Originally Posted by
antmeeks
I would encourage you to just wipe your bike down after every ride with a damp cloth.
You really should be wiping down your chain, cassette & exposed cables anyway, so just running over the rest of the bike isn't much more work.
I'm not talking about a major cleaning, just 5 mins tops.
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I'm sure it might help, but it shouldn't ben necessary. Bicycles are vehicles designed for outdoor use, and should be able to handle that with no exposure related problems if maintained on a reasonable schedule.
I wipe down my chain about 2-3 times per 1,000 miles, wash the bike only by getting caught in the rain, with an occasional rinse with a garden hose. Other than that service consists or rotating chains among 3 every 1,000 miles or so, and regular full lube of all bearings once per year after the salt is off the roads. Other items are dealt with as they arise, which is rarely except for flats.
I've been following this or a similar protocol and have never suffered a wear or corrosion related failure of any part in 45+ years, and 100k+ miles, in all weather, including rain, floods, snow and bitter cold.
I did suffer a broken axle, and damaged bearing which I chalked up to the axle on my commuter, but that's about it.
IMO the key is good preventative lubrication of all moving parts, and weather proofing all points where water can enter, or where galvanic corrosion can happen.
The key is to