The super disaster: salt

So the bike gets a big favor after rides where salt was involved: Down with the salt and snow eye. Because even the highest quality components reach their limit in salt. Even the Eagle or XTR chains will look old sooner or later if they get salt as a supposed lubricant.

And this is how it works: Rinse tap water or fresh water from a watering can or pet bottle over the frame, wheels, brakes and drivetrain after a salty ride.

However, this procedure is only recommended if it is possible to place the bike in a dry, preferably warm (but not too warm, see below) room afterwards. The water should be able to evaporate after cleaning. If this does not happen, the derailleur cables or other cables with sheaths such as the dropper post remote can freeze.

However, the warm room is a bit of a dilemma: if you move the bike from the freezing cold into a warm living room, condensation can form... so bike cellar temperatures are tiptop.

Blowing out and lubricating

The gear cables that run in outer sleeves have a problem in sub-zero temperatures. Water or condensation tends to collect in the outer sheaths - and logically this freezes at sub-zero temperatures. And the cable no longer wobbles. This home remedy has proven its worth: Pull the cable out of the sheath, blow out the sheath with compressed air and spray a Brunox-style lubricant into the sheath. This reliably helps to ensure that water is displaced and nothing freezes.

E-mountain bike: off to the warmth

Batteries don't like to be cold. If an e-bike is left outside for weeks or months at temperatures around freezing point, the frost eats away at the battery capacity. E-bike batteries prefer temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees. So move the bike itself, or at least the battery, into this temperature range when the bike is not in use. The battery will thank you with a longer service life and higher capacity.

Another tip: Do not charge a very cold battery immediately. First allow it to warm up to 10-20 degrees and then plug it into the mains. If battery cells that are frozen are exposed to strong charging currents, the cells may be damaged.

The bike lock

The bike lock can freeze in icy temperatures. A pragmatic tip: If the lock opening is facing downwards, no water can get in and freeze. Otherwise: Simply rattle the lock with a lighter until the key goes in. Or warm the key slightly before inserting it. Door lock de-icer also works, of course. Or a splash of lubricant can also help prevent freezing.

The suspension

Seals contract in the cold and the oils in the damping and lubrication definitely act more viscously. As a result, the suspension technology on the damper and fork reacts more slowly. You can try lower air pressure to get a better response. If you often ride in sub-zero temperatures, you can have the fork or shock tuned with winter oil.

Low pressure

If you are riding on snow and ice, you should deflate your tires. A hard-pumped tire may feel good quickly on normal roads, but grip and traction are best with low pressure on winter slopes. In the age of fat and plus bikes, the width of the rollers and the recommended pressures already provide plenty of grip. And if you want to retrofit other tire widths for winter, spike tire manufacturers such as Schwalbe, Nokian or Continental have the right equipment for cold weather.

And otherwise?

If you leave your bike outside, it's a good idea to shift into a medium gear before parking it. Because if the gears freeze and stop working, a gear that is too light or too heavy is even more annoying than the frozen gears themselves...