Cycle care on the Florida Coast.
#1
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Cycle care on the Florida Coast.
I’m blessed to have a winter home in Jensen Beach, Florida, and I’ll be taking my bike there for the winter. Any tips to try to make the bike more sea and salt resistance? I’ll be going up and down A1A which is right on the coast.
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#2
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I live on Long Island... about 1/2 mile from the Great South Bay and 5 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.... Never had an issue with sea/salt, but then my bikes are carbon and alloy parts.
#3
Senior Member
I live about 8 miles west of A1A a bit north of you. Been down here almost 6 years with no issues with my 2 steel bikes that have been with me that long. My 3rd that I picked up about a month ago, the guy lived about a mile from A1A and no apparent issues with that bike. I believe the key to not having the salt being an issue is to keep your rides inside. Also a complete wipe down every now and again.
[edit to add] My brothers department store bikes that are kept outside were trashed in less than a year. Far more than bikes kept outside when I was up north.
[double edit to correct my Rand McNally screw up]
[edit to add] My brothers department store bikes that are kept outside were trashed in less than a year. Far more than bikes kept outside when I was up north.
[double edit to correct my Rand McNally screw up]
Last edited by Hasek; 10-19-21 at 06:52 PM. Reason: up, down, left, right
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If you're near the water, store the bike inside if you can. We have a few old bikes on the screen porch of our beach house and they rust out just sitting there. But I don't know of anyone who has problems just riding near the water.
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#5
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I've lived on a few coasts: NY, especially Long Island; Georgia; Texas; Southern California; and Florida.
By far, Florida was the most corrosive environment.
I never needed to do anything special with my bikes in SoCal or NY. But on the Florida Gulf Coast the combination of relentless humidity and salt air made even my stainless steel and aluminum fishing gear rust and oxidation incredibly quickly, even when I rinsed them in fresh water after every use. Everything I saw in that area showed evidence of rot from humidity and salinity. I didn't have a bike there but I'd expect it to need as much routine cleaning and maintenance as cars and fishing gear.
Regarding the simplest spray-on type lube/protectant, the best I tried in the 1990s was Birchwood-Casey Sheath. It was mostly sold for the firearms market but works on any metal. The name has been changed to something else but it's still the same stuff. It's a polarized protectant, so it spreads to all contiguous metal surfaces to reach beyond where it's sprayed externally. I tested it against several other similar products (including old fashioned RIG -- rust inhibiting grease -- similar to cosmoline), various lubes containing PTFE/Teflon, etc. Sheath consistently outperformed those in outdoor tests on a covered patio and in a shower on identical pieces of blued carbon steel.
There might be a few delicate items that wouldn't be suitable for that spray, but I can't think of anything on a bike that would be harmed by it.
By far, Florida was the most corrosive environment.
I never needed to do anything special with my bikes in SoCal or NY. But on the Florida Gulf Coast the combination of relentless humidity and salt air made even my stainless steel and aluminum fishing gear rust and oxidation incredibly quickly, even when I rinsed them in fresh water after every use. Everything I saw in that area showed evidence of rot from humidity and salinity. I didn't have a bike there but I'd expect it to need as much routine cleaning and maintenance as cars and fishing gear.
Regarding the simplest spray-on type lube/protectant, the best I tried in the 1990s was Birchwood-Casey Sheath. It was mostly sold for the firearms market but works on any metal. The name has been changed to something else but it's still the same stuff. It's a polarized protectant, so it spreads to all contiguous metal surfaces to reach beyond where it's sprayed externally. I tested it against several other similar products (including old fashioned RIG -- rust inhibiting grease -- similar to cosmoline), various lubes containing PTFE/Teflon, etc. Sheath consistently outperformed those in outdoor tests on a covered patio and in a shower on identical pieces of blued carbon steel.
There might be a few delicate items that wouldn't be suitable for that spray, but I can't think of anything on a bike that would be harmed by it.
#6
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sounds great! good problems to have!
Last edited by rumrunn6; 10-19-21 at 01:09 PM.
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Florida is one of those places with really high humidity. So if you want something to dry quickly so there is less chance of rusting from just being wet after you wash the bike or ride in rain, then put it in front of a box fan to keep the air circulating till it's dry.
I put my bike shoes in front of the fan too when they get wet in the rain and they are completely dry and ready for another ride in half a day or so.
I put my bike shoes in front of the fan too when they get wet in the rain and they are completely dry and ready for another ride in half a day or so.
#9
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My sister lives in Satellite Beach, just north of you, and they have never had an issue with their bikes.
Brian
Brian
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#11
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#12
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Feel free to contact me about group rides and the better bike shops in our area. Treasure Coast Cycling Association rides out of Stuart Beach every Saturday morning at 7:15AM. They ride up to the Ft. Pierce jetty and back (about 38 miles round trip). There are other rides for them and some of the bike shops as well.
#14
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Park inside as already stated and minimize sand exposure. Wind driven sand is a given but riding through it will increase your maintenance time and cost.
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#16
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#17
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otherwise known as bikini bottom
#19
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Thanks! I don’t know that I would be welcome on a group ride (which I see going up and down the road - we live in Oceana 2) as I have a Townie e bike. I can pull a steady 19 MPH as long as the battery holds out. It’s cheating, though.
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#20
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I've lived on a few coasts: NY, especially Long Island; Georgia; Texas; Southern California; and Florida.
By far, Florida was the most corrosive environment.
I never needed to do anything special with my bikes in SoCal or NY. But on the Florida Gulf Coast the combination of relentless humidity and salt air made even my stainless steel and aluminum fishing gear rust and oxidation incredibly quickly, even when I rinsed them in fresh water after every use. Everything I saw in that area showed evidence of rot from humidity and salinity. I didn't have a bike there but I'd expect it to need as much routine cleaning and maintenance as cars and fishing gear.
Regarding the simplest spray-on type lube/protectant, the best I tried in the 1990s was Birchwood-Casey Sheath. It was mostly sold for the firearms market but works on any metal. The name has been changed to something else but it's still the same stuff. It's a polarized protectant, so it spreads to all contiguous metal surfaces to reach beyond where it's sprayed externally. I tested it against several other similar products (including old fashioned RIG -- rust inhibiting grease -- similar to cosmoline), various lubes containing PTFE/Teflon, etc. Sheath consistently outperformed those in outdoor tests on a covered patio and in a shower on identical pieces of blued carbon steel.
There might be a few delicate items that wouldn't be suitable for that spray, but I can't think of anything on a bike that would be harmed by it.
By far, Florida was the most corrosive environment.
I never needed to do anything special with my bikes in SoCal or NY. But on the Florida Gulf Coast the combination of relentless humidity and salt air made even my stainless steel and aluminum fishing gear rust and oxidation incredibly quickly, even when I rinsed them in fresh water after every use. Everything I saw in that area showed evidence of rot from humidity and salinity. I didn't have a bike there but I'd expect it to need as much routine cleaning and maintenance as cars and fishing gear.
Regarding the simplest spray-on type lube/protectant, the best I tried in the 1990s was Birchwood-Casey Sheath. It was mostly sold for the firearms market but works on any metal. The name has been changed to something else but it's still the same stuff. It's a polarized protectant, so it spreads to all contiguous metal surfaces to reach beyond where it's sprayed externally. I tested it against several other similar products (including old fashioned RIG -- rust inhibiting grease -- similar to cosmoline), various lubes containing PTFE/Teflon, etc. Sheath consistently outperformed those in outdoor tests on a covered patio and in a shower on identical pieces of blued carbon steel.
There might be a few delicate items that wouldn't be suitable for that spray, but I can't think of anything on a bike that would be harmed by it.
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#21
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Wind driven salt spray and 100% humidity causes problems. A1A is a problem. Be very traditional and use oily rag wipe down before and after each ride. On windy days with wind off the water there is no way to avoid consequences. Oily means oily. Every place except where you hold the bike. You have to leave the rim bare if it is a rim brake bike. Otherwise get oil just everywhere.
#22
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However Sheath/Barricade wasn't much of a lubricant. The carrier evaporates leaving a very thin coat, and it's designed to avoid soaking into fabrics (as it is intended for firearms, which may be carried on the person) so I wouldn't rely on it for bicycle chains, unless I was prepared to apply the stuff every ride.
I used to hot wax my bike chains, but for the past couple of years have mostly used Rock 'n' Roll lubes -- Absolute Dry, Gold and, mostly recently, Extreme for wet/dirty conditions. It seems pricey for what it is -- naphtha carrier with powdered PTFE that needs to be shaken back into suspension, and varying amounts of light oil in Gold and Extreme. But it works so well, is easy to use and lasts long enough that I'll put up with the cost since I go through only one 4 ounce bottle a year. As the directions suggest, there's no additional cleaning step. The carrier for the lube -- naphtha -- is also the cleaner. Just squirt it on, spin the chain, wipe it off with a paper towel, done. As my back and neck, knees, etc., deteriorate, the less time I spend bent over or kneeling to clean my bikes, the better.
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Pledge spray-on furniture wax may be helpful. I'm not near salt water, but I do use it a lot after washes. Certainly won't hurt, but avoid braking surfaces, of course.
#24
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I live in Jacksonville, and ride up and down the A1A up here all the time and have never had an issue with rust or corrosion, unless you are riding on the beach and in the water, or leaving the bike outside 24/7, I just don't see this being an issue.
#25
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Well that was awkward. I sprayed Ballistol all over my taint…my chode…and I haven’t been able to sit still since.
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Momento mori, amor fati.
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