flats

I just got a new Surly Long Haul Trucker and I don't want to ruin the bike by riding it on salty roads in Brunswick, ME. I have a beater bike that I plan to ride when the streets are slushy and salted, but my question is about dry roads. When the roads are dry, will salt that is left over from the latest salting have negative effects on my bike? For me, negative effects include not only costly replacement parts but also excessive time spent on bike maintenance. Thanks in advance.

mike

There have been a lot of threads about the effects of road salt on bicycles.

The bottom line is that road salt will eat your bicycle alive. I don't know specifically about riding on dry salted roads as you mentioned. It just seems to me that salt on road = salt on bike.

If you are riding an aluminum bike, you will probably just get some staining, though aluminum also corrodes, though differently and less catastrophic than steel.

The biggest problem I have is with spokes. If you have really high quality stainless spokes, you might get by, but even some of my "stainless" spokes rust. Don't know how stainless can rust, but since most bicycle parts are coming from China these days, expect to find flaws when put to the real test.

My suggestion is that if you are going to be riding on salted roads, use a bicycle that you don't mind getting eaten up by road salt. Leave your good bike in storage until spring.

-=(8)=-

In VT I went through a few bikes before just going the
69.95 junk, Single Speed-coaster brake route. The
slush and salt are an insidious cancer. Its an effort in
futility to try to fight it.

riddei

Hi flats,

I ride an aluminum bike to work in South Portland. This is the first winter... My road steel bike will stay in the garage until spring. This is going to sound weird, but you should use "Pledge" furniture polish on you bike then you can rinse grime off easily after use in dirty weather. the salt will slip of your bike (it is an old trick from the Harley guys). It works, Google it if you don't believe .

PS, I love the LHT. Did you get it at Bath Cycle and Ski?

late

I do short rides on the days it gets close to 40. But I don't go if there's salt
on the road.

Like the other guy said, get a junker.

PaulH

Lets just say that road salt will do a lot more damage to your car then to your bike.

Paul

ItsJustMe

I ride regardless, and see a lot of salt on my bike after a ride. It's an aluminum frame that seems fine so far, but the components have a lot of surface rust. It doesn't affect how they work so far, and I don't care how they look really. The rear derailler wore out before it rusted out. I finally replaced the bottom bracket a few months ago and it was full of water when I took it out; not sure whether there was salt, I didn't taste it...

matthew_deaner

I have a Surly LHT and some other bikes, and I ride when there is salt on the road. I feel a bit guilty about it - but there's no way I'm storing my bikes all winter and giving up my commuting and recreational riding. And I will not do my long daily commute on a POS. So, I just do a lot more maintenance to keep rust at bay.

My steel bikes get treated with Framesaver right before winter weather. I also give them a thorough wax job to protect the paint, and then wax them again every month or so of winter / salty use. I wash them often, almost obsessively. I drop oil into the tops of the spoke nipples to prevent corrosion on and around the spoke threads. All steel bolts get a shot of WD 40 after I wash the bike - it sets up a protective barrier that seems to help to prevent rust, though some rust is still inevitable on plated steel bolt heads. I clean the chain using the Sheldon Brown method (solvent immersion) after riding in wet weather, or once per week (usually around 200-miles of use). Rock n roll gold lube seems to hold up really well to inclement weather; in the summer I use motor oil mixed with mineral spirits to lube the chain. Fenders are a must - they keep the salt and sand off of you, your bike, and your drivetrain. Use a mudflap on the front fender (you can cut one out of a piece of rubber floormat; etc). You may need to overhaul the hubs at least once during the winter - be on the lookout for increased drag and maybe some noise when you spin the tires in the repair stand. Cantilever brakes need more maintenance in winter. Dissassemble the brake body from the bushing once in a while, clean, and regrease. It's hard to separate the bushing from the body - you'll need to pry it with a kitchen knife. Finally, keep your brake pads and rims clean, and use Kool Stop salmon pads. Clean them after riding in bad weather using a file or sandpaper; just rub the black top layer off of the pads, and put the wheel back on.

Hope this helps...

ghettocruiser

To bike.

Corrosion = overrated problem

Mr. Underbridge

Dry salt can't corrode, salt requires moisture to cause rust. Of course, you could end up coating the bike in a layer of dry salt that could rust your bike when it does get wet, but I'm guessing it's a far lesser problem than the wet salty stuff.

flipped4bikes

Pledge. Good tip. I have an aluminum bike and the only thing I care about is the chain. I can replace that. Keep your bike in a cold garage, and wipe off excess moisture and crud when you can. We drive our cars in this crap all the time, and that's way more expensive than a bike. Plus nothing like riding a bike with studded tires in the slop, more fun than wondering if I have any windshield wiper fluid left...

ItsJustMe

Dry salt would seem harmless, but at least around here, I don't know if it's even possible to go very far without going through at least some patches that are wet, and that's sure to spray saltwater up on the bike.
Personally I just go for it anyway.
I've been thinking it would be sweet to put a power washer in the house near an outside wall, then have a way to hook the power wand up outside, so I can wash the bike in the winter. Power washer is definitely the way to go on cleaning a bike, at least IMHO. I can clean the whole thing including the chain and sprockets in 2 minutes without getting dirty or using solvents. All it needs then is chain oil.

matthew_deaner

I think that using a power washer on a bike is a really bad idea. It can force water and grit past your bearing seals and into your bearings. Your BB bearings and your freehub bearings are particularly vulnerable.

mconlonx

Even when the roads are dry, there's no way you will keep salt off your bike--too much melting snow and slush all over the place means that even on dry days, you'll be riding through salt water any time you're on the road.

Get a beater. There are a folks selling decent used steel bikes in Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, and Bangor on ME craigslist. Sell it in the Spring when the marjority of people are just getting back out to ride and you could break even on the deal.

ItsJustMe

I'll take my chances with the BB. My first one lasted 12000 miles, and cost $15 to replace. True, it was full of water when I took it off, but I'm pretty sure that was from the road. I don't even really point the power washer at the BB when I wash it. I mainly clean the frame and rims, and then blast the chain.

The bike uses a freewheel. I'm on my 3rd one now but I'm wrecking them by forgetting to change the chain and sharkfinning the teeth, not by wrecking the bearings. And, the freewheel is $13.

It's power washer or the bike doesn't get cleaned, for me. And my bike gets very, very dirty. I ride 4 miles of gravel road twice a day, so if it's wet, my bike comes home 1 day after being cleaned covered with mud. It would probably take me at least a half hour every time it rains to clean it otherwise without the power washer, or 2 minutes with it. For that kind of investment in time, I can buy several BBs and freewheels a year, easily. Given that, it would be silly for me to NOT use the power washer.