Biking in the transition season-Winter to Spring

Hi there!

I just got myself a new racing road bike (I've only had a racing cross and a vintage and beat-up mtn bike).

I'm eager to get out on the new bike and train but am vaguely aware of the "don't ruin your bike in the winter conditions" advice. Coming from mountain biking and cross, my mindset has always been more of a throw the bike at whatever conditions exist (and try to stay up).

2 questions:

Approximately, under what circumstances do people transition from the old bike to the good bike in the spring (the snow is gone, the salt is off the roads, the roads are swept)?

(I'm confused: on one hand I hear roadies say "ride in all weather." On the other hand, I've heard keep pretty new bike indoors...)

What special maintance do I need to do for my beloved bike when exposing it to less than ideal conditions (snow, ice, dirt, salt)?

Thanks for the help---this forum is awesome!

Oh, thank you for asking this question. I look forward to hearing the collective wisdom about this, too.

I don't race, but I do have a nice road bike. I ride just about every day, in the wind, rain and cold. A bike is meant to be used. If you maintain your bike, I don't understand how riding it outside can damage it. Keep it cleaned and lubed and bring it inside.

Darcy

I'm glad you asked that question, too.

How do you clean a bike? Windex? Damp rag? Drop off at the dry-cleaners?

I'll be interested in what this thread says....I make the transistion from my hybrid to my road bike when roads are free of salt and gravel. As Darcy says, washing down the bike will keep it, but, for me, it is more a road condition issue.

Up here in the snowbound north they dump so much salt and gravel that the bike lanes and road edges get a thin cover of gravel and salt. My road bike won't handle that, but my hybrid just ignores those pebbles. If I take my road bike out too soon, I end up having to ride too far into traffic. Combine an unexpected bike lane position with, gee it is early spring, an unexpected bicycle and it is a recipe for an accident.

So, my indication for switching to road bike is when the salt and gravel are gone. Usually that is about this time--a good couple of strong spring rains. Of course, we got 8 inches of snow yesterday...so....sigh....we start the countdown over....sob....cry.....sob....

Washing & lubing your bike:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qk0PKq9UuU

I do switch depending on conditions (yes, a bike is supposed to be used - I have four bikes! They all want to get used!). If it's dooky outside I'll wear one of my bikes with fenders; for commuting maybe the Gazelle and if I am doing longer, the Xtra. If I want more miles per minute I will ride the light one regardless. The heavy dudes are great for training, though, and make those rides on the Trek *fly.*
There might be a Miss Manners rule for it, I don't know - how after Easter or Memorial Day you're not supposed to have black fenders or something ;)

[QUOTE=SkiandBike;188735]
Approximately, under what circumstances do people transition from the old bike to the good bike in the spring (the snow is gone, the salt is off the roads, the roads are swept)?

(I'm confused: on one hand I hear roadies say "ride in all weather." On the other hand, I've heard keep pretty new bike indoors...)

What special maintance do I need to do for my beloved bike when exposing it to less than ideal conditions (snow, ice, dirt, salt)?
QUOTE]

Hi there.
Well, speaking only for myself....
I will ride my "good" bike all winter long, if the weather is mild and the conditions are favorable.
I tend to not ride at all when the roads are really sandy (like after a storm). I'll wait for a good rain to wash away most stuff, in addition to cheering the county street sweepers. But that's not to protect the bike(s) - it's more to protect ME from sliding out on corners.
I will tend to pick my bike based on the tires. Since my commuter has beefier tires (and is a whole lot less expensive) than my road bike, I'll tend to use that more as my sacrificial bike during less-than-ideal conditions.
If it's really icky out, I'll ride rollers.
As for cleanup - I'm currently going through some Fanstastik wipes for both bikes. That seems to work fine. Then I clean the chain and cassette and re-lube as necessary.

a lot of my friends have "summer bikes" and "winter bikes" the winter bikes
have better fenders and are older heavier bikes. Their summer bikes are their babies.
The fact is, when you ride around here in the winter, you really get your bikes filthy from sand and mud on the road.

Thank you all for your insights!

I'll be interested in reading the advice given, too.

I have two bikes, one is a Trek FX with 25 cc tires and the other is a Bianchi road (steel) with 23 cc tires. However, I only ride the Bianchi at this point because, well, I love her. I had to take a mandatory weather break from December 30 to January 11. It was too cold/icy/snowy during most of that period. By the time, the skies cleared and the weather warmed a bit (alas only temporarily), I was back on the Bianchi. The worst of the sand and salt was washed away by then, but if I waited for all the gravel to get cleared from the county roads that I ride, I'd never ride. I'm careful in certain turns/corners, but I figure I better learn how to deal with it. The same holds true for bad road conditions. I might make a note of a particularly bad pot hole or patch of rough pavement, but they're otherwise a constant part of riding in my neck of the woods. Indiana sees a lot of freezing/thawing cycles so the roads take a beating. And most of them don't get fixed.

I don't ride in the snow, so I can't speak to that. If and when the Bianchi gets dirty from rainy/dirty conditions, I clean her thoroughly right away. Mud isn't going to kill her, but if she's really gotten soaked, I let her dry off inside. I've found that my trunk rack works as a good "dryer" too. Nothing like going 65 on the Interstate after the rain has stopped to dry her off.

And I keep my drivetrain relatively clean and lubed no matter the conditions.
Get a good chaincleaner and use it and do some reading on how to keep your chain lubed, but not overly lubed.

Like other said - I ride my hybrid/cross when the roads are sandy and salty - and in NY they get pretty sandy and salty. Also - they're a little easier to handle in gravely conditions. When that stuff is pretty much gone, my pretty road bike comes out. Lately I've been switching back and forth because of some crazy weather conditions.

I wash my by bikes with some dish soap and warm water. Rinse with water (never water pressure directly at the bearings, though) - make sure the chain is clean and then re-lube. The extent of the wash depends in the road conditions - salt always warrants at least some wipe down/wash for me.