Winter care.

[Rapparee87]

I'm sure I'm not alone in not riding my 2 beloved steel bikes on wet roads in winter, so I'm curious as to how others maintain theirs while in storage to all intents and purposes for the next few months. Assuming not taking it or them apart and storing in boxes or similar.

A daily do with a feather duster? Use dust covers? What about chains and drivetrain etc? Chrome - a daily rubdown with a dry cloth? Keep in the house or in the shed?

 

[jim haseltine]

I give mine a deep clean then lightly lube the chain. I store it on an old lightweight maintenance stand (must be 50 years old - so old that I had to modify it to take frames with under bb cables) and cover it with a plastic mattress storage cover*.
*other sources are available

 

[bagpuss]

Vasaline is good for protecting chrome work . Keep away from braking surfaces .

 

[jim haseltine]

The above bit about the mattress cover is for my summer bike. Forgot to mention that I'm in the position where my bikes live in my house so over winter my only problem is dust. My winter/utility bike gets ridden too often to need it's own dust cover. If it has been ridden in inclement weather it goes into the garage until it's dry and has been cleaned - after that its either on a turbo trainer in the utility area of the garage or it's in the house.

 

[Foreigner]

Steel is real, no need to be afraid to ride it in winter. Clean, polish and apply three or four coats of good quality metal vax all over the frameset, chrome included and you're good to go. My winter ride is a Hetchins, due to having mudguards fitted - once a month it gets a quick wash and re-lube of the chain. If in shed, no need for plastic cover, it will trap moisture in.

 

[Splatter Paint]

After a winter ride I clean my bike thoroughly then put it in the house for 24 hours sat on a blanket. After that it gets oiled and put away.

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

I worry about it in the Spring.

 

[Foreigner]

After a winter ride I clean my bike thoroughly then put it in the house for 24 hours sat on a blanket. After that it gets oiled and put away.

Wow, in front of lit fire place I presume . I use one of those moisture away sprays and it works wonders, have left on of bike under tarp outside couple of last winters and no rust issues at all.

 

[Splatter Paint]

It only goes on a blanket as the first time it dripped on our carpet, and I had a grumpy wife

 

[Foreigner]

It only goes on a blanket as the first time it dripped on our carpet, and I had a grumpy wife

Totally understand.