Salt Mountain

• Friends, the huns are at the gate. I have seen them with mine own eyes, this armada of DOT bulldozers assembled in the quiet corners of our fair city. Like hulking steel-clad honeybees, these dark drones will collect a mysterious pale blue salty powder and mound it into great hillocks in empty parking lots and construction yards from dawn until dusk. They repeat this routine until the winter casts an icy tarpaulin across our lovely lakeshore path. And then all hell will break loose for those of us with highly refined drivetrains.

  So What's One To Do?

  First of all, don't panic. Take stock of your current ride, and consider your training or commuting regimen through the remainder of the cold season. Will you be riding daily? Will things taper come January? Will you switch to a winter bike and/or bike the roadie on the trainer? For those of us who refuse to be cowed by mother nature, a disciplined system of anti-sodium tactics will serve your trusty steed well.

  If you live in a building with a basement laundry room, it's time to start making regular use of it, if not to store your bicycle, then at least to rinse it off regularly. You needn't do this after every ride, but at least once a week is ideal. Use a fat sponge and warm water (don't use pressurized water or a hose!) to remove the salty dust from your frame, saddle, and major components. With an old rag, wipe down your chain (and if you're motivated, degrease and add a few drops of chain lube).

  If you ride through the winter, consider giving your bicycle a post-winter overhaul. When the weather turns (hopefully come late February) and the salty mess goes away, consider giving your bike a nice overhaul. Check the hub, headset, and bottom bracket bearings, and remove any build-up that's found its way inside your frame. (This goes double if your frame is steel.) Replace worn or crummy cables and put on some nice, fresh, slick stainless steel ones. Jet lube your housing, or replace it altogether. Maybe re-wrap your handlebars. Spring is just around the corner!

  Special attention should be made to leather bits, such as toe straps, Brooks saddles, and saddle bags. Salt will eat right through this stuff if you're not careful. Ideally, you'll be riding with fenders, yes? Fenders save a lot of time and trouble, and really needn't be awkward or geeky. Even roadies with silly tight clearance can get in on some sweet fender action with a pair of Planet Bike Speed EZs ($40).

  Quite honestly, your best bet in the winter is to just ride a beater, or a nice single speed/fixie with wider tires and cantilever brakes. TATI coincidentally offers custom versions of said winter rides, but that's not what this post is about. It's about the horrible mountains of salty hell being constructed in secret all around our fair city.