Precautions against rust

[beanzontoast]

Just wondering...

Those who commute year round (and especially in this warm/wet summer weather some of us are having at the moment) - what precautions do you take against your bike and components rusting?

Also - does thinking about the negative effects of wet weather on your bike ever put you off cycle commuting on wet days, or are you more put off by the issue of yourself / clothing getting wet and ensuing logistics at work? For me it's the bike I am most concerned about.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Ach, it's only a bit of warm water from the sky!
I diligently dry my bike when I get to work or home, religiously mickle my chain, check my brakes.
I dry me as an afterthought

 

[Recycler]

If the bike gets wet then it gets wet. I don't bother about it.
If I wanted the bike to last forever then I would keep it in a glass case and never ride it all.

 

[palinurus]

Also - does thinking about the negative effects of wet weather on your bike ever put you off cycle commuting on wet days, or are you more put off by the issue of yourself / clothing getting wet and ensuing logistics at work? For me it's the bike I am most concerned about.

I don't give a toss about the bike- I don't even like my commuting bike so I'm happy to punish it. I'll be pleased when I've worn it out in a big way (ultimately this means breaking the frame- which may take some time) so I can get another. It's very important to have a bike like that. I clean it every now and then, fix it a bit, but I don't much care if it's dirty. I don't like getting wet on the way to work but I prefer it to any other way of getting there so, no, the negative effects of wet weather never put me off cycling to work. Obviously I get a bit pissed off with spells of crappy weather, especially when it's June and I should be enjoying a bit of sun.

 

[Pauluk]

When my bike gets dirty or just needs a clean I hose it down with the garden hose, then I let it dry, GTX85 the cogs and mechs then mickle the chain. Sometimes I will sparingly spray the frame with GTX85 and wipe it off.

I've replaced most of the bolts and screws on my bike with stainless steel cap head bolts and stainless steel grub screws, so don't have any rust issues.

 

[CopperCyclist]

I use the Mickle Method for the chain.

When it's dry, the bike gets put away with no attention.

When it's wet, I give it a quick dry with a slightly oily rag (except the brake discs which I leave untouched for obvious reasons), a squirt of GT85 on the cassette, chain rings, and various bolts, then leave it.

I re lube it about once every ten days, unless it's been very wet in which case it may be more often.

Thus far, a year on and I can't find any rust on my commuter!

 

[Linford]

Try ACF50

 

[Recycler]

Phew! You guys have reassured me.
I had been beginning to think that I was doing something wrong.

 

[Moodyman]

Full mudguards if you have the required mounts and don't have already have them installed. They're invaluable for year-round commuting.

With regards to cleaning, it depends on the bike/s you've got. A bike with a derailleur set up needs more attention than a hub geared/ disc brake bike.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

The bike gets no special treatment if its been raining, once a week it gets the tyres checked for debris, the chain checked and tightened if it needs it, its a fixed, if the chain is dirty it gets a wipe with a rag, if its dry I'll oil it, the brakes get checked and adjusted if they need it, sometime during the weekend I'll wash it down with soapy water.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Wipe over with an oily rag every so often, heavy dose of Finish line Green on the chain.

 

[mickle]

It seasy. Replace all the steel bits with non ferrous, chemically stable materials such as titanium, platinum, gold and such.

 

[beanzontoast]

Interesting responses - thanks all.

It's mainly the drivetrain I spend the time on; the rest of the bike gets a quick wipe down at the end of a wet ride. I use the Mickle method too. I find tyres harder to inspect for cuts and flints when they are wet so generally wait until the tyre has dried naturally before giving it the once over.

My commuter's a Subway 1 and seems pretty immune to the wet, though things like accessory fixings and some recessed hex bolt heads are prone to collect water. Using stainless bolts seems a good idea.

 

[400bhp]

Interesting responses - thanks all.

It's mainly the drivetrain I spend the time on; the rest of the bike gets a quick wipe down at the end of a wet ride. I use the Mickle method too. I find tyres harder to inspect for cuts and flints when they are wet so generally wait until the tyre has dried naturally before giving it the once over.

My commuter's a Subway 1 and seems pretty immune to the wet, though things like accessory fixings and some recessed hex bolt heads are prone to collect water. Using stainless bolts seems a good idea.

GT85 is your friend. Dry the bike with a cloth after a wet ride, then spray bike liberally with GT85 and leave.

 

[Linford]

GT85 is your friend. Dry the bike with a cloth after a wet ride, then spray bike liberally with GT85 and leave.

Have you used this stuff on your car ?

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/acf50.htm
I use it on my bike and it is good stuff - it isn't cheap, but then nothing used in the aerospace industry is going to be is it.