Maximize speed on the road this spring with these 7 winter bike maintenance tips

With spring just around the corner you and your bestie (your bike, of course) are starting to fantasize about all the places you’ll go and the memories you’ll make this summer. As the saying goes, a clean bike is a fast bike. These seven winter maintenance tips will also ensure your ride is smooth and safe.

Before you race out the door, take time to show your bike some love. You’ve both been drenched in sweat, covered in sticky mess and grinding away for months. Take a pause and check in on each other. Your bike will need some tender loving care before you take your romance out onto the road for some summer lovin’.

Check for corrosion

That pool of sweat on the gym floor after a session is good for your fitness but not for your bike or trainer. The salt from your sweat can corrode equipment. Bearings can seize up and carbon, alloy and metal bars can corrode.

When taking your bike off of the trainer in spring, check your saddle rails, seatpost hardware, brake levers, shifters, headset and stem for damage. Sweat can get in under your brake hoods and soak through your bar tape, where it quietly eats away at your components all winter. Consider replacing your bar tape before spring.

To keep components safe, drape a sweat towel over your cockpit to capture falling beads. If you’ve soaked through the towel toss it in the laundry or it will leave behind a salty residue. Wipe down your bike to ensure you removed any salt left behind from contact with your sweat towel.

Tighten bolts

Give your bike a once over, thoroughly checking for loose hardware. Make sure all bolts are tightened, and clean of debris like dust or grime accumulated over winter. It’s a good idea to remove, clean and lube any hardware that looks damaged or degraded.

If your bike is carbon, be careful not to over tighten bolts. Check the manufacturer’s torque specifications for each component. It’s a good idea to own a torque wrench to ensure you do not crack the carbon fibre when tightening hardware on your bike.

This also applies to clamp tightness if using a style of bike repair stand that suspends your bike using clamps. There are carbon-specific repair stands on the market that don’t use clamps to avoid possibly crushing the carbon fibre. If you are unsure about torque specifications or don’t have the proper tools at your disposal you may want to take it to a professional.

Clean drivetrain

Even though your bike hasn’t been rolling down the road all winter long, indoor miles still take a toll on your drivetrain, cassette and chain.

You might be surprised to find how dirty your drivetrain has become. It could be even worse if you skimped on giving it a good clean at the end of last season before setting it up on the trainer.

Any oil or dirt left behind will continue to attract and accumulate dust and anything else that blows around from fans, or particles travelling in the air from open windows. Don’t neglect your chain either. Clean and lube it, and replace it if it has stretched beyond it’s lifespan over winter. If it registers .75 or more on the gauge you may want to replace the chain and cassette for smooth shifting on the road.

If you are using a wheel-off trainer, expect your chain to be more warn out that an on-wheel set up. A direct drive is harder on your chain. It’s advisable to bite the bullet and replace it and the cassette each spring.

Inspect brakes

Check to make sure your brake pads or discs are free of debris. They may not have gotten a lot of use over the past few months but its best to be sure they are clean and reliable before flying down your first descent. Address any squeaking and replace worn out pads.

Pull on the brake levers to see if the cables need adjusting. Slack can develop over time. Make sure they are responsive but also not too tight. If hydraulic disk brakes pull back almost to the handlebars and feel squishy they may need to be bled. If you are not experienced at doing this bring it to the shop.

Probe pedals

Avoid the dreaded topple-over on your bike the first ride out when you can’t release your pedals at a stop sign. Like your headset and drivetrain, your pedals are susceptible to corrosion and wear and tear. The mechanics of your pedals and cleats have a lifespan, but exposure to sweat, dirt and oil will hasten their time with you.

Remove your pedals and inspect them closely for rust. Sweat and other liquid can cause the springs to rust, making it harder to get in and out of your pedals. Test the tiny bolts to see if they can be adjusted. If they refuse to turn or the spring snaps its time for a new set.

Check tires

Tires can crack and wear, especially if you’ve kept your road tire installed and not swapped to a trainer tire. This doesn’t apply to wheel-off trainers but before you put your wheel back on its a good idea to give your tire a once over for safety reasons.

If you are riding tubeless, be aware that sealant can dry up over winter. Dry sealant acts much slower to seal punctures. Check the state of your sealant by holding it up to your ear and shaking it, listening for any sloshing sounds. That sound is a telltale sign you need to top it up.

Shower it with love

Even if your bike was crystal clean when you set it on the trainer it’s going to get dirty from drips from your water bottles, sugary drinks, crumbs and sticky hands. Components grinding away day after day will create their own mess.

While you were rocking out to Eminem or German techno, you might have missed some ugly sounds coming from your bike. You may be unaware that some components are very angry and didn’t appreciate the deep base. Wheel-on trainers present a risk for hub wear. This awful grinding noise could have been drowned out by your own grinding sounds.

Other squeaks and wails may be screaming for you attention. Spend some quality alone time with your partner and best friend. Put down the phone, turn off the bike computer, shut off the music and give your loved one 100 per cent attention. Is it telling you to give it a good lube, replace old rims with a new set of $4000 HEDs, or maybe a fancy new paint job to cover all those wrinkles?

If you have the time and skills it’s advisable to take your bike apart and clean every individual part. Consider it foreplay. It may be a tedious job but it will get you where you want to go. After all, the two of you are about to embark on another summer of love, in skimpy tight clothing and hot dates over coffee and carrot cake.