Is there any risk in keeping your bike outside in extreme cold?
- Thread starter cserpico
- Start date
Davezilla
New Member
Not unless you count theft as damage... but as long as you got it somewhere where others can't steal it, the cold by it's self shouldn't hurt it. You do want to make sure certain areas stay dry tho like the magneto coil, if it gets wet from a hard rain or melting snow it's toast.
mr42ndstblvd
Member
my bike has always been outside rain snow ice sunshine ect if i know what the weathers gunna do sometimes i put a motorcycle cover on it
bluegoatwoods
Active Member
You must be in my neighborhood, cserpico. Our weather forecast is exactly what you've described. But the wind is not as strong as they were expecting. So the wind chill is a mere 7 below.
I just finished my home from work commute. But it was on a pedal bike. Somewhat warmer than an MB. That wind was in my face. Bracing!
But anyway.....I've had a few 2 cycle MBs and they've stayed outside in the winter with no trouble. I'd often cover them. But the guys above are right when they say that cold is not as much of a problem as wet.
So if we get more of those rainy days followed by the deep freeze, then you'll certainly want to throw a tarp over it.
My thinking is that extreme cold might some day cause some component to fail. But it won't be often. And the same thing applies to a car or a pedal bike anyway.
I just finished my home from work commute. But it was on a pedal bike. Somewhat warmer than an MB. That wind was in my face. Bracing!
But anyway.....I've had a few 2 cycle MBs and they've stayed outside in the winter with no trouble. I'd often cover them. But the guys above are right when they say that cold is not as much of a problem as wet.
So if we get more of those rainy days followed by the deep freeze, then you'll certainly want to throw a tarp over it.
My thinking is that extreme cold might some day cause some component to fail. But it won't be often. And the same thing applies to a car or a pedal bike anyway.
Trey
$50 Cruiser
cserpico- I live in Montana at about 5500' up, so I've considered this. The answer is yard equipment. The snow blower is fine. So is, (should you need them for some reason), the string trimmer, leaf blower, hedge trimmer, mower etc. Moisture is your enemy- act accordingly.
I had the $50 Cruiser on a trailer, at 75mph, for about five hours, with an ambient temp of between -10 and +20. Wind chill... you do the math
I didn't even chip the ice off, and three pulls later it was running. (I use about an ounce of SeaFoam in every gallon of mogas.)
I had the $50 Cruiser on a trailer, at 75mph, for about five hours, with an ambient temp of between -10 and +20. Wind chill... you do the math
I didn't even chip the ice off, and three pulls later it was running. (I use about an ounce of SeaFoam in every gallon of mogas.)cserpico- I live in Montana at about 5500' up, so I've considered this. The answer is yard equipment. The snow blower is fine. So is, (should you need them for some reason), the string trimmer, leaf blower, hedge trimmer, mower etc. Moisture is your enemy- act accordingly.
I had the $50 Cruiser on a trailer, at 75mph, for about five hours, with an ambient temp of between -10 and +20. Wind chill... you do the math
That is an excellent point you make. I don't worry about my snow blower or weed eater so I dont know why I thought the bike would be any different haha
I can tell you I cant wait for this black ice crap to go away. They are usually good about salting the roads here but lately not so much. I have no problem with riding in the bitter cold (even though my bike is very difficult to start in this cold) but it would be stupid to try to ride in the conditions we have now and I am getting antsy.
Semaj
Electric Enthusiast
from what I hear you don't want to Leave Electric bike batteries out in the extreme temperatures, but you obviously don't have to worry about that what with your gas bike.
Unfortunately for me that means my whole bike has to come inside. This means if I hadn't of been living on the first floor I would have definitely invested in a garage at these appartments
Unfortunately for me that means my whole bike has to come inside. This means if I hadn't of been living on the first floor I would have definitely invested in a garage at these appartments
Kioshk
Active Member
The two issues I experience when the temperature drops: at about 20F, the ambient lube in the cylinder becomes too viscus to allow normal starting. I make a habit of rolling the bike to allow about 10 cycles before I try to drop-clutch start it, otherwise the clutch will slip. Choke always helps, but isn't critical. The 2nd issue is moisture in the cable-sheathes...if I neglect these and allow moisture in them, the frozen water acts like solder and prevents normal operation.
bluegoatwoods
Active Member
Aaarrrgghhh!!! Frozen cables! yes......
one of the curses of winter riding.
We're just coming out of a deep freeze here. I had one brake cable freeze up. No big surprise there. But my U-lock also froze solid.
That's something else to watch our for.
I had to drive to work for two days because of that. Day #1 I probably would have driven anyway. The roads were just too dangerous to be bicycling. But I probably would have ridden my bike on day #2. But it took me that long to get my bicycle unlocked.
one of the curses of winter riding.
We're just coming out of a deep freeze here. I had one brake cable freeze up. No big surprise there. But my U-lock also froze solid.
That's something else to watch our for.
I had to drive to work for two days because of that. Day #1 I probably would have driven anyway. The roads were just too dangerous to be bicycling. But I probably would have ridden my bike on day #2. But it took me that long to get my bicycle unlocked.
A few drops of automotive anti-freeze in the lock would help too. But then so would a propane torch.
Tom
bluegoatwoods
Active Member
It sounds like it's worth a try and I'll keep it in mind. No doubt there's more freeze-ups in my future.
A few drops of automotive anti-freeze in the lock would help too. But then so would a propane torch.
Tom
The propane torch is what got me up and running again this time. But I'll remember the anti-freeze. That sounds like it's worth a try, too. That stuff has a 'slipperiness' to it that could be helpful. It might act like lube, staying in that lock for a while.
By the way, since we are talking about a lock here. I put some powdered graphite in there before Christmas in anticipation of winter.
Don't bother. It didn't do any good that I can tell.
GoreWound
New Member
if you blow torch it it will open but also definately be frozen again next time.
if you want to go hardcore you should soak a lock in grease before bringing it outside, the grease should not be displaced by water and also wont freeze.
in a pinch blasting it with wd40 could help.
the hammer trick works if the lock is seized due to the cold because it forces it to move, but that only becomes relevant at less than -25, few locks will seize above that.
if you want to go hardcore you should soak a lock in grease before bringing it outside, the grease should not be displaced by water and also wont freeze.
in a pinch blasting it with wd40 could help.
the hammer trick works if the lock is seized due to the cold because it forces it to move, but that only becomes relevant at less than -25, few locks will seize above that.
I learned about the antifreeze in a lock trick from my father-in-law. He used to do it with a padlock on a driveway gate and a crawlspace door. I've seen it work for years. In the spring he cleaned the locks with solvent then next winter filled them with antifreeze again.
I also learned from a locksmith that WD-40 was the all time worse thing to spray in any kind of lock. He said that he loved it when people did that. It was easy money for him to spray solvent in and clean out the lock that was gummed up from WD and the dirt it holds in the tumblers, cylinders and pins. He suggested dry silicone spray but that won't keep them from freezing if they get moisture in them.
Tom
I also learned from a locksmith that WD-40 was the all time worse thing to spray in any kind of lock. He said that he loved it when people did that. It was easy money for him to spray solvent in and clean out the lock that was gummed up from WD and the dirt it holds in the tumblers, cylinders and pins. He suggested dry silicone spray but that won't keep them from freezing if they get moisture in them.
Tom