Carbon bike Salt

Stormtrooper

I've finally got the funds together to get my self my dream bike a Look 765.

As it my first carbon bike I'm a bit dubious about taking it out on the crappy salty roads.
Perhaps a silly question but would the salt and damp affect the frame in any way.

Sitting here waiting for a ribbing

andcp

Stormtrooper wrote:

Perhaps a silly question but would the salt and damp affect the frame in any way.

No, but as with all bikes, keep it properly cleaned.

Others will be along shortly to ridicule you.

redvision

No of course not. The frame itself will be ok. The components will need to be properly maintained on a regular basis.

Wait for the carbon melting brigade to appear with their comments shortly though....

marcusjb

I will not ridicule you!

It's never so much about the frame that you have to worry about with salt (though, typically, carbon is going to be better than, let's say, steel in that respect). Salt corrodes just about everything else over time, wheels, cranks, mechs etc. Etc.

We have been lucky this winter in that it has been very mild across most of the U.K., so not much gritting has gone on until recently.

Even if there has been gritting, if it is cold and dry, then there's not too much to worry about. It is when it rains after a long period of cold and you are riding through lots of puddles etc. Full of salt.

As above, just make sure the bike is kept clean after those sort of rides (even a quick soaking with a bucket of clean water will take off the worst of the crud and salt).

Enjoy the new bike.

Padeye

Racing yachts are made of carbon.

The sea is both salty and damp.

vrsmatt

Its more the alloy components that will suffer corrosion from winter salt

Just enjoy riding it and keep it well cleaned afterwards, OR buy a winter snotter and keep it for summer best and the rollers :-)

keef66

What they all said. It's the steel / alloy components that salt will corrode. Just give it a wash / dry / lube after any particularly mucky ride.

If you're riding a lot in the wet without mudguards, keep an eye out for water accumulating inside the frame. Some bikes are more susceptible than others.

pblakeney

It'll melt.*

*Didn't want to disappoint.

Stormtrooper

Thanks all

Me just being paranoid I guess.

Pegasus2

Salt is fine, just dont leave it out in the sun too long.

Matthewfalle

Just out of interest, why did you think that salt would affect it?

markhewitt1978

Don't worry about the salt on the frame, do worry about the rest of the components tho. A gentle hose down (no pressure washer!) will be enough to clean the salt off when you get back home.

The thing the salt tends to get into is obviously the chain and gears but also your cables.

nochekmate

My Giant TCR frameset HAS been damaged by salt. Thought I'd wiped it down sufficiently well throughout last winter but on inspection prior to using it this winter, the paintwork on the bottom of the chainstays has 'blistered' as a result of riding it on wet roads that have been previously salted.

I'd use the LOOK cautiously at this time of the year (& maintain it with real care) if you wish to avoid ruining it.

meanredspider

nochekmate wrote:

the paintwork on the bottom of the chainstays has 'blistered' as a result of riding it on wet roads that have been previously salted.

How do you KNOW it was the salt that caused this? It doesn't actually make sense.

nochekmate

meanredspider wrote:

nochekmate wrote:

the paintwork on the bottom of the chainstays has 'blistered' as a result of riding it on wet roads that have been previously salted.

How do you KNOW it was the salt that caused this? It doesn't actually make sense.

Any other suggestions then? I cannot think of how else the damage to the paintwork would have come about. Not present prior to last winter.

meanredspider

I don't know but it could be a million things. But salt makes no sense.

daniel_b

It might have been an issue in the layering of the carbon?

Fibre glass Lotus Elises can have a similar 'blister' issue, and it only appears in cold and wet conditions. Allegedly that is down to how the fibre glass was layered.

I'm putting 2 and 2 together here.
Guessing basically :-)

nochekmate

I assumed that the salt/water mix that corrodes some components was responsible for the paint damage too. I can think of no other reason for it.

Just to confirm that the model is the TCR Alliance which is a carbon/alloy mix. Chainstays may be alloy.

meanredspider

Moisture left inside the frame has been known to cause damage (my brother's OCLV MTB frame suffered from this after sitting outside for a couple of Vancouver winters)

But, yes, if alloy is involved and it's exposed to salt solution, that might corrode and blister - but that's quite different.

Pegasus2

There is no doubt that salt is very corrosive. I woudnt' let it stay on any parts of a bike but I suspect arbon bikes are less susceptible than steel & aluminium frames.

Blistering paintwork is usually an issue of the paintwork itself.

vrsmatt

Blistering paint (microbubbles) are usually down to poor prep (water in paint or atmosphere) and will usually manifest itself in colder weather as the water condenses and causes tiny blisters in the paint. If my frame did it I'd be taking it back for a warranty claim, TCR has a lifetime warranty :-)

Anonymous

Why is there the an assumption that the only thing that will damage a bike will be water and salt? There are upteen untold chemicals on the roads. The amount of oils and solvents that get washed off of vehicles and ito the road surface. They then get washed out of the cracks and onto the top of the road where you get them splashed all over your bike. Think about all the crap that cars have in them - oil, fuel, brake fluid, washer fluid, coolant, anti freeze etc - all this stuff will end up on your bike and can cause paintwork damage if you don't remove it post ride.

Now, this will not cause immediate damage so long as you clean off the bike afterwards but don't go thinking the roads are just covered in a bit of sterile briny water.

Just to add, I am sure anyone who has ridden for prolonged periods of time in the rain will of heard the noise of debris inside their rims. Salt will get into your wheels and cause wear. the water evaporates leaving the salt crystals behind and they grind and corrode the rim internally. They are especially bad on spokes. worth now and again removing the tyres and washing them out wish soapy water.