Bicycle Mechanics - Maintenance after HEAVY RAIN

Hi there! It's been raining here in wisconsin everyday for over 5 days. I never thought i would, but I've been riding my brand new bike every day in the heavy rain. I've got almost all Shimano Ultegra components (if that matters), and I'm just wondering what EXACTLY i need to do after it rains. What do i need to lube? Should i rinse off the sand and grit? Do i lube the shifters, bottom bracket, wheel bearings... do i need to disassemble anything? Do need to blow-dry anything? I don't want to destroy my new bike, but I'm addicted to riding!

Thanks very much,
Ted

Hi there! It's been raining here in wisconsin everyday for over 5 days. I never thought i would, but I've been riding my brand new bike every day in the heavy rain. I've got almost all Shimano Ultegra components (if that matters), and I'm just wondering what EXACTLY i need to do after it rains. What do i need to lube? Should i rinse off the sand and grit? Do i lube the shifters, bottom bracket, wheel bearings... do i need to disassemble anything? Do need to blow-dry anything? I don't want to destroy my new bike, but I'm addicted to riding!

Thanks very much,
Ted

the chain is the main thing. a few rains and it usualy needs a good lube.

If you do wash/rinse your bike make sure you don't blast water into the bearings.

Hi there! It's been raining here in wisconsin everyday for over 5 days. I never thought i would, but I've been riding my brand new bike every day in the heavy rain. I've got almost all Shimano Ultegra components (if that matters), and I'm just wondering what EXACTLY i need to do after it rains. What do i need to lube? Should i rinse off the sand and grit? Do i lube the shifters, bottom bracket, wheel bearings... do i need to disassemble anything? Do need to blow-dry anything? I don't want to destroy my new bike, but I'm addicted to riding!

Thanks very much,
Ted

You're not gunna like this; you really should grease EVERYTHING or you could have some bolts 'fusing'. I gave up worrying, and bought a 2nd hand aluminum bike for riding in the rain, then i put so much grease on it, it now weighs 2 lbs more than it did when I bought it. :D I have another older 'rain' bike with mud-guards, that i didn't grease, and the pedals are now fused to the cranks, the cranks are fused to the bottom bracket, and the bottom bracket is fused to the frame, and it's rusting -- so this old frame is kinda wrecked. Fusing is just a short term problem; rust is the long term trouble.

Even on aluminum bikes there's a lot of steel bolts that only need a bit of corrosion on the thread to seize up. IT HAPPENS!! Common 'seize' points are: pedals to the cranks, bottom bracket cups to the frame, seat post bolt (on the seat), seat post bolt (in the frame), and the Allen nut holding the brake calipers to the frame, etc. Anyway, you get the picture.

You'd also be amazed at how much water can get in to the frame and the wheels. I once pulled a bike apart, 4 weeks after riding in heavy rain, well, the wheels were full of water, and after taking out the bottom bracket, I found 1/4 inch of water sitting in the frame!! :eek:

There's also the concern of performance: your hubs, chain, gears, cogs, STIs etc, obviously aren't gunna work as well with dirt and crap on/in them.

Most guys don't ride their best bikes in the wet. :)


What sort of bike is it? Expensive? Aluminum?

Hi there! It's been raining here in wisconsin everyday for over 5 days. I never thought i would, but I've been riding my brand new bike every day in the heavy rain. I've got almost all Shimano Ultegra components (if that matters), and I'm just wondering what EXACTLY i need to do after it rains. What do i need to lube? Should i rinse off the sand and grit? Do i lube the shifters, bottom bracket, wheel bearings... do i need to disassemble anything? Do need to blow-dry anything? I don't want to destroy my new bike, but I'm addicted to riding!

Thanks very much,
Ted
My advice is don't pressure wash or airspray ANYTHING...All it does is drive more dirt and grit further into any weak spots. Wiping and perhaps *zero* pressure washing might be OK...Good bikes are designed to keep water and grit out of the critical moving parts. Don't worry about it. Lube moderately, primarily the chain. Enjoy the ride. Perform routine servicing according to the mileage....Most of all, have fun!!! :)

My advice is don't pressure wash or airspray ANYTHING...All it does is drive more dirt and grit further into any weak spots. Wiping and perhaps *zero* pressure washing might be OK...Good bikes are designed to keep water and grit out of the critical moving parts. Don't worry about it. Lube moderately, primarily the chain. Enjoy the ride. Perform routine servicing according to the mileage....Most of all, have fun!!! :)

I agree, pressure washing tends to do more harm than good. I have gone mountain biking in the mud twice in the past few weeks and the bike has just been caked, so I have been pressure washing it at a do it yourself carwash. This causes far more shifting, grinding and noise problems than any mud, rain, or snow does. I only do it because I ride the bike to class and the bike stays in the living room and I dont want all the mud there.

I would mainly worry about your chain. Make sure to lube frequently and that you are using a decent lube that stands up to water.

... only need a bit of corrosion on the thread to cease up. IT HAPPENS!! Common 'cease' points are...

FYI: 'seize'. Once the parts 'seize' up their motion will 'cease'.

I am too fussy about getting the grit into the gears, cassettes, etc..So in rainy conditions I ride my older hybrid. Little less fussy about that...The crap in the cogs, cassettes is so awful, I usually end up washing the bike.. Reason, I don't like rain. Don't like to use oil based lubes, which are a must for wet riding..Silicone based lubes, which I normally use- just would not cut it for 3 miles... Those wet lubes add to the disgusting grit that acculumates in the drive train..
One solution..Move to So Cal...We only get about 20 days of rain a year......At the most..Maybe closer to 10.
Also, I don't like the sense of loss of traction in wet conditions.

Ted, you say you like to ride, and you say you've been riding for FIVE days in HEAVY RAIN! So, I'm gonna estimate 2h per ride at an average speed of 30kph, that's about 300km (180+ miles) I'm also gonna guess that you don't have mudguards on your bike. My cycling friend, you need to take the bike apart. There's water in your bottom bracket, in your wheel bearings, in your cable housing, and almost certainly in the lower part (the part that gets most of the stress) of your head-set, at the fork crown. I'd also remove the seatpost completly and blow a hair-dryer down the tube to dry it out then liberally spary WD40 in the tube. For the brake calipers I would also liberallly spray with WD40, allow to dry then lube with good quality bike lubricant. I'd do the same for the pedals. WD40, by the way, is excellent for driving moisture out of hard to get at places. It's not a very good lubricant for bicycles, but if you spray it in to parts and let sit, it does a great job of getting moisture out in preparation for lubing. The chain and deraileurs are obvious and easy (relatively) to clean but the other stuff is where the real money is. Oh, and while you have that seatpost out take a look at the chassis of the saddle. There's moisture where the rails go in to the seat, so try to nurse some silicone lube into those recesses and you may avoid a squeaky saddle later on. Also, some WD40 (just love that stuff) to the rail clamps themselves. If your bottom bracket assemble is sealed and fairly new, just check to see if the axle turns smoothly, examine the rubber seals, if they are in good shape their will be a small amount of 'drag' when you spin the axle, that's good. If you can detect any roughness when you turn the axle you have to disassemble and repack with grease. Unless you have a well-equipped repair 'shop' you'd be well advised to take the bike to your LBS. If you don't get the bike cleaned and re-lubed properly you will ruin it. Now you understand why old bikies always have a 'hack' for riding in bad weather, or ride the 'vomitron' when the roads are wet.

Listen to us that live where it rains all the time. Lube your bike as you would normally there is no need to take it all the way apart. I have never done that EVER and I ride in rain from October through April. I have it tuned up twice a year overhauled when needed (once in ten years). I clean and lube it every Sunday before the work week. Oh yeah a good coat of wax helps. A good bike is very water resistant. I have been commuting on the same bike for 10 year now.

i'm with ngateguy.

I don't have time to take my bike apart every few days. It's survived ice and road salt and dirt and rain just fine. A bit of WD-40 here and there and some chain lube will do you just fine. you don't see people taking apart their car wheels and re-lubing every time they go out in the rain.

I ride all winter, rain or shine. You dont need to go crazy.
Prepare your bike. Ensure that all the threads on bolts are greased. Smear your seatpost, you only need the lightest of coating with a slightly greasy cloth. With a steel bike, spray some framesaver or WD40 inside the frame, but beware if you have a maintainable bottom bracket. WD40 will work its way inside any sealed bearing and disolve the lube. Shimano cartridges are immune to WD40 from inside the frame, but not outside. They are pretty well sealed and non-maintainable.
Coat the frame in a few layers of car wax and polish. Smear exposed cable with wax (not grease).
Your bike is now winterized.

After a long wet ride, clean off any mud or muck . I jut throw a bucket of water over the transmission and brakes. Let it dry a bit, then relube. Spray some lube (or WD40) onto the brake and derailleur pivots if you like, but you dont need much.
Never spray WD40 onto the seal of any bearings.

FYI: 'seize'. Once the parts 'seize' up their motion will 'cease'.

D'OH!! sure glad this is anonymous. Now I'm gunna be tottaly panaroid abowt speling and the and grammatticle mistaiks errors

Ted, you say you like to ride, and you say you've been riding for FIVE days in HEAVY RAIN! So, I'm gonna estimate 2h per ride at an average speed of 30kph, that's about 300km (180+ miles) I'm also gonna guess that you don't have mudguards on your bike. My cycling friend, you need to take the bike apart. There's water in your bottom bracket, in your wheel bearings, in your cable housing, and almost certainly in the lower part (the part that gets most of the stress) of your head-set, at the fork crown. I'd also remove the seatpost completly and blow a hair-dryer down the tube to dry it out then liberally spary WD40 in the tube. For the brake calipers I would also liberallly spray with WD40, allow to dry then lube with good quality bike lubricant. I'd do the same for the pedals. WD40, by the way, is excellent for driving moisture out of hard to get at places. It's not a very good lubricant for bicycles, but if you spray it in to parts and let sit, it does a great job of getting moisture out in preparation for lubing. The chain and deraileurs are obvious and easy (relatively) to clean but the other stuff is where the real money is. Oh, and while you have that seatpost out take a look at the chassis of the saddle. There's moisture where the rails go in to the seat, so try to nurse some silicone lube into those recesses and you may avoid a squeaky saddle later on. Also, some WD40 (just love that stuff) to the rail clamps themselves. If your bottom bracket assemble is sealed and fairly new, just check to see if the axle turns smoothly, examine the rubber seals, if they are in good shape their will be a small amount of 'drag' when you spin the axle, that's good. If you can detect any roughness when you turn the axle you have to disassemble and repack with grease. Unless you have a well-equipped repair 'shop' you'd be well advised to take the bike to your LBS. If you don't get the bike cleaned and re-lubed properly you will ruin it. Now you understand why old bikies always have a 'hack' for riding in bad weather, or ride the 'vomitron' when the roads are wet.

Thanks, I thought I was being obsessive-compulsive. I gotta say I'm a bit surprised about people willing to risk damage to their gear. In my opinion, even if money is not an issue, it's worth making your bike 'rain proof' just to avoid the inconvenience of having to hacksaw off a seized bolt. But I suppose it's no big deal.

One solution..Move to So Cal...We only get about 20 days of rain a year......At the most..Maybe closer to 10.
Ahhhh Fallbrook. Fond memories of golf weekends and poker nights at Pala Mesa. And heat. Lot's of good heat.

55/Rad

D'OH!! sure glad this is anonymous. Now I'm gunna be tottaly panaroid abowt speling and the and grammatticle mistaiks errorsHere ya go Ie spell (http://www.iespell.com/)

Ahhhh Fallbrook. Fond memories of golf weekends and poker nights at Pala Mesa. And heat. Lot's of good heat.

55/Rad
Rad.. yeah, I do ride lots of coastal rides in August/September..due to heat. Compared to Temecula. I think it not that bad...Used to live in Florida.. Think heat here not that bad at all.
Even in the hot months, we often get breaks from the heat, unlike the East coast. Bet Fallbrook, does not get over 30 days of 90 plus weather per year.If that? Can ride to the coast early in the AM, and be 15 degrees cooler. Plus, at night, it never stays hot..
Not perfect..But get in more comfortable rides than most parts of the world.

Here ya go Ie spell (http://www.iespell.com/)
Raiyn...We all could do better on spelling..Often, I am on line late at night..Or maybe in places where the are no dictionaries. Your web site is helpful..
I have been on some other discussion web sites..They have built in dictionaries..
Why not at Bike Forum?
I often have this thing, I write from the soul, say what I want and do not take the time or not have the time to check my writing. Maybe it is late at night..
Use the intenet to keep myself busy so as to not be too sleepy at 3 am, since I sometimes have to stay awake all night. Not the best time for being perfectly clear in thought and actions. Guess, we always have to make excuses for our imperfections.

On spelling and grammer since I have been called out before and never responded. This is what I have to say
1. What I write on this forum does not help me to pass or fail a class or get my diploma.
2. I am not getting paid for this.
So in all honesty you spelling and grammer cops need to deal with the fact that some of us have fat fingers and our dictionaries are not at our finger tips.

The only thing I've written since high school has been shopping lists, so 'contributing' (arguable, I know) to this forum has improved my spelling. I use these for help:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/a
http://www.askoxford.com/?view=uk

While I'm at it......we are very lucky that 99.99% of contributions to this forum are constructive and sincere. I've been on a musicians forum recently, and the childish cr@p that goes on over there has to be seen to be believed. It reminded why I got out of music.

On spelling and grammer since I have been called out before and never responded. This is what I have to say
1. What I write on this forum does not help me to pass or fail a class or get my diploma.
2. I am not getting paid for this.
So in all honesty you spelling and grammer cops need to deal with the fact that some of us have fat fingers and our dictionaries are not at our finger tips.

It is grammar b****. :mad:





;)

So in all honesty you spelling and grammer cops need to deal with the fact that some of us have fat fingers and our dictionaries are not at our finger tips.

Yeah, I should have done it as a PM. I am as sloppy on forums as
the next guy, and certainly would never make a point of ridiculing
someone's argument, point, information, or story because of
spelling or grammar. It was just a case in which, because the
mistake was repeated, I thought he might appreciate an FYI.
But this is off topic and irrelevant, so I should have kept it to
myself or made it a PM. Sorry about the distraction. Carry on.