Winter ain’t all bad…
 

…it at least provides a good opportunity to get a turbo trainer-mounted bike polished and waxed up! Specifically, I hit the Breezer Venturi, which comes off the road during winter, with a Gyeon Q2M polish and Mother’s Ultimate Hybrid Ceramic wax, some automotive products I keep around. They make the lux paint on the Venturi look great, but also provide some protection against salty sweat marring that paint.

Is winter a time you do anything in particular to the bike? Is it a time for prepping a bike for winter duty, maybe, or a time for catching up on deferred maintenance while the bike’s off duty?

My basement is quite an unflattering setting to show off the bike, but threads are better with pics, so here’s a go at it:


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0ed9dcdd4.jpeg
Freshly polished and waxed Breezer Venturi on trainer for winter

Good thing you have that seat bag in case you get a flat. Wouldn't want to have to walk home in the cold. :D

I know that your weather over there in Michigan is a little worse than ours here in North Dakota, but doesn't winter mean Fat Bike season has started there?

Yeah, same here. Until next Monday when I'll be on the road again...in Naples.

;-)

I’m so disorganized, I prefer to keep it as intact and road-ready as possible. This way, come spring, I’m only making myselft crazy trying to remember where I “safely stored” the rear wheel!

The winter bikes are in the garage and getting ridden, but I don’t do fat bike. I don’t see either enough snow to discourage road riding nor have out-my-front-door access to trails, so I’ve not been able to rationalize a fat bike purchase yet. I did rent one to trail ride a winter or two back at an up north ski resort; it was fun and definitely got me thinking, but I’ve not sold myself on the idea yet. I also really enjoy jumping on the stationary and knocking out a quick workout anytime I want. I’d probably prefer to spend on Tacx NeoBike or Wahoo bike before a fatty…

Mmm, that must be nice. I’m working on a motor yacht fetish, so maybe someplace with warm, coastal waters and warm winter cycling will be in my future…

Quote, chaadster : They make the lux paint on the Venturi look great, but also provide some protection against salty sweat marring that paint.

I almost bought one of those a number of years ago. I think it was Performance Bike that had a last 52 cm on deep discount, IIRC, $900 usd. I could not pull the trigger on it due to the geometry being too aggressive for me. Also, I was kind of in between the 52 and 54. I really wanted one, but not to be. Very nice looking bike and I remember they had a lot of really good reviews, some stating the frameset was stiff and definitely race oriented. It seems you must like yours.

I may do a teardown of my main road bike and my gravel bike. I intended to do that last winter, didnt care enough to, so this season will be the one! Its for sure past time on both. I need to figure out what is making a clicking sound on my gravel bike. It sounds like its coming from the seatpost collar and it makes the noise even with 2 seatposts with different lengths and material(carbon and aluminum).

This year's winter project is to repaint an old CAAD3 frame and new 1" carbon fork, then build it up with 11sp. Gotta figure out the colors.

Winter is the most wonderful time of the year when I get to age all my bike's drivetrains 10-fold by riding in sand, salt, and sandy-salty-slush.

I have not officially put the outdoor bicycle away. I am keenly watching the forecasts to hammer out some of the last days in the year before the white stuff sticks.
That being said, I do have an indoor setup that has been getting used lately.

The biggest dangers of winter for me are buying bicycle stuff, buying another bicycle, & getting sucked into car hobbies.

Indeed I love it! I haven’t ridden it all that much the past few seasons because my fitness has been crap due to illness and injury, and the bike is not really that comfortable when I’m not fit, strong, and riding aggressively. It is stiff…also short and steep, so it needs constant attention and muscle input; it’s not an easy cruiser, and I run a ton of saddle-to-bar drop on top of it, so when I’m fat, being cranked over on top of being weak is awfully hard. It loves dippin’ n dashin’, though, and when I’ve got the power to run it hard, it’s better than any bike I’ve ever ridden.

I don’t think there were any geometry changes between model years of these “gen 2” Venturi (i.e. MY12 - MY15), but this 35th anniversary paint on the ‘12s is really special, with detailing, richness, depth, and lustre the lighter blue of the later years did not have.

There is a never-built, 54c MY12 on ebay right now… :D https://www.ebay.com/itm/16520790682...wAAOSwW~Bhf~yM

I put them (MTB and Road) in the bike rack in the garage (which is where they are now) and tackle any maintenance in the spring. They happily sit there in the cold and freeze every night.

Fat bike comes out in the winter.

Maybe don’t ride *all* of them…?!

Back in spring, I sold my trusty commuter of sixteen years…I don’t recall why, exactly, but it was dumb, as the bike was perfectly set up for MI winter rides, and was well past the point that I much cared whether I trashed the drivetrain with salty slurry and grime. That said, I always had a garage to thaw the bike in, and all the bits lasted really long. It was still on original derailleurs, and I think I only changed chain and cassette a couple of times in that period, yet it ran and shifted great. In fact, the guy I sold it to actually said he couldn’t believe I was selling it for $500 and thought I could get a lot more! It was an ‘04 Novara Buzz I paid $650 for new!

Forecast highs in the 30 and 40s in Naples next week.

Naples, NY 10-Day Weather Forecast - The Weather Channel | Weather.com

What?! Where are you that the snow ain’t stuck yet? Here in Ann Arbor, we just got another inch or two on top of what we got the other day! I wouldn’t be surprised if it melts off before spring, of course, but I’d call it legit winter snow!

I hear you on the temptations, though… I nearly pulled the trigger on a pair of King Manythings fork racks in pink anodize the other day, and I’m waiting for some new carpet and other interior bits for a winter garage project for the Fiat.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3dc559326.jpeg
1976 Fiat 124 Spider 1800

Yo! I didn’t know it got that cold in Florida!!

Yeah, I’m not religious about when I do maintenance either, and somehow, it seems fitting to commission the summer bikes with a spring tune-up. Having the trainer bike under my nose everyday, however, forces me to think about it more than the other bikes which get tucked in the back basement, out of sight.

As long as it melts & I can see the pavement, I'll be itching to get outside. Latest day in a year I have rode has been Dec 15th (I think). Yes, it's on a road bicycle lol

I'm northeast of Detroit just before 59.

Oh, you should come out in January for Wheels in Motion’s Worst Day of the Year ride! It’s an annual thing, and a lot of fun with good turnout. This is the ‘20 page; I guess this year hasn’t been announced yet, but I’m sure it’ll be back:

https://www.wheelsinmotion.us/articl...page-pg208.htm

I ride this in the winter and on WDOY:


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aluminum Kinesis Racelight 4S

I just prepped up my winter beater a few days ago. Transferred my mirror, horn, lights and rear camera mount. The adhesive doesn't stick to aluminum so I had to strap it down temporarily. Now I have to add a board to the rear rack to make it secure.

And as I was pumping up the tires, I suddenly noticed a direction arrow on the front tire. It turns out, I had mounted the front wheel backwards. Rear tire was in the correct direction.

Love it. I bet Naples Maine won't be so good, either! "My" maples will be in the high 70s low 80s.

;-)

The tripod needs to go. It's clashing with the rest of the room. :D

Perfect for yielding sap to make syrup.

Same for the punching bag.