Originally Posted by
RollCNY
So I've encountered a new bike problem:
The friend who had the Lotus kept it in his living room, and smoked like Vesuvius. The bike now oozes smoke smell wherever it sits. I had already tossed out the leather saddle, the bar tape, and the brake hood covers (I've gotten TRP RRL levers for it already), and had it stripped to raw frame and fork to take it to the LBS for BB chasing. It left the car smelling smokey.
Yesterday, I disassembled the wheels (to save the hubs) and discovered that the tires are in good shape, but reek. So much so that even the tubes smell smokey. Where part of me wants to recycle the rubber to the new build, methinks I will have to toss it instead.
If you know someone with an ozone generator like what is used to freshen houses, cars, hotel rooms, they really do work. Just put the bike in a small, closed room with the generator for 24 hours, and it will be completely fixed. My daughter and son-in-law bought a smoke fouled house and even though they gutted it, it still reeked. After a weekend with the ozone generator, presto-changeo, no problem at all even to the most perceptive noses.