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Clean it regularly.
Clean your bike more regularly - in the winter months your bike collects a lot more dirt than usual, this dirt speeds up the wear on your components and opens you up to mechanical failures during your ride. Try to have a routine, there are plenty of bike washing kits from the likes of Muc Off for those who have some space to clean your bike and for those who do not you may find bike friendly wipes a life saver! Some wipes are specific to drivetrain, be sure not to use any degreaser or lubricants around your disc or rim brakes.
Keep an eye on your brake pads.
As mentioned above, brake pads are affected by the dirt you pick up on the road, in wet weather the dirt you collect acts like sandpaper to your braking surfaces and your brake pads so you will go through them a lot quicker especially if you haven't been able to clean your bike as regularly as you'd like.
All rim brake pads have a wear line and if that line is not visible it might be time to replace your pads. Disc brakes are a little trickier to see however if your brake lever pulls very close to the handlebar before you're able to come to a stop it is quite likely you need new brake pads.
Our Bicycle MOT is a great way to continue riding through winter with complete peace of mind; designed to fix problems before they become problems.
Keep your tyres inflated and check them for debris.
This is something best done when you're cleaning your bike, I personally have a day at the end of the month which is bike care day. It is important to keep your tyre pressure within the given limits on the side of your tyre, to avoid your tyre absorbing stones and glass, avoid wearing your tyre out and avoid punctures. If the side of your tyres suggest a pressure between 80 and 120 PSI try to go somewhere around 90-100PSI to allow the tyre to have a good contact patch with the ground to make for a nice grippy and comfortable ride. You can play around with your tyre pressures but try to stay within the limits stated on the tyre, each brand and model are a bit different.
Getting a puncture in winter is the worst so its important to make sure your tyres are clear of foreign objects where possible, this also gives you a good indication as to how worn your tyres are.
Carry spares.
A good frame mounted pump, two inner tubes, a multi tool and some inner tube patches (for the emergencies). These are very handy to keep on your person even if you don't know how to use them! There are many cyclists that would be happy to give you a hand but they may not have the spares for your bike. Inner tubes are size specific to your tyre and typically work for a range of tyre sizes for instance 20-28c for road bikes and 28-48c for hybrid bikes. Don't be afraid to ask if you're getting the right tube when purchasing it, your tyre size is stated on the side of your tyre usually. Also make sure your frame pump suits your valve type, better still if you can get a pump that does both valves then maybe you can help someone else out on the roads.
Fit some mudguards if you can, the more cover the better! Mudguards help to keep the rain, dirt and grit off of you, your bike and other road users. They really make a difference and make using your bike in bad weather a much happier experience.
Be safe and be seen.
Try to have a set of backup lights in case you run into any issues with your current lights, winter clothing tends to have brighter colours and reflective bits on them, however if you are cycling in more casual clothes try to take the same approach. Brighter colours are easier to see for everybody in winter.
