jyl

I'm riding my 1982 Peugeot PSV to work daily this winter, with a set of Raceblades it is a decent all-weather fast commuter.

From now until April or May, 7 or 8 of every 10 trips will be in a hard rain, a drizzle, or on wet roads. So the bike will get wet, maybe very wet, every day and usually twice a day. On the other hand, it is parked in a garage at work and at home, so it never sits out in the rain.

In the next couple weeks, I'll pull the post, stem, and bottom bracket, regrease everything, and fit some O-rings to the spindle in hopes of reducing the amount of water that gets in. I'll also start spraying WD-40 into frame vent holes every couple of weeks.

What else should I do to protect the bike from the elements? Should I drill a drain hole in the bottom bracket shell? Or conversely should I tape over the frame vent holes?

Should I aim a fan or a heater at my bike in the garage, put it on a timer, so the bike gets air- or warm-dried every evening? To be honest I would like to not manually wipe it dry every day - too much hassle, if I can avoid it.

I use Chain-L and am in the habit of re-lubing about once a month, which is only about 200 miles (I have a short commute). Or if I start hearing my chain. Is that often enough?

Thanks for your thoughts!

FBinNY 

You've covered the bases, but I wouldn't keep spraying WD-40 into the vents. It'll all run down to the BB where it'll attack the bearing grease (opn cup/cone BBs, not cartridges). I'm also a big fan of weep holes in BBs because water does get in, so you might as well let it out.

Other than that, you might invest in a preventative overhaul and repack of hubs, headset and other serviceable bearings. While you have the headset open, slip a rubber band cut form a dead tube over the lower cup so it hangs down and makes a shirt or seal for that bearing to keep front wheel spray out (less necessary if you have a front fender).

As for the chain, I notice that in the summer, I re-oil based on mileage, but in the winter the spray and frequent wiping removes the oil from the edges of the plates (the chain is still lubed inside) so when I see some orange I re-oil.

ben4345

Instead of WD-40, can you get to some of those parts with a swab and some grease? Assuming it's to prevent rust.

Kimmo

Mudguards make handling the bike a bit of a pain in the bum sometimes, but if it'll be wet 75% of the time, they look like the go...

shelbyfv

I would use JP Weigles Framesaver rather than WD 40. A can will last a long time and it will protect your frame much better.

Kimmo

Speaking of JP Weigel, anyone with a love of old bike porn could do worse than to check out his photostream...

eja_ bottecchia

How about using an electric leaf blower to dry the bike?

Kimmo

How about all leafblowers die in a fire, and let that dry your bike.

Just pick it up and drop it like 6-8" a few times. Anything that goes rusty, replace with better quality.

dsbrantjr

Agree with Kimmo on fitting mudguards. They will help keep water and grit from being driven into the various bearings, especially the BB. Adding a BB drain hole (paint the raw edges) and using a purpose-made frame treatment as opposed to WD-40 are also sound suggestions. A good coat of paste wax on your frame will help preserve the external finish. I would suggest using Tef-Gel on your BB threads as well as corrosion-prone dissimilar metal joints such as your chainring bolts and seatpost and stem bolts. Your wheel and headset bearings will also need more-frequent service due to water and dirt intrusion.

fietsbob

I have slipped a few O rings over the BB axle , before fitting the crank arms on,

as an extra water/grit shield ..

eja_ bottecchia

Off your meds today?

HillRider

Even with extra care, exposed items like chain, cassettes (or freewheels) and rims die a lot sooner on a rain bike than on a fair weather bike. I certainly am a fan of Frame Saver or one of it's clones (Amsoil HDMP or LPS-3) as a protectant for your frame tubes and fork blades. They are a one time treatment if done right and last for years and years. I had an '83 Trek 400 I bought in lighly used condition in the late '90's and built it up into my rain bike. I did treat the frame and fork with Frame Saver when I first got it and 13 years later it's still sound and rust free.

chriskmurray

x2 Just mount some fenders and lube your chain a little more frequently. Repacking bearings is not a bad idea. I would not mess with WD-40, just get some JP weigle framesaver (or engine fogging oil works well too) and apply it once every year or two before winter. They are both much thicker oils and will last longer. Even then, think of how many bikes you have seen totaled from rust, even when they sit out in the elements all year it is highly uncommon.

chriskmurray

You will be wearing out brake pads a little more often as well so make sure to check those frequently.

HillRider

+1. Also consider using Kool Stop Salmon pads as they are among the best performers in the wet.

jyl

Cool, thanks! I'll get the bike on the stand next weekend. Before it starts raining 24 X 7 here. No, that's exaggerating. More like 18 x 6.

vredstein

I'd highly suggest replacing the raceblades with full coverage fenders, or at least a mudguard whose bottom edge sits at least a couple inches below the bottom of your large chain ring. This will keep a lot of spray from the front tire power washing your chain with gritty sludge. You might even consider putting a thin coat of Vasoline on the bottom half of your down tube and bottom bracket shell.
Lots of times the front fender can cause water to rooster tail over the front tip of the fender and the forward motion wind blows it streaming right onto your headset. Installing a pair of Lizard Skinz headset guards will help this. https://store.lizardskins.com/products/headset-seal

MichaelW

I have used wd40 as an interior anti rust treatment. I applied annually and the bike lived outside all year in a rainy coastal town. This only works if your BB bearings are not exposed within the BB shell, ie a Shimao UN72 style cartridge.
Framesaver is better but my tubes remained shiny and clean.

jyl

I don't think the bike has clearance for most full size fenders. It's an old racer, fairly tight clearances. I did recently see a tight-clearance racebike fitted with fenders that were both super low profile and full coverage. The front fender went almost to the ground. I didn't see the brand of the fender, but will start looking around.

Edit: okay, they were "Crud" full fenders, these

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...79&category=78

Anyone used them? They are even less expensive than the SKS Raceblades I bought :-(