How to stop my bike rotting
CptKernow
Posts: 467
I was swapping some stuff around on my bikes this week and took the bar tape off my trainer bike. What I found was a bit of a shocker.
There were piles of salt under there. These were tinged with blues and greens, which I now think are the oxidized remnants of my handlebars. I'm now throwing out a set of year old 3T bars as they have holes in.
The levers have fared a little better although I've had to drill out one of the fixing torqx bolts as the teeth had been totally corroded.
So, what is the solution? I already have a sweat catcher but this doesn't cover the areas I'm talking about. I suppose I could try draping a towel over the bars...
There were piles of salt under there. These were tinged with blues and greens, which I now think are the oxidized remnants of my handlebars. I'm now throwing out a set of year old 3T bars as they have holes in.
The levers have fared a little better although I've had to drill out one of the fixing torqx bolts as the teeth had been totally corroded.
So, what is the solution? I already have a sweat catcher but this doesn't cover the areas I'm talking about. I suppose I could try draping a towel over the bars...
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Posts
Did you really need to ask?
I do a fair bit thru the winter - but always with a towel over the bars.
I like to have a fan blowing from the side too - the sweat tends to fall away from the bike slightly.
If the bike is on the turbo for a good time you could clingfilm it a bit ? Or yourself if that floats your boat.
It only occurred to me after I started typing.
Not masses, about two hard sessions a week. Think I might need a better fan.... Although I do like the idea of wrapping up in cling film
Sometimes, if I'm doing a short, easy session and I can't be arsed to set it up, I'll get going and within 5 minutes be literally dripping with sweat and wish that I had. With it running, even in extremely hard workouts my clothes will get sweaty but nowhere near the point where it's dripping all over the bike or running down my arms onto the handlebars. It makes a huge difference.
If you are already using one, it clearly isn't powerful enough. You need to be looking at a decent size (20+ inches) floor/drum fan, not some crappy 12" desk or pedestal fan. You should be able to pick one up for <£50 and IMO it's money very well spent.
What kind of fans are you using?
To my cost I've determined that, as with bike lights, one good one is better than two cheap pieces of censored ! Outside most cyclists are going to be moving ~20-40 kph and finding a fan that can shift air at anywhere close to that speed is difficult.
Take a note of how much wind-noise you can hear with the fans going next time, I bet it's not even close to what you experience on the road.
Its much louder than outside but I'm working much harder inside on a turbo session than my normal longer and steadier outside bike rides.
This will go nicely with a set of sweat bands and the cling film I'll be wrapping myself in...
And you only realised with the tape off ? No idea they had great big holes in them ?
Yep! Bar tape looked as good as new. Only one weird little thing - a lump appeared under the tape one place. This was the result of crystals building up as the metal dissolved.
Bit scary really. I would have probably been out on the roads with these bars, completely oblivious that the tape was holding them together. Would have been nice to get on the drops for a sprint and snap...
So, lesson learned. Always use carbon bars on your trainer bike
I don't think I've ever heard of anyone corroding their bars with sweat before.
Kudos for the sheer volume you've put out !
Be glad you didn't find out on your first sprint of the next season. Breaking handlebars seems like the worst thing that could happen (other than kissing the front of a big truck, but that probably hurts less).
I've got a 20" John Lewis own-branded floor fan (unfortunately since discontinued); depending on the ambient temp and workout intensity it's usually enough, but I've occasionally thought I could do with something a bit more powerful so I'd say, as a reference this is the minimum kind of size you want to be shooting for:
However, the fan is only half of the equation, you need a source of fresh air as well. If you're working out in a cupboard you can have all of the fans you like but they're only going to be pushing hot air around. Having a door or big window open too is essential.
Get a towel on the contact points and if the bike is there all winter - the clingfilm trick may be of use.
I've heard various people say that they find the fan more effective if it's offset to the side by 30-45degree.
Just did a 40k race on Zwift and no drips. Only downside is I have to crank the music up a couple of notches!
I've found bluetooth headphones are a pretty good investment for the turbo too; the music is a good motivator, drowns out the noise of the trainer/bike/fan, no wires to get tangled up and if it's really cold then they're good for keeping the ears warm too!
Do you not find they get cakes up in sweat, much like the bike?!
I generally end up listening the radio - it's the Today programme at 6am - but just played out on my phone which I have in front on me on the bars.