pgoat

A bike mechanic told me the rubber inner tubes thickly wrapped around my cro-mo frame will build up condensation and thus hasten rust.

Any thoughts on this? would the rust be more on the outer surface of the frame tubes or on the inside? both?

I only have the wrapping to protect the paint from chips (ie, to avoid rust) so if it's counterintuitive, I'd just as soon remove it. I'm not convinced the 'stealth' look really deters theives.....if anything I think it makes the components stand out more!

shane45

A good coat of paint or wax on the frame will help, but yes - the wrap will trap moisture between it and the frame which may lead to rust on the outside of the frame.

ofofhy

It could affect the inner surfaces of the tubes only if you have covered up any of the small vent holes in the chain- or seatstays (that's pretty aggressive wrapping if so). These aid in evaporation of water from the inside of the frame.

Otherwise you are only affecting the outer surface.

Bob Gabele

Do NOT wrap!!!

If you do so, you will definitely invite/cause the corrosion process to begin.

pgoat

Thanks Guys.....I will probably just undress it once again. Yep, I became a pretty zealous wrapper over time, and probably covered up some drainange holes.


Oddly enough my bike (a Tange cro-mo early 90s rigid mtb) was painted matte grey with silver accents in the brazed areas, so it appears lugged from a distance.

Up close, with the bits of silver peeping out at the joins from under the inner tubes, the bike looks like it's titanium (that would soon be disspelled once someone tried to lift it )

anyhoo, thought I'd post this since I didn't see anything after searching the forum or the net and thought it'd be of benefit to others looking to do the same thing. Thanks again.

operator

Go buy a real chainstay protector, they don't cost that much.

pgoat

I was actually most concerned about the chips from my own chain (as in lock-kryptonite), as I have destroyed finishes in record time on nearly new bikes before. Not so worried about aesthetics, but on a steel frame I was concerned with exposed metal and rust.

As careful as I am with my chain, if you've seen people wielding their chains wildly and smashing them into the frame of the bike parked on the opposite side of the pole/rack, you will understand why i encased mine in about 4 or 5 tubes......

of course this defeats the purpose if the wrappings just trap moisture and beget rust anyway.....I guess the thing to do is what I did for chain (as in drive chain) scratches back when it was fairly new - primer and touch up paint......or, any recommendations for a good clear coat that resists chipping but won't hurt the (cro mo) tubes?

AndrewP

Put the chain through an old tube..

jeff williams

On my chainstay protector, the tube is sliced lengthwise then zip strapped, putting the slit to the bottom so any moisture drains.
My downtube wrap is also slit, this one I ran a wood skewer underside the rubber on the bottom of the tube to make a water channel.
And my lock chain is in a spent tube also. I use hockey cloth tape for the toptube dings, it dries.

pgoat

some good ideas, guys - thanks!

My quadra chain (made by st. pierre) has a good blue plastic covering, but as most here prolly know, the kryptonite black sleeve loosens up almost immediately after you use it a few times and annoyingly falls off or covers one end of the chain (which is doubtless why not too many people keep it on there, self included. I'll try the tube over chain trick - though that still doesn't help with others bashing your bike.

oh well, the world is not a just place; it's just a place

pgoat

watched an entire b-ball game on tv (and part of a lightweight boxing match) while peeling off layers and layers of tubes and black electrical and duct tape last night....my hands and fingernails are shot!

I still have one fork blade, one and a half chainstays and a seat stay to go.....ow!

no rust on the outside I can see. I still want to peek inside. Would anyone recommend squirting oil and or a corrosion seal spray inside the frame at this point, even if the frame is going on 12 years old? Sealant Brand name / oil type recommendations? Should I scrape/sand/ prep the inner tubes where possible first?

Note to those considering wrapping/taping their frames to 'protect the finish/paint job.....I destroyed a good deal of my bike's decals with all the tape schmooo and my slashing efforts to get it off. So think long and hard before wasting all that time and energy.

pgoat

Sorry to be confusing - I meant to say should I prep the INSIDE OF THE FRAME's TUBES before treating w/ oil or sealant, not scraping or sanding tthe rubber inner tubes off the outer surface of the frame.....

I reckon Windex or 409/Ornage Glo/Fantastik for cleaning the outside before hitting it w/pledge or some turtle wax?

jeff williams

Use the search for internal corrosion prevention metheods. Many threads.

pgoat

thanks Jeff, will do

boots

wrap away, man. unless it's a $2000 frame you aren't going to hurt anything

pgoat

NOW he tells me

actually I kinda liked seeing the paint again.....forgot what my bike looked like under alla dat rubbah.

I weighed what I got so far last night and it was almost three pounds........ahhh, the things we do in nooo Yawk.

pgoat

Yeah, I trashed a lot of the decals while off roading years ago. Didn't hurt so bad after the first wipe out!!

My bike cost about $1000 12 years ago so it was a decent frame - certainly not a wafer thin greyhound or anything (Tange triple butted MTB tubeset, I reckon one grade below the Prestige tubes of the day?). Nevertheless, I feel kinda silly wrapping the tubes to avoid rusting the metal and risking exactly that in the process.....

not to mention, the older I get, the more I say "what the hell?". I used to be more prudent about stuff, never locking the "nice" bike on the street, worried about scratches, etc - then one day you realize you're not getting any younger and you'd have been better off riding it like you stole it, 100% of the time, as it were.......so now I would rather see the paint and enjoy it, even if it means exposing it to the elements and the ******bags who will inevitably bash it. I Still wanna preserve it and keep rust at bay and what not, but more for safety's sake (ie, not cracking a frame as I am riding) than aesthetics. Better to have a bike that's been used and enjoyed - and looks it - than to have let it sit unused or been hidden by all that shrouding....

wow, what a philisophical thread this has become!!!!

jeff williams

Mines 15 yrs and possibly better than Prestige, Tange T.R Logic entire frameset (stronger).
I might acid dip and re-paint\framesaver -something inside the tubes.

Depends how nice a frame, a nice chromoly frame cost more now.