How to protect components from the rain?

shdaxner

Hi All

So i bought my first road bike just over a week ago, i am really enjoying riding it so i try abit of an extended commute everyday, however, because of the recent weather i have been cleaning it meticulously after every ride yet im still worried of problems such as rust and the components clogging up as they did with my last commuter.

Is there any tricks of the trade or specialist lubes or should i be lubing in a specific way to minimize the risk of any of the above?

Thanks

Stefan

MrChuck

Proper mudguards!

Parts shouldn't really rust if they're being used every day. My bike gets wet frequently and often sits outside in the rain all day but the only things that rust are things like stem bolts- the drievtrain takes care of itself.

Obviously if it's properly getting covered in crap in the depths of winter and can get a bit clogged up but if you're on the roads it doesn't really need cleaning every day.

shdaxner

right ok, it does get used everyday and will continue too be used daily.

Stem bolts/bottle cage bolts i aint worried about as they are replaced fairly easily. what about things like the limit adjuster screws on the derailleurs? can you buy replacement screws if needs be?

And also what about wheel hubs and the BB if riding in rain alot do these need more maintenance ie: a strip down and lube or should they be ok for about 6 months?

Thanks again

asprilla

Quick spray with GT85 after a wet ride will see it alright.

I spray my cassette, front and rear mechs.

shdaxner

Thanks for that Asprilla, i have loadsa GT85 lying around in the garage so ill give that a try when i get home today.

Another question regarding lubing the bike. (im sure i have seen an article about this somewhere) i have a decent wet lube and a decent dry lube, but what is the best way to lube the running gear? on my old commuter i wasnt big on maintenance and now it shows, the bike is noisy, rough, hard to set up properly and just generally scruffy.

So should i apply a lot of lube or a little? should i wipe the excess off? should i lube everything (chainrings, cassette and chain) or just the chain?

Sorry about the amateur-ish questions i just want to look after this one properly.

Stefan

godders1

Just lube the chain. Don't go too mad, just a drop on each link and yes, wipe of the excess (might want to leave it a while to penetrate, I sometimes leave it overnight).

Lube is obviously absolutely necessary but it's also a crap magnet so you only want it where it needs to be which is in the joints of the chain.

Kieran_Burns

Clean chain (decent cleaner with brushes really helps)
Run chain through chain cleaner dry
Apply wet lube to each link
Leave overnight
Wipe off excess properly (top, bottom, each side)
Chain should look spotless at this point
Spray rear cassette with GT85 while turning crank (spray a little on the tension wheels as well)
Leave to dry

Jobs a good 'un.

godders1

My LBS said the cassette doesn't need lubing (and my drvietrain certainly never seems to have suffered from not doing it).

Of course where and how others ride might mean it is a good idea in their case but I don't think it's a universal must.

stanarchist

applying a drop of wet lube onto the barrel adjusters/pivots on mechs etc. doesn't do any harm

stanarchist

oh. and you should always ensure that when a new cable is fitted that there is a blob of grease on the 'nipple' end

dodgy

This post will get lost amongst all the other advice, I'm sure. But here goes.

Get a tub of vaseline and push a dollop of it into every allen key recess and screw recess (like the screws on the derailleur for example). If you do this, I can guarantee you won't get corrosion in there, there isn't any room for water once you've properly squeezed some vaseline in there. You should put enough in so it 'pops' as you squeeze it in, make sure it's flush with the surface.

Why vaseline instead of grease? Easy, if you get any on you, you just rub it into your hands

I do this on my winter bike and never have any problems.

unixnerd

Proper mudguards!

+1. If bolts rust replace them with titanium equivalents, loads on ebay.

Blacktemplar

What about mudguard flaps?

I've got full mudguards on my commuter, but when I'm turning in really wet weather the overspray from bottom of the front guard soaks my feet.

Don't seem to be many on the market (or my Google-fu is weak)

Any recommendations?

Moodyman

Blacktemplar wrote:

What about mudguard flaps?

I've got full mudguards on my commuter, but when I'm turning in really wet weather the overspray from bottom of the front guard soaks my feet.

Don't seem to be many on the market (or my Google-fu is weak)

Any recommendations?

There are some ready made ones, but not worth the money in my opinion.

I made my own. Any type of plastic - milk cartons, lucozade bottles, roofing felt - must be able to hold it's shape when descending at 40mph but also be pliable so it doesn't snap.

Drill 2 holes near bottom of mudguard and either use bolts & nuts or a heavy duty cable tie (I prefer cable tie as it doesn't come loose like bolts can)

Get it as close to the ground, whilst having enough clearane for kerb-hopping.

Blacktemplar

Moodyman wrote:

Blacktemplar wrote:

What about mudguard flaps?

I've got full mudguards on my commuter, but when I'm turning in really wet weather the overspray from bottom of the front guard soaks my feet.

Don't seem to be many on the market (or my Google-fu is weak)

Any recommendations?

There are some ready made ones, but not worth the money in my opinion.

I made my own. Any type of plastic - milk cartons, lucozade bottles, roofing felt - must be able to hold it's shape when descending at 40mph but also be pliable so it doesn't snap.

Drill 2 holes near bottom of mudguard and either use bolts & nuts or a heavy duty cable tie (I prefer cable tie as it doesn't come loose like bolts can)

Get it as close to the ground, whilst having enough clearane for kerb-hopping.

Kinda the conclusion I was coming to as well...

I thought I might try a cheap rubber car mat cut to shape as it's flexible but hard wearing

dodgy

I use an MTB inner tube, cut it open so it's no longer a tube It folds out quite wide and doesn't get damaged by kerbs, is weighty enough not to flap around too much and is impervious to the weather. Mine is reinforced slightly by some plastic from an old oil container (black).

shdaxner

Cheers for all the little hints guy, specially liking the ''vas'ing up the nooks and crannies'' ill be all over that one once i get home tonight.

I have just invested in some crud road racer mk 2's which as i have gone for next day delivery should be here tomorrow along with my new rear light as mine made an overly dramatic attempt at freedom after hitting a pot hole this morning.

I too, will look into changing the bolts to something a little more weather proof, Ti is probably the best bet i think.

And thanks KB will deifinitely be investing in a decent chain cleaner as doing it manually is a dirty job and a real pain in the ar$e.

Thanks again

rolf_f

shdaxner wrote:

And thanks KB will deifinitely be investing in a decent chain cleaner as doing it manually is a dirty job and a real pain in the ar$e.

If cleaning your chain is a pain in the ar$e then you really should have gone next day delivery on the chain cleaner tool as well :shock:

jomoj

wouldnt bother with Ti - just get a bag of stainless bolts from screwfix and they'll do the job for pennies.

Also, don't stress too much about rain, most bike parts are relatively impervious to H2O, it's only when they start to salt the roads that you need to worry

cyberknight

jomoj wrote:

wouldnt bother with Ti - just get a bag of stainless bolts from screwfix and they'll do the job for pennies.

Also, don't stress too much about rain, most bike parts are relatively impervious to H2O, it's only when they start to salt the roads that you need to worry

+1 the grit gave my rear mech a nice patina , once cleaned it still works and has not got any worse the rest of the year.

dodgy

I'm no metallurgist, but I'm sure I've read a post from someone who has expertise in this area that you shouldn't use Stainless bolts in places like stems etc unless they meet specific strength criteria. Not all bolts are equal.