The season’s first snow has already fallen and the roads have been gritted. The extreme weather conditions can torment you as well as your bike, so we have compiled tips & tricks on how to get your bike ready for the cold season.
Pre-winter cleaning is essential!
Your bike should be thoroughly cleaned before winter starts, so that dirt and left-over sweat don’t stay on the bike during the cold months. The salty remains of sweat and electrolyte drinks can attack the frame and should be washed off before winter starts.
Tip: A bucket of warm water and neutral soap suffice to clean the bike with a sponge. Don’t use aggressive detergents that accelerate corrosion and degrease your bike.
Get your wear parts checked
Some parts are especially strained by the cold during winter. Let a professional check, service and replace your wear parts (such as the chain) if necessary.
Oil all moving parts
Bike oil should be applied to the moving parts after the bike has been thoroughly dried with a soft cloth. This keeps the parts in good shape and snow and ice stay away longer during winter.
Store your bike correctly
If the bike isn’t used for a longer period of time, it’s necessary to fixate the brake levers in suspended mounting e.g. with a cable tie. This is especially important for bicycles with disk brakes as air can spread within the brake system which lowers the brakes’ efficiency.
Parts that are stored for longer periods of time should also be sprayed with a silicone spray to keep moisture away. Especially unheated cellars tend to be moist which isn’t good for the bike.
When storing a bike over winter, the tires should not lose all their air as it can cause them to become brittle.
Tip: Refill the tires with air every few weeks and palpate them all around.
What do I have to do to take care of my e-bike?
The battery should be taken out and stored in a dry and frost-proof place over the winter months. It should also only be charged to 75% in order to keep the durability up. To be useable again after the cold season, the bike plug connecting to the battery should be treated with special oils as well.
Tip: The battery should be stored at temperatures between 5 and 20 degrees celsius.
The most important maintenance products
1⃣ Bearing grease
Bearing grease protects the bike’s moving parts of moisture and corrosion for a long time. Bearing grease especially produced for bikes can absorb a lot of moisture and thus prevents damaging corrosion.
2⃣ Chain oil
Chain oil is ideal for providing optimal protection at maximum strain and putting a particularly strong film of lubricant on the chain during the winter. Using a high-quality lubricant for chain maintenance prevents corrosion and friction and ensures that the chain runs smoothly and silently.
3⃣ Brake cleaner
Dirty braking systems brake less efficiently. A brake cleaner removes brake dustgently yet intensively, oil rests and fat off of disk and piston.
Do you have tips for bike maintenance during winter? ❄️
Leave a comment or send your tips to astrid@bikemap.net! 
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