For cyclists with higher performance bikes and a regular cleaning regimen, you may be wondering how to maintain your bike while living in a dorm on campus. Unfourtunately, there are no easily accessible garden hoses on campus. However, a watering can does almost as good of a job, and eliminates the risk of damaging your bearings with high pressure water! Woohoo! It can be helpful to fill up your watering can and bring it + cleaning supplies outside first before getting your bike, so that you don’t have to leave your bike unattended outside. Leaning the bike against the side of a building works well enough, and a headlamp is useful for cleaning your bike at night.
For casual cyclists mostly doing commuting, a little bit of bike maintenance can go a long way. A commuter bike that lives outside has a hard life. The best thing you can do for your bike, beyond keeping it inside, is to ride it regularly. Cycling the drivetrain keeps the rust at bay and prevents the links from freezing up. The second best thing you can do is to keep your chain lubricated. A bare chain will rust very quickly in the elements, even with just the morning dew. A thick, all-weather wet lube is generally not recommended for high performance bikes because it turns into a grinding paste for the components, but a wet lube on a commuter bike will sit in the links without being immediately washed off like a dry lube, therefore preventing water and rust from settling in. Finish Line wet lube is a good option. Wiping down the chain with degreaser and applying more wet lube a few times a semester, when paired with regular riding of the bike, will prevent your commuter bike from joining the graveyard of rusted bikes at the bike racks.
Cornell Cycling Club 