Bicycle Mechanics - riding in rain

hi all - new - first post - want to ride in rain and want have a good routine to care for bike when done - somethings are clear - use water (without force) to remove mud debris - and then? - soap? - spray cleaner of some kind? - and then? - lube? what product? - only one for everything? different ones for different parts? - again, this is not a major overhaul, just a prudent routine for ordinary maintaince after a ride in the ride - many thanks!! stephen

http://firstrung.co.uk/dbimgs/iStock_can%20of%20worms.jpg


Oh yeah, welcome to BF! :)

Are you talking road or mountain riding. I commute way too much in the rain on the road. The only stuff I do is frequent chain clean and lube regimen and cleaning the road grime from the rims and brake pads. You will probably need to replace cables and housing more frequently, at least once a season, way more for the loop from the chain stay to the RD.

After any rain ride I drip a llot water over the bike with no pressure, blast the brake pads with high pressure (even just with a water bottle if that's all I've got around), then let it dry. Once dry, I lube the chain.

If, on the next ride, my brakes are grinding, I will pull the wheels, open the brakes, and pry out the debris with my pocket knife.

That is all.

Wipe down, clean the brake pads, regular chain wipe and lube.

I wait for the rain to wash my bike.

i typically avoid riding in the rain if possible, even though i like to do it. the clean up is such a pain.

but absolutely the most important thing is cleaning that chain/drivetrain

i don't ride in the rain. i'm too anal about cleanup, so it's too much of a chore for me.

Ride in socal. We hardly have any rain

clean and lube the chain with a good oil based lube.
The dry lubes just don't do so well in the wet.
Get some good stainless cables and go fully housed.
That exposed cable sucks in the rain and mud.
I like to wipe the cables downwhen doing assembly and maintenence with an extremely light coat of chain lube too as it makes them repell water.
Keep the derailleures clean.
simple green is a great cleaner for after the rides.

Your maintenence will definately be more frequent with a steady diet of foul weather.
I know from years of racing around the Pacific NW that there is some definate maintenence issues that come about when riding/racing in foul weather.

Fenders

As you can see, frequent re-lubrication of the chain is pretty important.

I live in Portland, Oregon. Lots of rain. Not quite as much as Seattle is famed for, but almost!

After riding in the rain, I plug in my air-compressor. While it's running, I quickly run low-pressure water over my bike, from top to bottom and try to stay away from the seat-post collar and headset. I have a set of Park Tool cleaning brushes. I may use one of these to dislodge heavy road-grime from the bottom bracket or down-tube. I don't bother with soap-- next ride will likely be just as wet and messy. Even when mud is involved, soap is a waste. The bike will get dirty in another couple of days.

Once I'm finished rinsing the majority of the dirt off the bike, i bring the air-compressor over and blow-dry the chain. I direct the air from the cog-side of the chain to blow contaminants OUT of the chain.

The rest of the bike gets a quick wipe down with a shop towel.

I apply ProLink Gold lube to the chain. It hold up really well in all kinds of weather and beats the tar out of anything else I've used (Pedro's SynLube, White Lightening wax-based stuff, Finish Line, A.T.B.). It is a liquid that penetrates the link and rollers quickly.

This whole procedure takes maybe 10 minutes. Considering that this gets done after every ride during the winter months I don't want to spend a disporportionate amount of time cleaning every little nook and cranny and getting the bike sparkly clean.

Important point: A little bit of clean done regularly goes a long way. Focus on the drive components-- cassette, chain, cranks, derailleurs.

Once spring is firmly in place and it's not raining constantly, THEN the bikes all come out for a soapy spring cleaning complete with silicone polish (Pedro's Bike Lust spray). I use plain liquid dishwashing soap (a generic equivalent of Dawn) to clean the bike. Cuts grease and oil, non-toxic, and leaves my hands oh-so-soft. Plus makes everything smell apple-y or lemon-y, depending on the soap i use. :)