What should I clean/lube/check after riding in a downpour for two hours?
 

Hi all,

Due to the stormy weather here in Virginia if you want to ride you take the chance of getting really wet. Well, last night on our club ride we got soaked.

I have a steel frame and all Ultegra. Ksyrium wheels and hubs. Cane Creek headset.

I tell you this because I think that most of those items have sealed bearings and it was my understading that I wouldn't have to overhaul these parts and re lube them. What's the right answer?

We went through some deep water yesterday. 6-8 inches in some spots. We had no choice due to the torrential rain.

So, what should I look for after this type of event?

I have already emptied the water out of my rims.

Thanks for your help?

Sean

I would first wipe it down w/ a dry rag to remove extra dirt/grime.

then lube anything that needs it such as cables, chain etc.
you don't have to remove the cables if you can dribble some lube in while they are still on the bike. unless they feel like they don't need lube.

I would take some cleaner (glass, simple green etc) and, with a rag, clean the rims and the brake pads.

basicly, you want to remove any water, if there is any (turn your bike upside down to drain the seat tube) and remove road grease from the rims/pads.

that's all I can say w/ out seeing your bike.

The same thread is running on the Serotta forum.
Remove your seat/seatpost, drain water, leave bike
upside down until dry. . .
do this after every ride (in the rain).
For steel bike I'd recommend J.P.Weigles frame saver
every 2 years at minimum (once a year isn't bad either).

Marty

Thanks guys.

So I don't need to mess with the hubs or head set?

Sean

Don't worry about the hubs or the head set after only one really rainy ride. If you were in puddles up to or above your hubs, than it might be worth an overhaul/regreasing (very simple to do with the right tools). Don't worry about the headset. As part of a regular maintenance schedule, you can change the bearings/regrease everything. Make sure to wipe the bike dry and leave it in a dry, warm place after a wet ride (especially with a steel frame). Always turn the bike upside down after removing the seatpots after rainy rides. Water can make it down the seatube even with the seatpost in the tube. I've seen some people turn their bikes upside down after mountain bike rides in torrential rain and water literally pours out. If this water is left to sit, it can cause irrepairable damage to the frame from the inside out.

-Moab

when i was yunger, we use to always spray lotsa wd40 on the chain after a big rain. i once took some bearings apart, and greased them up real good with axel grease, so maybee thats what you gotta do

One of the worse parts of riding in the rain, IMHO, is cleaning up the mess afterwards. First thing I do on getting home is go straight to the garden hose and spray all the grit off before it dries on...might as well do your legs and shoes while you're at it. Give the chain an extra good blast while you turn pedals backwards...you can do that at least without blasting water into bearings.

Bounce the bike on its tyres a few times and spin chain backwards to remove most water, then go inside. Take off shoes and remove inner sole to dry. When chain is dry(er) apply some liquid chain lube...the chain will need a proper clean more frequently during a rainy period, but not every ride. If I'm feeling enthusiastic, I'll squirt some WD40 on derailleur pivots, but am too lazy to ever lube cables...just replace them sooner if riding in rain. Anything more than this is not real necessary (IMHO), and requires more time and effort than I have anyway.

Seats (saddle?) also wear faster in rain...more expense!!!! I try and frequently use a leather waterproofer cream for conditioning and protection. I also recover my seats when they wear through the leather where your legs chafe. MUCH cheaper and surprisingly cheap, easy and effective...use contact cement.

You guys don't seem to commute, except in Nevada!

I would suggest fenders and mudflaps to keep the bike clean of mud and road grime, but apart from that, a well-constituted bike is not made of chocolate!

After a good downpour (or snow storm) apply a little bit of new lubricant on the chain an you should be OK. Compared to Nevada, riding in wet weather would mean more frequent regreasing of the bearings (twice a year instead of once a year), but that's it.

Now, if you sink your wheels in water axle deep it's another story, but the guy wasn't asking about going to the swimming pool with his bike!

If it were that complicated, do you think riders in Seattle would cope with drying out their bike 200 days per year?

Another aspect: you may want to wipe down the bike, wax it and shine it, but that's not maintenance, that's aesthetics. Nothing bad about it, except it's not necessary for the bike.

Regards

I've definitely overcome my aversion to riding in the rain, this year. I guess it's better than drought.

I pretty much agree with what chainreka said. I also have one of those quickie chain cleaner thingies that I run the chain through, using simple green, then hose it again, dry with paper towels. Next day, after the chain has had a chance to dry better, I'll relube.

FWIW, if I needed to clean the chain before a ride, but know it won't have time for water to dry, I spray it down with WD-40, dry it off and let it sit for 1/2 an hour or so for the WD to dry, then lube. (WD stands for water displacer, right?)

Well, actually we rode through some pretty deep water. I dont' think any of it was axle deep but it was very close. I know that the axles were getting sprayed with water very hard many times. Not to mention the times when cars would come by and totally imerse us in water. Gotta love when that happens. It's like one of those water rides at an amusement park.

I did lube and clean as much of the moving parts and frame as I could. Did everything but the head set and axles. The axles seem to be sealed so I don't know how to get to them.

Do I need a special tool from Mavic since they are Mavic hubs. The hubs are from the Kysrium wheelset.

Sean