. Then relube & chuck it back in the garage.

Like someone said, it's only a bike.

keef66

I have 2 bikes but I use them both all year round. The carbon bike gets ridden if it's dry, the alu bike with guards gets ridden if it's wet. Last year I was riding the carbon bike quite a lot through the winter. Couple of years ago the summer was so bad I was riding the alu bike most of the time.

No special winter treatment; just clean and lube as and when neccessary...

wishitwasallflat

Dont worry about it just send it to me and I'll look after it for you and send it back as soon as its warm and dry in the Scottish Highlands.

cal_stewart

Ugo that's why I chuck on the nemesis's this time of year. Just like the old one liner of " skins waterproof " which it is not.

Never understood the winter/training bike thing it's like a joiner buying a dewalt drill for the weekend and then using a cheap drill at work all week.

rolf_f

CiB wrote:

It'll wear out eventually I expect but winter use doesn't seem to have done it any harm, and the idea of not riding a nice bike for half the year would have me questioning if it was worth buying it in the first place tbh.

Depends on how you look at it. IME pretty much all of the wear and tear occurs when riding dirty roads. I reckon one wet and dirty ride is probably equivalent to a whole season of riding on dry clean roads as far as wear and tear is concerned. The solution of course is a nice bike and a nicer bike!

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

Just ride it, it won't melt

<br abp="1048"><br abp="1049">Often used as a joke line, but in fact epoxy resins in composites can take up to 5% w/w in moisture. That of course means your frame could be 50 grams heavier than if it was 100% dry (hypothetical scenario, you will never have it 100% dry) but more importantly the glass transition roughly drops 20 degrees C per 1% of moisture... do your maths and see if it's safe to brake on a rim which has been exposed to high level of moisture...

Oh stop scaring people Ugo! You know perfectly well that the resins don't make up the whole of the frame so, for a 1kg frame, you would have far less than 50 grams of extra weight due to the moisture. The carbon fibre itself is not weightless!

Smithster

Normally ive just ridden the same bike all year, But this year I'll be hibernating my carbon bike after swapping all the bits onto a new steel frame.

But this is only a stealth plan in order to upgrade the carbon in the Spring with new bits, and acquire another bike in the process.

Do you think my wife will notice?

ugo.santalucia

Rolf F wrote:

Oh stop scaring people Ugo! You know perfectly well that the resins don't make up the whole of the frame so, for a 1kg frame, you would have far less than 50 grams of extra weight due to the moisture. The carbon fibre itself is not weightless!

5% on the weight of the resin or the weight of the composite? Good question... the all thing was about carbon fibre in satellites and the problems created by moisture evaporating in the high vacuum leading to warped components and alignment issues...

fudgey

Ah so in reality then we dont need to worrk about riding the inter-galactic highways and soggy back roads of the UK and can just get on the damn bikes and continue to ride them.

I am now safe in the knowledge that my Colnago will not self combust. And if it does i have a 3 year frame warranty anyway!

ugo.santalucia

Fudgey wrote:

Ah so in reality then we dont need to worrk about riding the inter-galactic highways and soggy back roads of the UK and can just get on the damn bikes and continue to ride them.

I am now safe in the knowledge that my Colnago will not self combust. And if it does i have a 3 year frame warranty anyway!

The point made is that the statement: "carbon fibre doesn't like water" is not completely hollow. It affects the glass transition and can lead to minor warping and bubbling... then make what you want of it... I don't think it's the case to rush and panic... this stuff was known in the 1960s, well before carbon fibre got into bicycles

fudgey

Carbon manufacturing has moved on a lot since the 60's but its all in the process as with most things really. If its badly made then i agree you will get issues. In this day and age however one would hope that you could ride your carbon bike all year round and in whatever weather or temperatures as it does not come with a lable on it saying for dry use only etc.