Commuting - Rusting in the cycle shed??

Having ridden thru the rain & stuff to work in the morning, I often fret about the chain & cassette gently rusting away. Especially since I don't often do the right thing in the evening when I get home - clean & oil things.

I guess the best solution would to have 2 cans of oil/water repellant, one at work and one at home and spray the chain & hubs when I arrive at either destination.

Any other suggestions? Does anyone know of some water repellant penetrating spray-type stuff I can get in the UK or would good 'ol WD40 do the job?


ps there's a scene in Red Dwarf where Kryton meets a babe mechanoid and she uses WD40 for perfume, & Kryton really likes it. I understand completely. I don't dare tell my wife.

Stew

If you buy a high-quality chain, such as a SRAM pc-68, there isn't much which will rust. For long-term storage (like over winter), I remove the chain, and stick it in a bag.

ARRGGHHH! There's that word again...WD-40! You may do what you want, but I would NEVER use that stuff on anything that I own. It is in fact an excellent penetrant, but it has questionable lubrication properties! Untill recently, the label on the can did not even use the word lubricates! A respected friend who is a locksmith called it his best friend...because when a person had a sticky lock, they would spray it in and things would work...for a while! Then the alcohol would evaporate, and the workings of the lock were left in worse shape than before, so my friend got to sell then a new lockset after the old one failed for lack of lubrication!

There are many other products available at your LBS or auto parts store that would be much more desirable, IMHO. Keep the WD to dab behind your ears if you must, just keep it away from your bike!

Ya, don't use WD-40 on your chain. It has it's place as a solvent and to free-up seized parts, but it is really not a good lubricant - especially not for a chain.

If you keep your chain lubricated with a good chain lube, it will hold up pretty well with some exposure to rain and spashing water.

The winter is a different story, though, if the streets are salted as they often are in North America. I know that this is a practice which has been largely abandoned in more environmentally aware countries than the USA. Maybe they don't salt the roads in England, so you are probably safe.

In defence of WD-40, granted, it's not a lubricant. But however, I DO use it sometimes if, after riding in the rain, I find that my proper lubricant hasn't quite done it's job and I want to clear away the corrosion quickly. I won't re-lube the chain properly until I am convinced the rain has stopped.

I should also add that all but one of my chains has lasted for inexcess of 10,000 km.

I think of WD 40 as Water Displacement, not as a lube. After a wet ride I give my bike a sponge bath to get the grime off, then I spray WD sparingly on my derailers, brakes, and cassette. Then I wipe em down with an absorbent rag. Lubrication comes next, which will have to wait until I have gone inside and taken a hot shower. As long as the bike is dry there is no problem.

Those stainless steel Wippermann chains sound pretty cool, $50 youch!They claim the chain is 40% more durable(I don't know if they mean milage or what) and they have less stretch.Heh, I ordered a Sram pc69 anyway......

TRI-FLO a silicon lubricant works well and leaves a slight film for protection. Available at hardware stores, auto supply stores and sometimes in bike shops.