Sand
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Holdsworth
Guru
- Location
- Crewe, Cheshire
Salt is also bad. When I rode the 100 miles to the Welsh coast for a camping trip in August the sea air attacked my rear mech. It was cleaned a few times with baby wipes over the weeks I was there but I still have horrible salt corrosion marks on it and the chain.
addictfreak
Guru
- Location
- Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Cycled down to the coast yesterday, left the bike on the promenade, spent some time in the cafe then met up with the wife and dog had long walk on beach, then loaded bike onto car and drove home. I guess that big wind must have pepered the bike with sand while it was left on the promenade; going into work this morning the grinding crunching noise of the chain and gears was heartbreaking - my poor bike, no doubt i am going to grind all the way home tonight.
But it must have been a blast down to the coast with that wind behind you.
Give the bike a good blast off, that sand gets everywhere and is a bugger to get it all off.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Hose it off, and the chain. We made that mistake last year - rode through sand dunes - all 4 bikes needed doing pronto - blast chain with hose, re-lube and totally clean sprockets/chainrings/jockeys. Mare !
addictfreak
Guru
- Location
- Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Yep, a very fast 30 mile with little effort, see the My Ride Today thread for some pics
Back to the sand, the oil on the chain feels like some sort of very effective grinding past, will try and do some thing tonight with it, may be just keep re oiling it then blasting it clean with the compressed air line do that a few times should sort it out, or may be get the sand grains deep inside for maximum damage
Great Pics, looks like you live in a fantastic area. My idea of heaven!
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
I had the same problem with a grinding chain on Friday. I hid behind the local RNLI station to adjust my brakes. When I walked around the corner, my bike literally took off! 
I had to wrestle with it and swing it around the corner of the building again. I then composed myself and decided to walk through the wind a bit. BUT THEN IT STARTED HAILING! And I had a 30 mph wind pounding into my face with a mixture of hail and sand. It was terrible.
I eventually managed to battle through the wind and get to where I was changing direction to south. I had to pop on the roads a little so was forced to use my brakes. They too had sand on them and kept making a loud rubbing noise which eventually dissappeared. It was a very windy and sandy day indeed!
I had to wrestle with it and swing it around the corner of the building again. I then composed myself and decided to walk through the wind a bit. BUT THEN IT STARTED HAILING! And I had a 30 mph wind pounding into my face with a mixture of hail and sand. It was terrible.I eventually managed to battle through the wind and get to where I was changing direction to south. I had to pop on the roads a little so was forced to use my brakes. They too had sand on them and kept making a loud rubbing noise which eventually dissappeared. It was a very windy and sandy day indeed!
Glow worm
Legendary Member
- Location
- Near Newmarket
Before I knew better, I would regularly cycle along the sandy beach at Holkham in Norfolk for miles (it was more pleasant than the coast road and great fun roaring along with a following wind) but my god, I can't imagine how much damage I must have done to the chain & components. I leave the bike at Wells or similar nowadays and walk out to the sea instead.
MattHB
Proud Daddy
- Location
- Deepest darkest Dorset
I ride along bournemouth prom every Friday then back to GF house across canford Heath (very sandy) in that evening. Bike sounds like a family of small turtles under foot by the time I get to hers.
Saturday morning ritual is a soak with muckoff for 10 mins and a jet wash, closely blowing out the chain. Then a relube with scottoil (I'm a motorbiker as well) as well as light oil on all moving bits (mech's) and the like.
Just don't leave it, not even a day or your chain will be a long strip of rust!
Saturday morning ritual is a soak with muckoff for 10 mins and a jet wash, closely blowing out the chain. Then a relube with scottoil (I'm a motorbiker as well) as well as light oil on all moving bits (mech's) and the like.
Just don't leave it, not even a day or your chain will be a long strip of rust!