So what ifthe East River is iced overand the Hg refuses to mount into the double digits ? Commuting on your bike through snow can still be fast and more enjoyable than hold off on an overcrowded subway car . Here ’s how ensure your two - wheel horse is ready to confront Old Man Winter .
https://gizmodo.com/new-yorks-frozen-east-river-seen-from-pier-1-playground-1508445224
Clean It, Lube It, Rub It Down
Your bike is going to be expose to not just the normal mix of road grease , but ice and slush and route Strategic Arms Limitation Talks as well . If left on peril metal — be they nicks in your flesh ’s pigment or a suspension system crotch with magnesium sliders — these salts will cause the components to chop-chop rust . As such , it ’s imperative to keep your bike light and common salt - free as much as possible .
begin by give your cycle a good cleaning . Wipe the skeleton down with a modest soap and water admixture ( Simple Greenworks well ) , employ fret alcohol to take away road grime from the wheel rims , and rinse everything well . If you require , you could apply a thin veneer of car wax to the frame to help protect the paint and shrug off grime .
Drive chain wear at a faster rate in the wintertime , so you ’ll need to pay extra attention to them . If your chain is fairly new and reasonably clean , you could probably get away with just wiping it down with a rag hock in balmy answer ( again , Simple Green is a unanimous choice ) . If the connection are caked with mud or route guck , you ’ll need to scrub them . you could either manually scrub them clean with a bristle brushwood and bucketful of solvent or your can bribe a ego - contained mechanical scrub brush . Either way , do n’t use WD-40 to clean , only to unseize constituent while on the route .
The same goes for the other moving parts of the bike . Give them all a respectable scrubbing and then apply a toilsome - grade lubricant likeProGold XtremeorSlick Lube Extreme 200to keep the drivetrain in top shape . Brake and transmission cable length should encounter a clear coating of atomic number 3 stain to prevent them from sticking . Your wheel hubs will want cleaning and re - packing about once a calendar month as well , though that should be done by a motorcycle shop mechanic if you do n’t have much experience doing so yourself .
And depending on how bad the weather gets and how many miles you put on it , that string may need to clean and re - grease every calendar week this time of year . You ’ll also want to pass over down the bicycle after every ride , especially on snow years , to avoid table salt build up up .
De-Fender of Rooster Tails
If you razz on snow - covered or rain - slicked route , the impulse of your turning wheels will throw plumes of body of water and ice behind them as you move . To keep this disgusting slushie from covering your tush , you ’d do well to invest in a set of fenders .
Just like a elevator car ’s fenders , these equipment protect the passenger ( and the underside of the bike ) from steering wheel nebulizer . Fenders can either be instal if your bike ’s frame is compatible or , if you only require a seasonal answer , you may use a shoulder strap - on rear fender like theSKS X - Tra - Dry .
Spike Your Tires
If you ’d like to quell unsloped on your wheel for more than a block , you ’ll demand a tire with with far more hold than what a quiet - pace street slick magazine can provide . Look into knobbed off - route tire or , if you are routinely riding on iced - over street , you may even need some studded wintertime tires .
Whichever you choose , just verify they are n’t so thick as to rub against the interior of the fork or prevent the brake caliper from fully closing ( or upgrade to hydraulic discs ) . And if you ’re in a pinch , you’re able to always rely onthe Zip - Tie method — literally loop Zip - Ties around your wheels at regular intervals for spare hold — for forgetful commutes .
Dress the Part
It gets dark at , what , 4:30 these days ? immix that with fall Charles Percy Snow , oblivious jaywalkers , and distracted gadget driver , it ’s easygoing to miss the cat on the bike . Make yourself seen by wearing lots of bright colors and broody gear . Mount at least a front and rear brightness on the bike itself and augment that by wearing any other tail lights you might have .
And do n’t just throw a parka on over a t - shirt for your aurora commute . clothes in layers , exertion - wicking gear on the inside , insulate layer in the middle , and waterproof stuff on the outside . Full - finger riding glove are a must as well . To avoid getting frostbite on your lower extremity during the ride , wear heavyset wind sock and protect your feet from puddle and freezing spray either by marry a fictile bag over your shoes ( free , though it does n’t work with clip pedals ) or by invest in some neoprene prize that fit over your cartridge holder shoes . [ Participation – Beginner Triathlete – MEC – Bicycling – The Bicycle Chain – Wired – Top Image : AP Images , clear : senee sriyota , Fender : Maros Bauer , tyre : Iryna Rasko , Rider : AP Images ]
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