Wintertime Bike Care

Have you ever taken something you love for granted? When I look at my road-salt encrusted bike, I wonder, “How did I let it come to this?!” It’s easy to make excuses for my negligence, because it’s been such a cold winter. After arriving home, I’d rush inside to let my eyelash-cicles melt and leave my bike to rust in the garage, rather than ever taking some time to clean it off.

No excuses - my bike is slowly dying under that coat of sparkling salt. I got some great tips for caring for my bike throughout the winter from Dan Sorger of DBC City Bike Design. I gathered up the supplies he suggested and got to work giving my bike, Madeline, the love a trusty steed deserves.

In the basement and ready for a bath

I set up a work area in the basement where I could wipe down the bike with some dish soap and warm water. Dan suggests using a sponge, because you want to float the dirt and grit off the bike, not grind it into the paint.

Look at the grit that accumulated inside the chain case!

The next step is applying a layer of wax on all the metal to create a moisture barrier and to prevent the bike from rusting. I picked up some car wax from the hardware store and applied it per the instructions.

Looking good!

Good-Bye Winter Uniform!

I'm not one to ditch my everyday clothes for anything special simply because I get around on a bike. Still, in the freezing Wisconsin winter, I pile on the necessary gear for warmth: thick mittens, wool coat, winter boots, and even ski goggles, when freezing winds would otherwise sting my cheeks and cloud my vision with tears.

Under this gear, I'll have on some variation of the following outfit: wool skirt, fleece leggings, and a wool or cashmere sweater. Pretty much everyday. 

It's been nice to break out some of my other clothes now that it's warming up some. I'm longing for the day I can trade in my winter boots for my Minnetonka moccasins. Soon!

Taking the Scenic Route

Along the Wingra Creek Bike Path

I'm of the mindset that the shortest bike route isn’t necessarily the best route. I often go out of my way to take bike paths or low-traffic roads, but until recently, I never applied this to my commute to work.  

 

  
The first half of my commute was comprised of Wingra Path, the Capital City Trail, and some calm residential streets. The second half was dominated by a two-mile section of West Broadway, a four-lane, 45 mph road through Monona. West Broadway does have a bike lane, or at least until it snows. Even with no snow, I rarely see another person on a bike, the lane is littered with debris, cars speed, and semis sweep past me.

Snow and ice in the West Broadway bike lane

I didn’t feel like I had any good options for avoiding West Broadway, because the alternate route added two miles each way, included residential roads not well maintained in the winter, not to mention Pflaum Road, which I couldn’t believe would be any better than West Broadway. Still, about a month ago, I took the alternate route.

First, the extra distance is SO worth the reduction in traffic stress! Second, I don’t mind biking on the snowy, quiet residential streets. Third, I was surprised to find that Pflaum is much better than West Broadway! There are two lanes of traffic instead of four and speeds are reduced in part by schools along the way.

A scenic and snowy route

I’m very happy with my new route and feel silly for waiting so long to try it out!

Don't Leave Home Without Them

My lip balm, sunglasses, and a hanky are three accessories I never leave home without during the winter.

I've been accused of having a lip balm addition, which is likely true - I keep it by the side of my bed, there's a tube in the pockets of every coat I own, and I keep at least one spare in my bag. Hey, getting chapped lips is no fun and I like to protect mine from the freezing wind.

Ski goggles can come in handy if there's a frigid headwind or blowing snow, but in most cases I'm happy with just my sunglasses. They provide cover for your eyes without the alpine look. 

Winter and runny noses go hand in hand. Keep a hanky in your pocket and you won't need to sniffle and search for a box of Kleenex upon arriving at your destination.

Hand Warmers FTW!

I've got nice winter boots that keep my feet warm and dry while walking in them. On the other hand, after about four miles of biking in single digit temperatures, warm boots aren't enough to stop the cold from setting in, and I've got eight miles to bike from home to work.

I'd been hesitant to put hand warmers in my boots, thinking that the discomfort of cramped toes would outweigh that of frozen ones. However, this winter's weather persuaded me to give them a try.

I'm happy to report that the warmers have helped keep my piggies warm and they still have enough room to wiggle.

Make a Bike Touring Journal

When out on a bike tour, it's nice to have a place for notes on your route, where you stop along the way, your pace, observations, and for a general record of your journey.

Peter and I have gotten into the habit of keeping detailed journals while bike touring. It's fun to refer back to when taking the same route later, as well as simply to reflect back on a fun trip. Still, I never had a specific journal for this, rather, I'd just grab some small notebook I had lying around.

This year I decided to make a touring-specific journal. I chose a light, thin Moleskine notebook that would be easy to personalize.

I used the photo scraps left over from an earlier project, letter stamps, a potato stamp, gel medium, and my trusty X-Acto knife to decorate the cover.

Now I just have to wait for spring to take my first tour of the year!

Hot Drink & A Bike Book

To quell the longing for bike tours and adventures that begins to pop up about mid-winter, I enjoy a hot drink and a book. I received the book, Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die, as a Christmas gift and it's been fun to flip through and muse about could-be journeys.
Only a few more months until Peter and I take our first bike camping trip of the year to Devil's Lake State Park!

Madison-Specific Bike Art

Leslie of Off the Map Art makes paintings with the maps of a variety of different cities. I found her Etsy shop earlier and really liked her prints, but she hadn't made a piece with a map of Madison.

I kept tabs on the shop in hopes I'd see a Madison print become available and it did! Hooray for pretty bike art!

Winter Wardrobe - Most Worn

When it comes to biking in the cold, I always go back to the same favorite pieces:
 

1. These boots are three winters old and holding up great. Warm, dry feet are critical to comfort, but having cute footwear is also important (right?!).

2. Wool socks are super warm, moisture-wicking, and don't get smelly.

3. This grey cashmere sweater is warm by itself, but is also loose enough that I can put it on over another layer. Its neutral color makes it easy to incorporate in many outfits. This sweater was thrifted by my mom, who has found many other second-hand wool and cashmere sweaters for me.

4. This skirt has been worn for many, many miles. I found this vintage Dolce & Gabbana gem at a thrift store in Rockford, IL about a decade ago. I'll probably still be wearing it in another 10 years!

5. Fleece leggings are warm, cozy and keep me in skirts throughout the winter. For very cold days, I double them up, which works well to block the wind.

6. This scarf was given to me as a souvenir from Scotland by my mother-in-law. After wrapping the soft cashmere around my neck for the first time, I was hooked on this pretty scarf.

Display Bike Photos with a DIY Banner

If you have a smartphone, you probably have more photos than you know what to do with. I've accumulated a bunch of photos from bike trips or rides with friends that would be nice to display, instead of just taking up space on my hard drive. After seeing cute pennants around the Web, I got the idea for this project.

The supplies you'll need are cardboard pennants (you can make your own or buy them pre-made from a craft store), gel medium to use as glue, a brush for applying the gel medium, an X-Acto knife for cutting out your photos, and some string or twine for hanging the banner.

First, pick out the photos you want to use and print them out. Use a pennant to create a template to help you decide how you want to cut out the photos.

After using the template to frame your photo, cut it out with an X-Acto knife.

Put a coat of gel medium on your pennant and carefully mount the photo. Start by lining up the bottom point and then work up from there. Once it's dry, cut out the holes with an X-Acto knife.

Decide how you want the photos to be arranged and then string them up. I simply tied a couple of knots on the ends to hook around nails. Enjoy seeing and sharing your bike photos!