How to look after your bike through winter?

Winter can be harsh on your bike - rain, mud, salt from the roads… all enemies of your bike if you don’t maintain it properly. To help you keep your steed in perfect working order this winter we asked Colin, our resident expert mechanic here at GravelUp HQ, to share his top tips and general winter bike care advice to make this task less onerous for you. Which means more riding and adventure planning time!

Why is it particularly important to look after your bike through winter?

Colin: “roads are dirtier and damp a lot of the time, so a lack of cleaning and maintenance can rapidly have a negative effect on your bike. By regularly checking and cleaning your bike you’ll spot any issues before they get too serious too.”

Running your bike dirty in winter will wear out the components much faster, especially the chain and brake pads as the grime acts like a sandpaper paste eating away at everything. The constant damp and salt combine to add rust to any exposed parts, meaning nothing will work efficiently.

What are the most important issues your bike will face in winter?

• Rusty chain - which will happen really fast if you don’t dry and relate your chain after every ride.

• Worn out brake pads - due to more braking in wet and slippy conditions, and dirt getting embedded in them.

• Mud and salt build up - which will corrode any unprotected metal components.

How to clean and re-lube your bike after a winter ride?

1. First

• If it was raining - dry the chain with a clean rag

• If it was muddy - wash your bike with clean water from the hose or a watering can. Avoid pressure washers which can force grit into the bearings.

Colin: “The dirty winter roads combined with a lack of bike care can quickly lead to problems with your bike. By taking regular care of you precious steed, you’ll save time and also avoid costly repairs as you’ll spot problems before they get too serious.”

2. What products to use?

• Cleaning - warm water and washing up liquid or bike specific soap like Muc-Off.

• Lubing - a wet wether specific chain lube rather than oil.

3. When to clean and lube your chain?

Colin: “after every ride, but especially if there’s any grit in it, or it seems dry or grindy.

How to protect your bike from the salt and wet?

Brakes and tyres - quick winter checks to make:

• Brakes - check the pads visually before and after every ride (top tip: they need to be clean to do this!)

• Tyres - lower the tyre pressure that you run for better grip on wet, slippy or even snowy terrain. You can also fit wider tyres with bigger knobbles if your fork allows.

And the rest of your bike?

• Clean and lube all moving parts regularly, ie after every ride.

• Fit mud guards (like our favourite the “Ass Saver”, which may or may not be part of our GravelUp goodies…) They will save more than your bike as the name suggests!

• Install a protective wrap to your frame, like Clear Protect or Ride Wrap, to protect from impacts and friction and make cleaning easier.

Top tips after every ride:

• Rince and wash your bike.

• Dry and re-lube the chain, remembering to remove excess lube.

• Do a full clean after a particularly long or muddy outing.

Putting your bike to bed for winter?

Colin: “If you’re not going to ride for a few weeks, fully clean, dry and lube your bike before storing it somewhere dry and safe.”

Do you need to give your bike a full service each winter?

Yes! A full service at your local bike shop will ensure that you can keep riding through winter without any nasty surprises, and much better longevity of your bike components come springtime!

What to avoid:

• Forgetting to clean your bike after a ride (easily done if you are also wet and muddy!)

• Not keeping your chain well lubed - the is the cardinal sin.

Your bike maintenance essentials

Colin: “A good winter/wet weather chain lube is probably the most important thing to keep on hand. I particularly like the Muc-Off range of products, which is extensive and effective. Decathlon also have a good range of products - especially their plant based, environmentally friendly degreaser."

Keeping on top of bike maintenance in winter does need a bit of commitment, but by making it a habit after every ride you’ll save yourself time and money in the long run and you’ll soon become efficient! By following Colin’s simple advice, you’ll find its actually enjoyable to ride your smooth and efficient bike with gears that work whatever the weather can throw at you.

If you’d like more gravel related advice, we have loads of articles for you in ourJournal.
And to find out about all our gravel destinations download our Trip Directory.