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

[davidphilips]

I don't recall anybody mention the damage done to rims by all-weather commuting. A couple of years was all I could get on the commuter bike's rims before they were concave and needing replaced and that's with riding to anticipate traffic lights and trying to avoid any heavy braking. Wet weather riding, particularly in winter, quickly adds a grinding paste to the rim / brake block, even if you wipe them clean before or after every ride.

Good point, what i also notice even if there some different views on both the effects and maintenance of bikes used though winter no one seems to mind to much if theres any adverse effect on the cyclist. Either there are none or the bike takes priority?

 

[raleighnut]

I don't recall anybody mention the damage done to rims by all-weather commuting. A couple of years was all I could get on the commuter bike's rims before they were concave and needing replaced and that's with riding to anticipate traffic lights and trying to avoid any heavy braking. Wet weather riding, particularly in winter, quickly adds a grinding paste to the rim / brake block, even if you wipe them clean before or after every ride.

Light braking is probably the worst for wearing rims out, it's like holding an abrasive against a surface for a long time. Try waiting until you need to stop then braking normally, the pads will dry, warm up and then grip with little or no wear to the rim.

 

[Tin Pot]

As I said, amazing how different people have different beliefs about beating the winter.

It's not quite yet "Helmet Debate" territory, I put it in the same class as shared road vs seperate cycle path debate. In other words there's a few seething oldies but not enough to get a proper bar room brawl going.

Ask them about grease, go on I dare you!

 

[Slick]

It's not quite yet "Helmet Debate" territory, I put it in the same class as shared road vs seperate cycle path debate. In other words there's a few seething oldies but not enough to get a proper bar room brawl going.

Ask them about grease, go on I dare you!

Ha ha, I wouldn't dare, although I was considering trying out a spot on my spoke nipples. I'll just take a stab in the dark as to which type is best.
One thing I've decided, I haven't been out in the bike all week, so to hell with lubing and greasing, I'm taking the new bike out a spin in the morning.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Fair enough. Shame though, as I thought I was dealing with some good guys.

@Slick having recently bought a Genesis I feel for you!
Where did you get it from? Billy Bisland or Dales?
@Yellow Saddle is dead right, I commute in all weathers, have watched two of my bikes slowly becoming rust buckets: they still go, of course, but the Genesis was too expensive to end up like that, so I will not ride it with grit on the roads.
True, one can minimize damage by rinsing and lubing after every ride, but if you are commuting you obviously can't.
My favorite bike mechanic, Katy at Freewheel North, always tells us " if you don't want your bike needing fixed, don't ride it!"

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

Yes, yes, I have seen your bike's pictures, immaculate she is

Yeah, I think you might be right, just have to learn how to look after them better.

When you get to work, shower the bike instead of you

I don't recall anybody mention the damage done to rims by all-weather commuting. A couple of years was all I could get on the commuter bike's rims before they were concave and needing replaced and that's with riding to anticipate traffic lights and trying to avoid any heavy braking. Wet weather riding, particularly in winter, quickly adds a grinding paste to the rim / brake block, even if you wipe them clean before or after every ride.

Eh, it's all disk brakes now.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Ha ha, I wouldn't dare, although I was considering trying out a spot on my spoke nipples. I'll just take a stab in the dark as to which type is best.
One thing I've decided, I haven't been out in the bike all week, so to hell with lubing and greasing, I'm taking the new bike out a spin in the morning.

No grease on spoke nipples, Katy says, it attracts grime: a drop of GT85 instead.

 

[Slick]

@Slick having recently bought a Genesis I feel for you!
Where did you get it from? Billy Bisland or Dales?
@Yellow Saddle is dead right, I commute in all weathers, have watched two of my bikes slowly becoming rust buckets: they still go, of course, but the Genesis was too expensive to end up like that, so I will not ride it with grit on the roads.
True, one can minimize damage by rinsing and lubing after every ride, but if you are commuting you obviously can't.
My favorite bike mechanic, Katy at Freewheel North, always tells us " if you don't want your bike needing fixed, don't ride it!"


Yes, yes, I have seen your bike's pictures, immaculate she is


When you get to work, shower the bike instead of you


Eh, it's all disk brakes now.

I went south for mine in Kilmarnock.

 

[Slick]

No grease on spoke nipples, Katy says, it attracts grime: a drop of GT85 instead.

Nice.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

This is just absolute nonsense, sorry. It's like you made it up. Original WD is just a light mineral oil in a solvent.

But but but....it says "New formulation for bikes" right there on the can?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

It's more satisfying to unwatch you instead

Stay tuned then.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

So, a claim by a bike shop bloke that you're not supposed to ride your good bike in the winter or it will corrode is obvious nonsense.

and

Yes, of course, iron (steel) and aluminium will corrode, and yes, of course, salty winter slush will make that happen faster. But it's all about the rate that it happens, and what we can do to slow it.

Don't you see the contradiction in your two adjacent sentences in your post. Does the bike corrode or not?

I used to ride a 531 steel bike all year round, to work and back every day, including through some pretty obnoxious winter weather. My standard procedure was to always carry a can of WD40 in my bag, and if my bike got wet on the way to work or back, I'd give the exposed components (brake mechs, derrailleurs, chain) a good spray. It's not lube, it's not a long-term solution, but it appeared to work very well for displacing the water and keeping corrosion away. Then, if it had been a wet or dirty week, at the weekend I'd clean the bike properly and re-lube.

Obnoxious weather has nothing to do with the corrosion we're talking about. It is wet, salty roads or even dry salty roads as Globalti rightfully pointed out. Emotional words like obnoxious doesn't strengthen your case. Further, oily sprays will help but spraying that stuff over your brakes (where the corrosion in question started off with) when you still consider to ride that bike back home is just not practical. Maybe back in the good old days of three generations of forefathers when brakes used to be spoon brakes, yes. Nowadays it is not practical or safe. I don't think suggesting riding around with a can of magic spray is the answer and certainly not a sensible suggestion. I don't think you really did it.

I've still got that bike, and after a bit of work on it last year, it's still going strong.

What does that actually mean? Going strong? Is there corrosion or not? Did you ride it in salt water or not?

I wish my granddad was still here, because I'd love to tell him that some bike shop bloke has claimed it's normal for a new bike to rust in just a few weeks if you ride it during the winter. Unfortunately, I can't share with you my mental picture of his probable response.

Well, if he was the clever and wise man I imagine he was, he'll be quick to ask you if our generation ever solved the problem of:

1) Melting the invisible coating of ice on roads.
2) Braking with hard rubber blocks on rusty chromed steel rims
3) Preventing water from just pouring into BBs without any seals
4) Removing rusty cotter pins
5) Changing gears without flipping the back wheel around.
6) Carrying a pocketable device that can spray light oil on all bike components.

He may even tell you that nostalgia isn't all it was cut out to be, if he's kind.

This bonhomie and good old days stuff is nice for a sunny day with a glass of wine, but this is a technical discussion and the problem is: salt makes bikes corrode.

 

[KneesUp]

My dad commuted on the same bike every working day for the best part of a decade, and I never saw him do anything other than change the brake blocks. I have that bike now, it's in my shed and it's largely original. I took the BB out as it was a bit rough, and that was pretty much gone, but everything else worked. It has the original cranks and chainwheels, the original derallieurs; tt even has one of the Mavic Module E rims he bought as an upgrade, even that must have done a good 6 or 7 years commuting duties. He used to work near a bike shop, so I presume he got them to change the chain and the sprockets once or twice, but other than that, a bit of 3 in 1 oil, some bar tape and a new saddle it's the same bike he bought in 1979. Bikes are quite tough machines.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

My dad commuted on the same bike every working day for the best part of a decade, and I never saw him do anything other than change the brake blocks. I have that bike now, it's in my shed and it's largely original. I took the BB out as it was a bit rough, and that was pretty much gone, but everything else worked. It has the original cranks and chainwheels, the original derallieurs; tt even has one of the Mavic Module E rims he bought as an upgrade, even that must have done a good 6 or 7 years commuting duties. He used to work near a bike shop, so I presume he got them to change the chain and the sprockets once or twice, but other than that, a bit of 3 in 1 oil, some bar tape and a new saddle it's the same bike he bought in 1979. Bikes are quite tough machines.

OK, you're a good one to ask then. What do you think it was that prevented that bike from corrosion in the usual-suspect spots mentioned earlier on in this thread? Was it indeed used on salted roads? You have the bike on hand, so it will make a great reference. It would help if we could understand the construction of this bike.
1) Does it have a chainstay bridge and if so, is it drilled?
2) What type of brakes does it have?
3) Are the spokes galvanised steel or stainless?
4) Are the nipples brass or steel? (assuming not aluminium due to the date)
5) Can the nipples still turn?
6) Is it a bushingless chain or not?
7) What type of gear mechanism?
8) Mudguards?
9) Cable actuated gears/brakes?
10) Stainless or galvanised cables?
11) Plastic lining in the cables?
12) Sealed BB or open type?
13) Cranks? Chromed steel or alu?Chromed or painted?
14) Hubs: Steel or alu? What type of seals on the bearings?
15) Frame: Where, if any does the paint blister from rust?
16) Seatpost: Is it chromed steel. Can it still move up and down? Is the seat clamp still operational?

 

[KneesUp]

OK, you're a good one to ask then. What do you think it was that prevented that bike from corrosion in the usual-suspect spots mentioned earlier on in this thread? Was it indeed used on salted roads? You have the bike on hand, so it will make a great reference. It would help if we could understand the construction of this bike.
1) Does it have a chainstay bridge and if so, is it drilled?
2) What type of brakes does it have?
3) Are the spokes galvanised steel or stainless?
4) Are the nipples brass or steel? (assuming not aluminium due to the date)
5) Can the nipples still turn?
6) Is it a bushingless chain or not?
7) What type of gear mechanism?
8) Mudguards?
9) Cable actuated gears/brakes?
10) Stainless or galvanised cables?
11) Plastic lining in the cables?
12) Sealed BB or open type?
13) Cranks? Chromed steel or alu?Chromed or painted?
14) Hubs: Steel or alu? What type of seals on the bearings?
15) Frame: Where, if any does the paint blister from rust?
16) Seatpost: Is it chromed steel. Can it still move up and down? Is the seat clamp still operational?

1 - yes, yes
2 crappy Weinman ones (I've bought some early 105 callipers to replace them)
3 no idea
4 no idea
5 no idea
6 it doesn't have one at the moment - as mentioned I'm sure that has been changed over the years though
7 Sachs Huret 10 speed

8 Yes
9 Yes
10 no idea - I expect these are not 40 years old though ...
11 no
12 open, but as stated, pitted and worn axle
13 Aluminium - Stronglight 52/42
14 would have to look - one is (I think) from my bike from when I was a teenager. I used to 'borrow' the wheels of my dad's if I had a puncture once he'd changed jobs and didn't cycle so often
15 Steel frame. Paint blistered all over perhaps as a function of the garage it was kept in. I used to hang my bike from the rafters so it didn't get scratched.
16 steel - it moves and clamps. The stem does not move though.

It's actually a 1982 bike - I misremembered.

 

[Globalti]

Ultimately I think this thread is about the bike shop bloke's glib comment vs. the pragmatic view of bikes as a tool.

I can hear the probably young shop assistant expressing horror at the idea of exposing one's best bike to salt and I completely sympathise with this attitude, I have a valuable race bike and I simply wouldn't dream of riding it in salty or even wet conditions, it's too beautiful and perfect to be dirtied and rusted and I need it to last a good many years.

OTOH I have an all-weather bike that has lightweight mudguards in winter and that has to cope with everything it encounters on the road. I do clean it after a muddy or salty ride but I can see the steady deterioration.

Bear in mind also that in these litigious times local authorities are probably salting roads more than they did when some contributors were riding regularly.