paperbackbiker

Snow and ice will be falling soon. I've been hearing different stories about the damage that salt can do to components, frame and all. I assume the old wash every two weeks will suffice, but wanted some input. If you've experienced some damage or if you know the ins and outs of how to deal with it, let me know!

modernjess

Washing every so often is pretty key, keep everything well lubricated, I replace the chain in the spring which gets some rust on it no matter what I do. But chains are cheap so it's a consumable to me. I'm either on a single speed or IGH so I have less exposed components to deal with. That's on purpose. But that's my routine I don't over think it.

wolfchild

Drivetrain and brakes suffer the most, I don't worry about the frame or any other components. Full fenders help a lot. It's a good idea to grease your seatpost especially if you have a steel frame. Keep your drivetrain lubed and everything will be ok.

kaseri

The worst part of road salt is getting on myself. I really hate road salt.

WMBIGS

We don't get salted roads here, but they do use a liquid solution to melt the snow and ice. Sometimes I'll hose down the effected part of my bike with wd-40. figure it can't hurt, don't know if it helps either.

gerv 

Salt is one problem. Sand is another.

My steel frame bike shows very little rust damage in its 7th winter. But other components do wear out, as mentioned.

Some washing, freeing frozen parts with WD-40 and an oil-based chain lube all helps.

I have also stripped the bike every Spring and cleaned components. Last winter my steel chain rings were showing a lot of rust. I just took it off with steel wool and oiled it lightly.

John_1961

https://www.rocklube.com

peterw_diy

Wipe (don't spray) a little Tri-Flow, Boeshield T-9, etc. on all your exposed steel hardware -- nuts, bolts, hangers, cables, yokes, etc. This includes "stainless" hardware. Even with fenders, some hardware (especially, in my experience, the rear canti brake hardware) will get a fair amount of slush, and be at increased risk for rust.

Doohickie

I live in Texas. Problem solved.

Rob_E

I was just going to say that I moved between 500 and 600 miles south, and that seems to have solved the salt problem.

roashru

that liquid road deicer is magnesium chloride it eats soft flexible plastics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_chloride

randomgear

Fenders help a lot. If you have a steel frame, you may want to touch up any chips in the paint, or at least put a heavy layer or two of car wax over the chipped and scratched areas. If your running an 1/8" chain consider replacing it with a chrome plated BMX chain. It will get just as nasty as a regular chain, but will not rust very much. I've been using them for the past few years and they work well. If you ride everyday, you might want to regrease the nuts and bolts on your bike halfway through winter.

ryanwood

My winter bike is a single speed with a minimalist setup, plus I spent $60 on it so I don't really worry too much about lifespan on it. That being said, I have a bucket of soapy water that lives in the corner of my garage all winter for wiping down the bike. I don't face heavy salt and sand everyday, so I generally wipe it down once a week, but when times are bad, I clean every day.

Areas I focus on during wipe-down (it's important to note that I am just spending 2 minutes wiping down, not washing)

-brake pads
-braking surface on rims
-bottom bracket area
-crank arms and pedals

I also lube and wipe down the drive train with a heavy bike chain oil about once a week. As I said this routine is not designed to increase longevity of the bike, only to keep it running and avoid breakdowns

tjspiel

Anyone who's seen the picture of my bike from last winter may take my rustproofing advice with a grain of salt but here are some ideas:

Replace steel bolts/nuts/screws with stainless steel versions

It's easy to find stainless steel replacements for things like bottle cage bolts and rack attachment bolts at your local hardware store. They also have a bunch of stainless steel fasteners at loose screws .


Replace cables with stainless steel versions


Get a rust-resistant chain

Since you've got a single speed, there a number of inexpensive choices. The Z51 rust buster from KMC is one option.


If you have a steel frame, treat the inside with something like "Frame Saver"


As bad as my bike has looked at times during the winter, it's primarily the chain that suffers. I couldn't use a rust resistant one last year because they're tough to find in an 8 speed version unless you go with stainless steel and those are pretty expensive.

Sixty Fiver

Tequila and a slice of lime...

pallen

MNBikeCommuter

And we have a winner!!! But how do you get the slice of lime through the water bottle spout while on the go?

As far as the bike and salt, I plead laziness in dealing with it, usually cleaning the bike up a bit if I need to drag it through the house to my basement shop. With one-fifth the mileage my "summer" bike gets, the winter hybrid runs through components at about the same rate because of salt and sand. It's a cost-accounting issue: replace stuff more often, or spend a lot more time on preventive maintenance. I tried the latter the first couple of winters, and got lazy and now do the former.

paperbackbiker

Gotta try that tequila trick.

MNBikeguy

I don't worry about salt. Assuming the frame is well painted and sealed, it's not much of a problem. Just keep lubricating the components. However if you bring your bike indoors from the cold, the chemical reaction will be faster due to temperature extremes and you'll see more oxidation.
Unless you prefer a shiny clean bike in the winter, keep your bike in the cold..... and have a tequila.

paperbackbiker

Thanks. (I usually have salt on my tequilas, but now I will skip it.)

jeffpoulin

I let my winter bike deal with road salt while my good commuters stay warm and cozy in the garage. If I ride through slushy snow, I'll wipe and relube the chain when I get home.

Sixty Fiver

Seriously... I prefer Drambuie.

I wax my bikes semi annually or go old school and rub them down with a little light oil... pay attention to the cables as if they are not stainless they will need a little protection and a little light oil on any exposed cables serves to do this very well while running fully enclosed cables is also a good idea.

You can use hand waxes like Turtle wax or take your bike to the car wash... I would avoid the automatic ones as riding through these is difficult and will get you waxed and if you use a wand wash make sure you are standing well back to make sure no high pressure water gets by any seals as this will wash out the grease in the major bearings.

With derailleurs the biggest trouble spot is usually the cable adjustment barrel as these are prone to seizing... make sure the threads are clean and use grease as anti seize. It is sometimes worth it to remove the barrel adjuster and chase out the threads with the appropriate tap as they can get quite rough.

Clean and lube the chain as needed... in the winter there is no set mileage or time frame for this and if the conditions are wet and slushy it might be a daily requirement although running full fenders will reduce the amount of crud the chain picks up.

Heatherbikes

Magnesium chloride spray or pellets are being used more and more because it is cheaper and supposedly biodegradable. However, magnesium chloride is nasty! It eats at everything. Yes everything. Stainless steel, chrome, alumnium etc.. Nibbles at tire rubber. My husband was in a snit over the state of his bicycle after months of riding in the briny mess and replaced some major parts. Within a couple of hours of commuting stainless steel bolts have rust on them. His new chain? Rusty after one day of short commute to work! We are now going to try waxing, but not sure what to use.
The ridiculous thing is that it is not very cold where I live, rarely ever snows, and yet magnesium chloride is sprayed daily! I just keep on going, but am definitely going to have bikes built just for winter/monsoon season(if I can get around to finishing them...).

nelson249

beater bike + oil + grease + more oil

KonAaron Snake 

I deal with it by using a titanium frame and mid-range parts I can replace without breaking the bank. Fenders would help, but I worry about snow packing in the fender space.