IanT
http://www.sprocketwaffle.co.uk
I am the proud owner of a Carerra TDF LTD Edition. It's my first road bike and I really do enjoy it.
My regular 'big' (ish) ride of the week is Saturday morning when, with a mate, I cover 30 - 40 miles. Today was no exception, however, it was the first time that I have ridden the bike in the rain.
Despite not having any shoe covers yet - and getting soaked to the skin, I really, really enjoyed the ride - as I always do.
Naturally, 35 miles on wet country roads had left the bright yellow paintjob on the TDF looking a little grubby, so this afternoon, I diligently set to it with a bottle of Halfords Advanced bike cleaner, followed by a quick rinse - literally flicked a hose across it. This was followed by an hour of drying, gear fettling, chain cleaning and I even went around both tyres with a steel pick getting out all of those little bits of embedded flint.
As I was packing up, I rested the bike against a workbench in my garage. Apparently, I had rested it quite badly as it started that slow, slide, which usually ends up with the bike laying on it's side and the front wheel pointing skywards. Fortunately, it stopped - resting against my garage chair (every garage should have a comfy chair).
Given that it was resting against something soft, I left it whilst I put my MTB and the wife's MTB back in their resting place. At this point, I noticed something leaking from the TDF - water was literally pouring out of the back!!! I wasn't too concerned - imagining that it was draining from a hollow axle or something. Notwithstanding this, I was intrigued - so investigated further.
I must admit that what I found amazed me. Both lower rear frame tubes have a small drilling in them, which is not sealed. Given that they are low down - and, in normal operation, angled towards the bottom bracket, the provide the perfect entrance for water - which then has no escape.
After standing the bike vertically on it's back wheel for 5 minutes, I had two large puddles of very murky water on the garage floor.
Now, given the price point of the bike, I cannot imagine that the interior of the frame tubes is in any way protected. Had the bike not have fallen over, the water would still be resting in the tubes and, as it evaporated, would probably start to corrode the frame from within. In paranoid fashion, after thoroughly draining the frame tubes, I took a tin of GT85, inserted a straw, poked it through the drilling in the rear of each frame tube and gave them a good dousing.
Maybe I'm missing something here - and maybe there is a reason for these two little holes. But, to my mind, it's just oversight / bad design. Of course, there is also the possibility that the ends of the tubes should be protected and that the Halfrauds 'professional' who set the bike up (failing to tighten two handlebar bolts, missed the fact that the front calliper was mis-aligned and that the front mech cable was interfering with the cranks) has forgotten to fit said protection.
So, if you've got a TDF - and have used it in the wet, or ever washed it, I suggest that you check the rear frame tubes are not currently harbouring a litre or so of water!!!
My regular 'big' (ish) ride of the week is Saturday morning when, with a mate, I cover 30 - 40 miles. Today was no exception, however, it was the first time that I have ridden the bike in the rain.
Despite not having any shoe covers yet - and getting soaked to the skin, I really, really enjoyed the ride - as I always do.
Naturally, 35 miles on wet country roads had left the bright yellow paintjob on the TDF looking a little grubby, so this afternoon, I diligently set to it with a bottle of Halfords Advanced bike cleaner, followed by a quick rinse - literally flicked a hose across it. This was followed by an hour of drying, gear fettling, chain cleaning and I even went around both tyres with a steel pick getting out all of those little bits of embedded flint.
As I was packing up, I rested the bike against a workbench in my garage. Apparently, I had rested it quite badly as it started that slow, slide, which usually ends up with the bike laying on it's side and the front wheel pointing skywards. Fortunately, it stopped - resting against my garage chair (every garage should have a comfy chair).
Given that it was resting against something soft, I left it whilst I put my MTB and the wife's MTB back in their resting place. At this point, I noticed something leaking from the TDF - water was literally pouring out of the back!!! I wasn't too concerned - imagining that it was draining from a hollow axle or something. Notwithstanding this, I was intrigued - so investigated further.
I must admit that what I found amazed me. Both lower rear frame tubes have a small drilling in them, which is not sealed. Given that they are low down - and, in normal operation, angled towards the bottom bracket, the provide the perfect entrance for water - which then has no escape.
After standing the bike vertically on it's back wheel for 5 minutes, I had two large puddles of very murky water on the garage floor.
Now, given the price point of the bike, I cannot imagine that the interior of the frame tubes is in any way protected. Had the bike not have fallen over, the water would still be resting in the tubes and, as it evaporated, would probably start to corrode the frame from within. In paranoid fashion, after thoroughly draining the frame tubes, I took a tin of GT85, inserted a straw, poked it through the drilling in the rear of each frame tube and gave them a good dousing.
Maybe I'm missing something here - and maybe there is a reason for these two little holes. But, to my mind, it's just oversight / bad design. Of course, there is also the possibility that the ends of the tubes should be protected and that the Halfrauds 'professional' who set the bike up (failing to tighten two handlebar bolts, missed the fact that the front calliper was mis-aligned and that the front mech cable was interfering with the cranks) has forgotten to fit said protection.
So, if you've got a TDF - and have used it in the wet, or ever washed it, I suggest that you check the rear frame tubes are not currently harbouring a litre or so of water!!!
- another thing you can try is a short length of inner tube stretched over the seatpin/seatube to cover the slot - or even just a flap of inner tube sitting over the top of the seattube slot to keep the worst out.
My kinesis however has two holes in side the chain stays and doesn't seem to collect water despite having been ridden in worse conditions.
