Cold Snap

[Theseus]

Not sure if it was due to the below freezing temperature or mechanical failure, but just after riding up one of the hills in Edinburgh (Dundas Street) a sideplate on my chain snapped and I had to call for Mrs T to come and pick me up. Didn't fance trying to do anything as fiddly as take out a link in the cold. It would probably not have been usable anyway as this was on the fixed. I do have a spare powerlink in the bag, but unfortunately it is a 9sp and it was 1sp chain that went. (Note to self ... carry spare 1sp powerlink as well as 9sp, especially if riding the fixed). Too cold to repair this tonight, so will either take the utility bike tomorrow or bus it in.

 

[ianrauk]

I'm dreading a mechanical or p******e in this freezing cold weather... last thing I (or anyone) would want to do is spend time in the cold and dark faffing around whilst freezing to death.

 

[Trumpettom001]

my trigger shifters seem to have solidified themselfs - must get round to using a lighter oil, as the current stuff isn't particularly viscostatic.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm dreading a mechanical or p******e in this freezing cold weather... last thing I (or anyone) would want to do is spend time in the cold and dark faffing around whilst freezing to death.

I got caught out the Monday after xmas, near Kingsbury Water Park, temperature well below freezing, thick with freezing fog and i was at the side of the road for half an hour changing a tube and pulling three huge thorns out of my rear gatorskin, they had been trimming the bushes on one of the lanes, I was not impressed.
Like touche I ride fixed, I alway's carry a chain tool and a few chain links in the saddle bag.

 

[Night Train]

Steel becomes brittle in the cold. I had to test this in my Mech Eng days.
Cold weather, ice and severe wind chill (from a speeding chain?) can cause steel under load to fail suddenly.