Do we really need to wrap new bikes in cotton wool through the winter?

[Slick]

Mine takes a battering as well, its why people started talking of winter bikes in the first place. The wet, cold, the extra oil, metal and glass on the roads, not to mention gritting if that happens near you...it all takes it's toll.

But.

Wrapping it up won't save it - using it and cleaning it afterwards and lubing as appropriate will keep it ship shape

Yeah, there has been a few mornings I've battled through the frost and salt. That's why I wanted a good bike though, to handle all that stuff but I take your point about cleaning and lubing. I thought I was doing OK, but I think the damage must be when it's lying at work all day. I'll probably need to start taking it in the shower with me.

 

[KnackeredBike]

For some bizarre reason I seem to find that myself and my colleagues who have knackered bikes that get left out in bike stands through the winter seem to have bikes that survive and thrive whereas my colleagues with much nicer bikes do need to break out the cotton wool and Lemsips for their bike.

I don't know the technical reason for this but IMO any bike "mechanic" that tells you not to ride a bike instead of how to maintain a bike so that it's rideable when you want is a bit of a knob.

 

[r04DiE]

Mine is ridden all year round and it loves it

 

[Slick]

What brakeset?

This isn't where I bought it, but just a better link for information.

https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/...Frame_Medium?gclid=CPWX3_60x9ECFQEL0wod9jYINg

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I bought a new bike after getting some excellent advice from the forum. I planned to use the old bike for commuting and keep the new bike for the weekend but the truth is, as soon as I sat my backside on the new bike I quickly made up my mind that I wouldn't use anything else. I give it a good clean at night and a good spray all over before putting it back in the garage but it seems this isn't enough. The rear brake started jamming on, so I put it in for its free check and it turns out it was rusting inside. The guy fixed it no problem, but his advice was not to ride it in the winter to avoid more problems. Is this a thing or would you expect a new modern bike to be able to withstand a few weeks of winter use?

I'm clearly in the minority here but I say your bike shop owner was right. Brakes contain springs that can only be made of steel. Steel can be painted or plated. Paint doesn't work on steel, so they're plated. Plating is very susceptible to rust. Salt causes rust. The bolts are also steel (Titanium on some fancy stuff) and they too will rust, at first inside the hex hole and then spreading onwards. These brakes contain bearings and all bearing balls rust. You discovered this yourself.
The RD and FD both contain lots of steel.
The hubs and other bits are made from polished or anodised aluminium. This develops pits in the presence of salt.
Spokes have either aluminium or brass nipples. Aluminium and stainless steel, in the presence of salt, forms a nice galvanic battery that quickly cracks the nipples. Brass too, but much slower.
Headset bearings are sprayed by salt water coming directly off the front wheel. It rusts.
Lots of other bits and pieces corrode as well, paint and plating notwithstanding.

There is good reason why people have summer and winter bikes.

I guess will boil down to semantics in the end and it all depends on what you asked the bike shop guy for him so say not to ride it in winter. If you asked him how you can prevent it, his answer is correct.

No amount of stuff you spray on or cleaning can negate riding in salt water. Nothing.

Salt water spray is one of the most powerful tools to test for corrosion. Usually an item will be said to be corrosion proof to "50 hours of X-temperature salt water spray."

 

[Slick]

I'm clearly in the minority here but I say your bike shop owner was right. Brakes contain springs that can only be made of steel. Steel can be painted or plated. Paint doesn't work on steel, so they're plated. Plating is very susceptible to rust. Salt causes rust. The bolts are also steel (Titanium on some fancy stuff) and they too will rust, at first inside the hex hole and then spreading onwards. These brakes contain bearings and all bearing balls rust. You discovered this yourself.
The RD and FD both contain lots of steel.
The hubs and other bits are made from polished or anodised aluminium. This develops pits in the presence of salt.
Spokes have either aluminium or brass nipples. Aluminium and stainless steel, in the presence of salt, forms a nice galvanic battery that quickly cracks the nipples. Brass too, but much slower.
Headset bearings are sprayed by salt water coming directly off the front wheel. It rusts.
Lots of other bits and pieces corrode as well, paint and plating notwithstanding.

There is good reason why people have summer and winter bikes.

I guess will boil down to semantics in the end and it all depends on what you asked the bike shop guy for him so say not to ride it in winter. If you asked him how you can prevent it, his answer is correct.

No amount of stuff you spray on or cleaning can negate riding in salt water. Nothing.

Salt water spray is one of the most powerful tools to test for corrosion. Usually an item will be said to be corrosion proof to "50 hours of X-temperature salt water spray."

That's exactly what I asked him. I'm not exactly riding on the beach or anything, but I do like to ride as much as possible in winter so inevitably I'm riding on treated roads. So is the winter bikes cheaper and tougher or just expendable?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

That's exactly what I asked him. I'm not exactly riding on the beach or anything, but I do like to ride as much as possible in winter so inevitably I'm riding on treated roads. So is the winter bikes cheaper and tougher or just expendable?

Expendable. Also fitted with full mudguards. Obviously not as a rule, but usually. Full mudguards prevent the spray for reaching anywhere from under the saddle to the seatpost, to the brake bearings. Two-piece mudguards are still tough on brakes. Some people ride singlespeeds to work to give the salt less to chew on.

 

[KnackeredBike]

Lots of other bits and pieces corrode as well, paint and plating notwithstanding.

Of course pieces corrode but any designer who designs a bike for anything other than a velodrome should be aware of the presence of salt and water and design a bike which (through paint, plating, materials or sheer strength) can withstand it. After all, drivers drive around in big boxes of chipped steel for years without their car falling apart.

I've just checked by rear brake which has absolutely no maintenance, no mudguards and gets all the crap thrown onto it. It has surface rust but is absolutely servicable and will be for many years because the steel springs and bolts are robust enough to withstand it. If that is possible on a £200 bike it should be easy on a £2,000 bike.

 

[boydj]

To reinforce YS' post above, if you commute in all weathers without mudguards then you'll be replacing a lot of components by the end of winter, no matter how good your cleaning / lubrication routine is.

 

[Slick]

To reinforce YS' post above, if you commute in all weathers without mudguards then you'll be replacing a lot of components by the end of winter, no matter how good your cleaning / lubrication routine is.

Well, I'm commuting in your area, so if anyone knows the terrain it's you.

 

[fossyant]

So, someone is still being sold into this..... You need a ride to work bike, then a training bike, then a race bike, then at least two different MTB's.....

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Of course pieces corrode but any designer who designs a bike for anything other than a velodrome should be aware of the presence of salt and water and design a bike which (through paint, plating, materials or sheer strength) can withstand it. After all, drivers drive around in big boxes of chipped steel for years without their car falling apart.

I've just checked by rear brake which has absolutely no maintenance, no mudguards and gets all the crap thrown onto it. It has surface rust but is absolutely servicable and will be for many years because the steel springs and bolts are robust enough to withstand it. If that is possible on a £200 bike it should be easy on a £2,000 bike.

As I said, semantics will kick in. Who said anything about things falling apart? Take off your car's front wheel and have a look at the mess in there. It's rust everywhere. It's not falling apart - yet. A car is easy to make look as if it is not corroded. A bike not.

You'll need to tell us what type of plating that can be used on springs (that doesn't introduce hydrogen embrittlement) can be used on brake springs. You'll have to tell us how you prevent rust where the paint is under attack from QR teeth on the drop-outs, prevents rust. Remind us how you place a bolt so that the hex cavity is also plated? Tell us how you protect that naked little spring in the FD? Tell us how you prevent salt water entering your seat tube via the seat clamp and pool in the BB where it festers.

I'm not sure how robustness or "sheer strength" comes into play but it sounds to me that your bike is no longer pristine, thanks to salt. No bike is immune. Not even yours.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

So, someone is still being sold into this..... You need a ride to work bike, then a training bike, then a race bike, then at least two different MTB's.....

No, no-one said that. The issue is, if I want a pristine bike, is it likely that it will remain pristine if I ride it to work in the winter?

 

[r04DiE]

But who wants a pristine bike? Surely we're all aware that use = wear and tear? I did 13,000km on my last bike over many winters and its still working, hasn't fallen apart, so who cares about riding in winter?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

But who wants a pristine bike? Surely we're all aware that use = wear and tear? I did 13,000km on my last bike over many winters and its still working, hasn't fallen apart, so who cares about riding in winter?

That is a different debate.