Winterizing

Getting ready for winter when you ride steel bikes can be an annual ritual as it has with me.  I plan to ride three of my bikes this winter and each gets a little extra anti-corrosion protection.  I use a product called LPS-3 which is an industrial strength treatment available in small spray cans from some ACE hardware stores.   It's a cheaper, stronger and heavier duty treatment than either Wiggles or Boshield but is used the same way.  I spray a certain amount through each of the access holes in the frame, rotating it in the process to help the spray spread onto the tubing.  I pay extra attention to the downtube and bottom bracket shell

 but I like to see each piece of tubing leaking some lube from all the holes as I rotate the frame.

Here in Michigan they spread some really vile crap on the roads to control ice buildup.

After I have rotated the frame a few times and sprayed every available opening, 

I'll wipe the excess from the bottom bracket shell and and leave the bike hanging overnight with a rag stuffed in the shell.  This way I am reasonably sure all surfaces have been covered, and any excess will not dry into an inconvenient glob in the bottom bracket area.

 After a night to dry I will usually take the opportunity to  touch up any scratches

 and give the bike a coat 

of plain old automotive wax.  

Repeating this process every two to three years provides some reasonable piece of mind 

for even the most persnickety and nervous of winter bike riders. 

I used this process with Byron, the Hunq and the Hillborne.  Now I will put some studs on Byron and the Hunq to get me through the slop and use the Hillborne only when the streets are reasonably ice free.

That should keep me sane without a boring indoor trainer.