[Molasses]

Hey all:

I have a really nice SS that has gone through its share of Spring, Summer and Fall harsh conditions. I want to continue to ride throughout the Winter but I'm concerned I'll do damage to some of the pricier parts (WI Cranks, hubs and freewheel and a Phil Wood Bottom Bracket) and I wonder if it is better to just take some SPIN Classes instead. What do I need to be concerned about riding snowy and icy trails (no roads w/ salt) and what precautions could I implement to preserve these parts it took a long time to save up for...

I don't mean to come off like a Fred but my SS is one of my prized possessions!

 

[Obi]

Lube and overhaul...

If it hasn't been done recently lube and overhaul your bike and parts. Clean it all up and pick up some Phil Wood grease and lube.

RE:Spin Class,
That's blasphemy, spend the dough on a cheap trainer for the garage instead.

 

[LakeRaven]

I've ridden phill hubs in every kind of condition and they still work fine, allthough they have been factory rebuilt in a five year period. Take spin classes.....ride a trainer and ride your bike out in the sloppy conditions to mantaine your sanity.

Punk Bike enduro 2004

 

[itsdoable]

Snow is fine, your bike usually comes back cleaner. Mud is much worse. We ride snow & icy trails all winter, no issues with wear.

Road salt is a difference story, it definitely accelerates the corrosion - it all depends on why you bought the expensive part - for longevity & performance or for chi chi factor. My winter commuter that sees a lot of road is mostly Ti, with cup & cone bearings - it's what holds up winter after winter... The stuff I want to keep looking nice, I keep off the salted roads (unless it's Ti).

Cheers,

Tom.

 

[nogearshere]

Those bits are the price they are and have the rep they do for a reason. They are just that good and that durable.

As others have stated lube, grease and clean more than you would in the summer. If you can, store the bike in cold conditions as well (ie garage). the transfer from cold to warm and the melting that ensues will cause greater damage than the cold alone.

Enjoy.

(two winters on my ENO hubs and freewheel with nada one problem).

 

[Molasses]

Thanks All!

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm not too concerned about the chi-chi factor of the nice parts but I want to avoid issues during the spring, summer and fall due to any neglect I give my components for a few messy, fun rides in the current sloppiness. See you on the trail.

 

[-Anomie-]

I've ridden Phil hubs and BB's through many Chicago winters (one BB is 12 years old) and never had a problem. Just keep them clean (rinse off your wheels in the shower, your wife will love that ) so the salt doesn't kill the finish and make sure the BB cup threads are greased once in awhile. All the bearings can be replaced easily, but they should last at least a few years.

 

[JonathanB]

... I want to continue to ride throughout the Winter but I'm concerned I'll do damage to some of the pricier parts (WI Cranks, hubs and freewheel....

I run WI hubs and freewheels throughout the year here in the UK (so conditions ranging from damp to sloppy to soup-like all year ). They're fine if you're happy that you'll have to change bearings every once in a while.

The bearings on my rear WI disk hub are very exposed (there's nothing between the outside world and the bearing seal itself) and some set have lasted less than 3 months in wet and dirty conditions.

The bearings in the WI freewheels will, I imagine, go for a stupid long period of time in nice dry conditions. I get about 6 months out of them in consistently muddy conditions. But they're pretty easy to change. I've found that the FW bearings will seize if you give them the chance (ie if you put it away wet and don't find the time to clean and lube, or even just move, in a week or so) as the nylon cages don't give much room for bearing corrosion.

Mind you - all this is amazing performance compared to HTII/X-type BB bearings... one RF set only lasted 2 months before seizing up. And a set of RF cranks changed colour after a single introduction to road salt.

The polished finish on the WI stuff is excellent and my hubs still look great despite plenty of abuse - including salty road gunk. I just wish the bearings were better shielded from crap.

Lube after every ride, and also giving everything a turn and a spin whenever you go past (especially if you know it went away wet) I've found cuts the chance of bearings seizing.