Using the bike during the flood, what next?

A - W · June 2007

Right then after the flooding around my area in Hull I need to get some oil for my chain etc as it went through many a large puddle/flooded area and it has a bit of surface rust on so wanting to make sure everything is ok.

Anyone any other advice to help look after my bike as in a couple of occasions the water was over the hubs.

Thanks.

A - W · June 2007

Bike is a Spesh Sirrus Elite if that makes any difference?

domtyler · June 2007

Just use any quality wet lube, Finish Line etc. After riding in poor conditions you should also hose your bike down to get rid of grit/crap etc.

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Porridge not Petrol
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HEADSHOP

Unknown · June 2007

dont hose your bike down, you'll wash the grease out of the bottom bracket and headset.

wash it by hand, sprey the gears with WD40 or GT85 to dislodge water, then use finishline wet lube

DavidTQ · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Random Vince

dont hose your bike down, you'll wash the grease out of the bottom bracket and headset.

wash it by hand, sprey the gears with WD40 or GT85 to dislodge water, then use finishline wet lube
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Just a quick question, I was recommended dry lube for my chain by my LBS is there a reason why wet lube is better? (I always used to use 3 in 1 oil...)

Keith Oates · June 2007

Wiping the chain after a wet ride and then putting on any oil should protect it!!!!!

Ride Daily, Keep Healthy

frogcp · June 2007

I don't think riding the bike through hub deep water is a good idea. The pedals will be dipped in and out, the hubs will get water in them, as will the bottom bracket. I don't think you can actually ride a bike in water that is headset deep.

The grease in the bearings will emulsify (sp) with the water and help to flush the lubricant out of the bearing. The water will cause rust and that will knacker up the bearing. I'd recommend you strip down and re-lube any bearing that has been ridden through deep water, even for a short time.

Vultures circling high in a clear blue sky - must be a traffic jam near by.

BentMikey · June 2007

*Ahem* Yes you can!

http://llanwrtyd-wells.powys.org.uk/bog.html

My bikes
My skates

If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.

A - W · June 2007

Thanks for the advice so far.

I thought hubs were sealed and therefore you shouldn't get any water in?

Sorry for being thick, but whats wet/dry lubes and can anyone recommend some please?
How much should I put on?

Having riden in this morning there is defiant chain rattle/squeak. I wil endevour to give it a good clean all round some evening or at the weekend.

mazcp · June 2007

I need this advice cos of the floods, too.
I ride a Spesh Sirrus elite, too. Spooky!

domtyler · June 2007

Wet lube for wet weather
Dry lube for dry weather

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">don't hose your bike down, you'll wash the grease out of the bottom bracket and headset." <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Rubbish, never with a standard garden hose, maybe with a pressure washer though.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I don't think riding the bike through hub deep water is a good idea.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't think he was doing it for the fun of it, some areas of the country have had floods if you've missed the news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
________
I PEN VAPORIZER

the reluctant cyclist · June 2007

I always wash my bike with the pressure washer. I use a de-greaser and a couple of different brushes and give everything a really good clean. My other half says that I should get all the grit and dirt out of everthing otherwise it wears things too quickly.

I always re-lubricate everything after too. Is this wrong then?[?]

**All I'm trying to do is get to work**

A - W · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by maz

I need this advice cos of the floods, too.
I ride a Spesh Sirrus elite, too. Spooky!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Spooky. [:)]

A - W · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by domtyler

Wet lube for wet weather
Dry lube for dry weather

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">don't hose your bike down, you'll wash the grease out of the bottom bracket and headset." <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Rubbish, never with a standard garden hose, maybe with a pressure washer though.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I don't think riding the bike through hub deep water is a good idea.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't think he was doing it for the fun of it, some areas of the country have had floods if you've missed the news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It wasn't by choice, it couldn't be helped as the water was up to knee level and I wanted to get home.

If I'd have been in the car I'd have had to leave it stranded as did many. It looked in parts like everyone had just run and left their cars.

Anonymous · June 2007

I would clean, dry and regrease all affected bearings soon as possible (pedals,bb,headset,hubs). Leaving it till later could be expensive. If you have a sealed bottom bracket cartridge unit then this may not be possible, or you may be lucky and it is well sealed. I would ride using the sealed bb until it becomes apparent it has been affected, then replace if necessary.

A - W · June 2007

Thanks for that xroads. Will have a go tonight once the kids are tucked up.

Any recommendations for greasing?

Anonymous · June 2007

I dont go for any brand names/makes, just use a tub of cheap motor grease I used on my car (castrol general purpose grease). For the chain, I rinse/scrub using white spirit, dry, dip in chainsaw oil, hang to drip, then wipe down.

Archcp · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by A - W

Thanks for that xroads. Will have a go tonight once the kids are tucked up.

Any recommendations for greasing?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Oh, I really wouldn't grease the kids. They'll just keep slipping out of bed...

[;)]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

A - W · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Arch

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by A - W

Thanks for that xroads. Will have a go tonight once the kids are tucked up.

Any recommendations for greasing?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Oh, I really wouldn't grease the kids. They'll just keep slipping out of bed...

[;)]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

[:D][:D]

domtyler · June 2007

You could try greasing up the wife and yourself before bed though, just a thought, might be fun.

I'll, er, get me coat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
________
Digital Vaporizer

frogcp · June 2007

I always thought that wet and dry referred to the state of the lube rather than the conditions. Wet describes such as oil based lubes which remain liquid after application. These penetrate the bearing but attract muck. Dry describe lubes which have a liquid penetrant to carry the actual lube into the bearing but that evaporates off leaving the lube behind. As they're dry road muck doesn't stick.

Please feel free to correct [:)]

BM, Never heard of bog-snorkeling?? How do they stay down - unless they clipped into the pedals. I can just imagine some future descendant of Arch finding some well preserved snorkller and his bike in the peat. [:D]

Vultures circling high in a clear blue sky - must be a traffic jam near by.

Mr Celine · June 2007

I also ride a Spesh Sirrus (Comp if it matters) and it has been ridden through floods, is regularly ridden through fords and all recent rides have included torrential rain or thunderstorms. I've never had to regrease or replace hubs or BBs. Standing water such as floods is not under pressure and your bearings should be full of grease so it is unlikely that much water will have got in.
Give your bike a good hose down afterwards. If your water pressure is high, keep the hose well back and if your are using a pressure washer keep even further back, as water under pressure can force its way into your bearings.
When you've hosed it down get rid of as much water as possible by bouncing the bike, spinning the pedals etc, then spray the chain and mechs with GT85 or WD40 to repel water.
Leave to dry then apply chain lube - wet if you're going a long way in the rain, otherwise in summer use the dry lube as its less messy.

What is grey and comes in pints?

frustruck · June 2007

If you cycle in water well above the front hub, the front wheel will act like a rudder above about 4 mph. It is a strange feeling as you have to steer 'backwards' to get anywhere.

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by frog

I always thought that wet and dry referred to the state of the lube rather than the conditions. Wet describes such as oil based lubes which remain liquid after application. These penetrate the bearing but attract muck. Dry describe lubes which have a liquid penetrant to carry the actual lube into the bearing but that evaporates off leaving the lube behind. As they're dry road muck doesn't stick.

Please feel free to correct [:)]

BM, Never heard of bog-snorkeling?? How do they stay down - unless they clipped into the pedals. I can just imagine some future descendant of Arch finding some well preserved snorkller and his bike in the peat. [:D]

Vultures circling high in a clear blue sky - must be a traffic jam near by.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

as already said, and printed on the finishline bottles,

wet lube is for extreme conditions, and stays slightly wet

dry lube forms a coating but doesnt allow dust and dirt to stick to it.

Unknown · June 2007

My current bike has been ridden through dozens of fords and quite a few of these have been above the level of the hubs. Last winter during the melt after a big snowfall in Worcestershire I rode through one up to the level of the top tube. I was particularly amused as the same ford defeated a Mercedes 4x4 which was stranded in the middle !
My hubs are a Sohn dynohub at the front and Shimano Deore XT rear and both seem absolutely fine as is the bottom bracket. Brief immersion in water won't do too much harm to a set of sealed bearings IMO.

Regards

Using the bike during the flood, what next?

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