Went out for a ride up AF canyon this morning and got caught in an amazing rain storm, and let me just tell you that riding in the rain on a skinny canyon road is totally over rated and coming back down the canyon in the rain adds a whole new level of excitement. But my question is, is there anything special I should do to make sure that all the water that I was riding in doesn't harm my bike. I have already done my normal post ride maintenance...clean and re-lube chain...stuff like that. Anything else I should worry about? What do you guys do after riding in a torrential downpour?


p.s. If you are wondering...everyone that was driving by me in the rain was in total amazement of my dedication to biking regardless of the conditions. Not a single person pointed and laughed at my misfortune.

If you're anal enough to clean and lube after every ride then you'll want to check for water in your frame (pull the seatpost out and hang it upside down). Also make sure the water didn't drive all the grease out of your hubs and headset.

I generally lube my chain before the following ride but that's about it.

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I got caught in a rain storm and didnt clean out the water in the frame. Two weeks later i turned my bike upside down to inspect the grit on the bottom and about two ounces of water comes out around the seat post.

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Be sure to clean out the seat tube and lube the seat post to make sure there's no grit or sand in there. If the tube has a sleeve, pull it out before cleaning. You'll save yourself hours of head scratching wondering where the creaking is coming from. If you're real anal, remove the tires and tubes and make sure there's no water in the rim.

On my commuter bike (Trek 7.3 FX) I noticed the shifting isn't as crisp after riding in the rain the other day. However, I did ride to work in the rain and then left it out all day while it rained then rode home in the rain. What would cause the shifting to become crappy?

Crap in the cable housings or crap in the plastic guide under the bottom bracket where the cables pass through. Replacing cables and cable housings will make a world of difference in shifting. It's a pretty cheap way to get your bike shifting like new.

You don't need to hang it upside down. Pull the screw out from the bottom of your frame where the cable guide is. The screw hole will allow any water that's settled down there to drain out.

Check your headset too. I had the bottom bearing in my headset rust up once.

Being in PDX give us all more than a little credibility about rain riding. Maintenance among Portlanders is all over the board.

My C-X bike is my rain bike. When I come home, I shoot all the vulnerable spots: chain, brakes, cables, levers, etc... with a water dispersant. Then wipe it off. Light lube as required.

That's pretty much it. Everything else should be sealed.

If is starts to make bad noises or shift poorly. I will address it as required.

Bikes are more robust than many think. A little (or a lot) of water won't hurt them.

-Z

I took my nice frame out for 4 rides in the rain, and I just looked at it and it looks nasty. Dirt is everywhere and rain drops appear to have permanently fasten themselves onto the frame. I will be giving her a good wash tomorrow!