Presentation by Low, notes from Kym and Noelle
Notes and take-aways from Kym!
Low broke the ice (haha) by getting the room laughing. “The first thing you need for biking in the winter is a BIKE!” There is no one right way or only way to bike through the winter. There are benefits and drawbacks of many different set up options; types of frames, tires, breaks, and more, there is no one right way or only way to bike through the winter.
Winter biking can get really gear intense and the $$$ can add up quickly. Low had great suggestions for low budget DYI options such as making a rear fender with zip ties and a lawn campaign sign.
You don’t have to have the best set up to get started. Low didn’t bike the whole winter their first two winters. First winter they stoped when there was crazy ice. Second winter Low stopped when it got too cold and they didn’t have enough warm accessories to keep hands and feet warm. Third winter Low got studded tired and became invincible! You’ll develop a dream bike set up over time, but you don’t need to start with it!
Don’t clean your chain naked! Or with long dangling things hanging from you. Or while distracted. You can get hurt and you will probably get messy. Lubing and cleaning your bike is not entirely different than taking care of hair and skin. Some products are more protective but also get gunky and have build up and need to be cleaned off. Some products are light and don’t get as gunky but also don’t last as long.
Notes and take-aways from Noelle!
It was great to learn more about how to take care of my bike in frigid, salty times! My key take-away from this session was that- I *can* do this! Low led a session that normalized learning as you go, making it work for you (even if that’s not what someone else has deemed the “right” way), utilizing our community resources. Some highlighted tips are below!
- Think about how your shifter will work with mittens
- Consider how snow and ice will impact your breaking mechanism- disc brakes are least affected
- Don’t your inflate tube all the way with studded tires- give em room to breathe
- Invest in a kick stand- I currently don’t have one on my bike and having one will make maintenance a lot easier!
- Clean your chain weekly, but not with tri-flow- get a lube that is specific for wet/cold conditions
- Tri-flow everything else that moves! Spoke nipples, derailleur, cables etc. Make it part of your weekly maitenance plan.
- Grease other threaded things and your seat post!
- Create a space to do the maintenance- you could use boot mats or a tarp to make sure you don’t trash your living quarters
- Windex with a drop of soap works as a great degreaser to clean your bike
- And my favorite bit of advice from the session: use a toilet brush to smack the snow and ice off your bike after each trip.