Bicycle Mechanics - Winterproof coatings for bikes?

Aren't there coatings that would help in repelling or shedding road gunk, slush, salt, etc.?

Something slippery (wax or silicone, or some kind of no-stick spray used on kitchenware) seems as though it would help to shed anything that tried to attach itself -- something like the water-shedding that happens on a duck's feathers.

...a Teflon effect.

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Also, it might help seal out salts and moisture, which (at least I have heard this said) can get through the paint and start some corrosion happening underneath.

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Is there anything that would do this?

Why not coat the whole bike with Turtle Wax, components and all, and then spray over that with some kind of very slippery coating?

It would also make it easier to clean the bike -- whatever material managed to adhere to it would be easier to rinse or wipe off....

Someone suggested PAM cooking spray to me, but I'd like to hear from those who've tried several methods/options.

Every september I clean my commuter hack (whether it needs a clean or not) and layer it in several coats of turtle wax. I do the frame, bolt-heads and exposed cables but not the rims.

Anything you spray on or apply will just be a sacrificial layer. There isn't any fast answers or time certain products, other than opinions/experiences, and some locales use different types of road salts...so the frequency of cleaning and reapplication is unknown. I would suggest using Collinite Paste Fleetwax (#885), or Doublecoat (#476), or Liquid Insulator Wax (#845). Collinite holds up pretty well during the winter months and road salt/salt water conditions on cars and boats. The alternative is to powercoat your frame or build one out of stainless steel.

PAM would probably be an adequate solution, but not friendly to your brakes. You would also need to apply it frequently. I have found that washing followed by wipedown to clean and dry works well to keep corrosion fairly at bay.

I use Klasse All In One to wax all of my bicycles. Although I once saw a mountain bike frame that had been sprayed with Line X truckbed liner. It was pretty interesting, and the owner said it was a bombproof finish.

Aren't there coatings that would help in repelling or shedding road gunk, slush, salt, etc.?

Something slippery (wax or silicone, or some kind of no-stick spray used on kitchenware) seems as though it would help to shed anything that tried to attach itself -- something like the water-shedding that happens on a duck's feathers.



Well, there is a lot of new nano-products that claim to work the way you describe. For fun i tried this one:
http://www.rema-tiptop.com/portal/index.php?page_id=87506

Dirt still gets attached to the bike after rain but I can wipe the dirt of with a dry cloth without problems and the frame shines like new afterwards. My guess is that these new nano products are better than wax based products, but they are also much more expensive.

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Regards

Three things.

First, I have full fenders and mudflaps. The front mudflap goes to about 50 mm off the ground and is instrumental in keeping the bike fairly free of flying crap. I think this is the best protection I can offer to my bike.

Second, I lube or grease moving parts. For lubricant, think of Wet "cyclocross" lube, 10W30, transmission oil, grease... the former being cleaner and good when it snows or is totally dry, and the latter working better when we have that salty midst in the air for weeks in a row.

Third, I "wash" my bike with WD-40. I know it's not a proper lubricant, but it's effective as a light paint and rust protection on non-moving parts such as the frame, fenders, etc.

So far, my bikes aren't showroom material – they almost never were – but most damage to the finish happened when parked or while touring, not in Winter. The paint of my 1980 bike clearly shows its age, but the frame is still very sound. My 2000 bike and my tandem both look great.

I used this on my winter commuter. I installed it in the beginning of winter and all i really did was wipe it down after rain or snow. When warm weather came around i just peeled it off and installed a new sheet to protect it from road pits.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14620-400_BNKDI6-3-Parts-60-Frames/Bonk!-Paint-Protection-Film-Do-It-Yourself-Kit.htm

I went to the Dollar store and bought some miracle wax for cars seems to work very well and a bottle will last forever or tell you leave the lid of it and it falls over.

A thick layer of car wax first to a clean bike. Then spray either Pledge wax or Silicone spray onto surfaces before riding. Get a coat on anything that'll be covered in dirt and mud.
Excluding the brakes and rim of course.
I would also tape over the vent holes on the frame and fork, should there be any.
The trick is to hose off the dirt after each filthy ride before it sticks. No matter what you try, the dirt will stick. Just a matter of how much effort the cleaning will be and how obsessive you are with your bike.

Go to www.corrosionx.com (http://www.corrosionx.com) and get a can of Corrosion X. It protects aluminum and metal parts until you wash it off.

You can also put a neoprene headset guard on to keep gook out of there.