Alaskan solutions

[missroserose]

Now that the temperature is regularly below freezing, I decided it's time to put the bikes away for the season. (The streets are still clear, and in honesty I could probably add extra layers and keep it up, but planning a little extra time to catch a warm bus - even a warm bus that can be a bit unreliable time-wise - is frankly much more appealing than biking into a freezing headwind.) Our building has four bike hangers in the storage area and significantly more bikes, so I'm a little concerned about storage, but I check and - hurrah! - two of them are still free. I go back up to the porch, intending to unlock their respective cable locks and take them downstairs to hang up. Instead:

--I try to unlock Brian's bike, only to discover that his cable lock is frozen shut. Luckily, being Alaskans, we always have WD-40 on hand; I grab the bottle, squirt some into his lock, and work it in. Still no luck.

--I move over to try my bike, which has been used more recently, and that lock is frozen too - although a quick squirt of WD-40 solves the issue. I wrap the cable lock around the bike for storage and carry it downstairs, marveling at how much lighter it is without the 30 to 40 pounds of pannier bag I usually have attached when I'm going somewhere.

--I put the bike on the rack, only to realize that it's competing for space with the building's lawnmower. Some rearranging later, I manage to get the lawnmower and bike occupying minimal space without blocking the door. Partial Success!

--Encouraged by my triumph, I decide to tackle Brian's bike now rather than putting it off until later (when the other hanger may have been claimed). The WD-40 still hasn't de-iced the lock, so I default to the next trick in the Alaskan's arsenal and grab my salon-quality super-hot high-power blowdryer (thanks, Ian! Your Christmas present has been so useful!) and take it outside. The extra-long cord is juuuust long enough to reach from the plug to the other side of the deck, where the bike is.

--After a minute of blasting with extra hot air, the lock reluctantly opens. I squirt the end pieces for good measure, working them in and out a few times, and then wrap the cable around the bike and carry it downstairs, hanging it on the spare rack. Complete Success!

I'm just glad I didn't have to get the torch-style lighters out - I doubt the cable locks' plastic housing would have stood the heat...

Comments

[vatine]

Does Alaskan winters ever get cold enough that it would make sense to either use graphite or no lubricant for locks? I found that the normal lock oil I used to lube the bike lock(s) in Sweden started getting uncomfortably gummy at -20°C, but also that stripping the oil out was enough of a hassle that I lived with it.

What? Of course I rode a bicycle in the snow... :)

[missroserose]

Of course you did. :)

It depends on which part of Alaska you're talking about (and, in this era of global warming, which year). But yeah, I'm pretty sure graphite lubricant was one of the tools in my father's arsenal when he was working as a locksmith.

Point of note, WD-40 isn't exactly a lubricant; the initials stand for "water displacement", which is why I like to use it on frozen locks (since the problem is caused by water in the mechanism). No idea how it performs at colder temperatures, though I suspect better than typical oils. :)

[vatine]

I did actually know that about WD-40, I have this vague memory of "oily-feeling residue", though (my current spray-on-things of choice is 3-in-1, which definitely is an oil).

I understand that Stockholm frequently gets into January before any lasting snow, which is... a bit peculiar, even as far south as it is (a mere 59°N).

[cyrano]

This is a triumph!
I'm making a note here: Huge Success!