Winterizing

Why would I take a dremel tool equipped with a carbide cutting bit to my shiny new Wildfire FatBike frame? Because if I were lining up to start the Arrowhead 135 this Monday I would be dealing with this:

Dealing with frozen bike parts in the middle of the night at -25F does not sound like a good time and this is precisely why I am winterizing my FatBike. My bike currently works great down to -5F but I want to know that it will work at -40F if it has to. I will definitely be at one of the winter bike races next year so I figure I might as well start testing things out now.

Winterizing Checklist:
#1 Dremel out the cable stops and run full length shift cable housing
#2 Replace hydraulic brake with Avid Mechanical brake and full length brake cable housing
#3 Replace all factory bearing grease (bottom bracket, headset, hubs, freehub, pedals) with Morningstar "Soup"
#4 Cover all metal bike tool surfaces with plastic tape

When the arrival of my FatBike was delayed by three months I had written off doing a winter bike race in 2007 but there is a little voice in my head encouraging me to buy a plane ticket to Anchorage and line up on Feb 17th.

To everyone racing the Arrowhead 135 this Monday, good luck and be safe out there! I will be rooting for all of you to have a great race and to achieve your personal goals.