Winter Bike Care: Storing My Trek Émonda and Brompton

Cycling · Published 12/16/2022 ·

Here’s the translation:

Winter is back — the season of heavy snow and bitter cold.

When the roads are slick enough to send even a four-wheeled car sliding, a bike is genuinely dangerous. So mine are off the road for now, tucked away and pampered.

First up among the pampered athletes: my Trek road bike, the Émonda.

I gave this one’s chain a good cleaning last time. The catch is that it’s DI2 — meaning it’s got electronic parts, and those parts need a battery.

Lithium-ion batteries being what they are, they self-discharge over time, and they really struggle in the cold. So I’ve set a reminder on my calendar and top it up every two weeks.

Then I put it up on the stand and let it spin — idling, I guess you’d call it — for about 5 to 10 minutes, the length of three songs.

Every machine, used or not, needs to keep turning if you want to keep it from breaking down.

Hmm, the front crank’s looking good too.

Wiping off the dust and giving it a spin now is what’ll keep it running smoothly come spring.

Now, the Brompton — the one I’ve been riding right up until recently.

This little guy is my around-the-neighborhood ride; the moment the weather turns even slightly decent, I’m off pottering around town on it.

The rest of the time, I keep it folded up like that.

Same deal here — I let it idle and spin a bit.

Using some oil I picked up at Starfield, I just drip a little on here and there for upkeep, give it a spin, and wipe it down. I’ll switch over to dry lube once the season’s underway.

In winter, a lot of people just leave their bikes sitting. But whether you’re riding or not, you’ve got to keep the tires inflated and give things a turn now and then to avoid trouble down the line.

I’ll get everything prepped and see you on the Han River next year, with a fitness level that’s been — reset? — back to square one.

#brompton #winterbikecare #bikemaintenance #bikechain #bikeoil #chainoil #wetlube #drylube

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