Dedicated Winter Bike?

You got a dedicated winter bike? Why? I've got a fairly nice steel road bike - wondering about buying an cheap fixie or some such. Only thing is my commute is so long and I just got my current ride the way I want it.

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Permalink Reply by Sean Newby on November 25, 2015 at 7:43am

I bought a "cheap" bike from Nashbar 3 years ago, and haven't regretted the decision. Steel frame, Nexus IGH, rear rack; heavy as a tank and ugly as sin but it rides well (and slow). Although I try to be diligent about wiping it down weekly or after a particularly wet ride I don't get upset if I see corrosion (mostly on the hardware, not so much on components). The bike was about $500 delivered, plus maybe $50 for fenders. The tires could be better for winter but I usually don't ride unless the streets are pretty clear of snow and ice.

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on November 25, 2015 at 11:30am

Cheap mountain bike frame with coaster brake and cobbled elevated front and rear racks. All for the sake of not having my nicer bikes and gear get destroyed by the grimy corrosive slush.

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Permalink Reply by V W on November 25, 2015 at 2:19pm

Yeah its the bike you can sorta see on my icon.

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Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on November 26, 2015 at 8:14am

Just a suggestion I have one of those one gallon garden sprayers and I rinse it out real good and then just put water in it. I can give the bike a shower in the winter while it's parked over some plastic bags or just in the garage and then bring it in to dry. Salt won't kill your bike unless you leave it sit on there. BTW: I have one coworker that has one bike only (an aluminum GT hybrid) that he rides year round and never cleans and his worst issue was the grit on the wheels caused extreme wear from the rim brakes.

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Permalink Reply by Marc A. Irwin on November 27, 2015 at 3:05am

I do the same with a big grout sponge to rinse the bike off. It also helps to have a can of WD40 in the garage. Dousing the drivetrain with WD40 will drive all the water away from the chain, cogs and derailers. It really helps to prevent rust.

Marc