Bike Care After Rain

bigbeezer
bigbeezer Posts: 80
edited July 2014 in Road beginners
Hi there folks,

What is the best way to look after your bike when you have been caught in a shower, or are out in the rain?
Obv you dry it as best you can but do you have to degrease it and then wash that off then dry and then lube again?
What are the best degreasers and lube out there that i should have? my LBS sold me rock and roll which is supposed to be a cleaner and a lube? bu ti don't think it's that great tbh?

cheers

Comments

  • bigbeezer
    bigbeezer Posts: 80
    also,
    what is the best way to dry the cassette? i just get a rag and squeeze it in between each gear and rub it up and down, is this the best way?
  • mrkev83
    mrkev83 Posts: 184
    I just dry off the deliberating and deraillers, wipe down the frame and gt85 the deliberating and a quick spray over exposed cables. I only lube when something squeaks
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/mrkev83

    Built for comfort... Not for speed
  • bigbeezer
    bigbeezer Posts: 80
    how do you get the chain really dry tho? even when running it thru a cloth there must still be some water in the links?
    thinking of getting a cassette removal tool for easier cleaning/drying of it?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    MrKev83 wrote:
    I just dry off the deliberating and deraillers, wipe down the frame and gt85 the deliberating and a quick spray over exposed cables. I only lube when something squeaks

    'Deliberating'..??
  • Englishmanabroad
    Englishmanabroad Posts: 14
    You don't need to get the chain really dry, it's why you use a lubricant. It lubricates and protects, a quick wipe is more than sufficient if it gets regular use.
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,570
    i hose it down to get off the cack

    bounce it a couple of times to shake off most of the water

    wipe the frame, fork and rims clean/dry

    done

    btw i use wet lube, so the cassette/chain can just dry out ok on their own, as above just a wipe every now and then to remove accumulated crud then apply a bit more lube
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • bigbeezer
    bigbeezer Posts: 80
    thanks guys, this is a great help.
    Do any of you dry the cassette after a wet ride?
  • alpineaddict
    alpineaddict Posts: 247
    I usually power hose my bike completely after every ride, blasting the cassette and cleaning everything thoroughly... If a nice day, let it dry naturally, otherwise towel dry what I can and then apply wet lube to chain, running the chain across the cassette.

    Then wipe excess lube off the chain :-)
  • Bozman
    Bozman Posts: 2,518
    Throw it away and buy a dry one.
  • Secteur
    Secteur Posts: 1,971
    sungod wrote:
    i hose it down to get off the cack

    bounce it a couple of times to shake off most of the water

    wipe the frame, fork and rims clean/dry

    done

    +1, although I dont go as far as wiping it down. I just clean it with MucOff, a hose pipe and a sponge (and one of those green sponge scourer things the missus has in the kitchen, for scrubbing the rims), a quick bounce and spin fo the cranks and then it does straight into the garage.

    Never had a problem.
  • Secteur
    Secteur Posts: 1,971
    Bozman wrote:
    Throw it away and buy a dry one.

    Genius LOL. Especially if it's a carbon. Once wet, the whole thing needs replacing!
  • gubber12345
    gubber12345 Posts: 493
    Whatever you do dont use a power washer as it only forces water into the wheel bearings etc and causes rust which then wrecks your bearings
    Lapierre Aircode 300
    Merida
  • BrandonA
    BrandonA Posts: 553
    My cassette is not made of a material that rusts. I therefore let it drip dry.

    I run the chain via a towel to get off most of the water. I then leave it for a bit before lubing.

    I rarely dry the frame as it takes seconds for the water to naturally run off of it.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    I put mine in the garage with the full intention of doing it later, then invariably forget and find that the next time I use it still works just as well and hasn't rusted or dissolved in any way. I'll clean it very so often (weeks, couple of months maybe) but it tends to stay fairly clean & sparkly of its own accord most of the time. I have noticed that even though it went into the garage wet, it tends to be dry by the following morning, so I don't worry too much.

    The Garmin & the Di2 battery go somewhere warm & dry though.
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    Got thoroughly soaked on Thursday cycling back from work, put the Rourke in the bathroom where the puddles of water would do no harm, then moved it to the spare bedroom where its waiting to be cleaned.

    Water will evaporate, so its just a bit dirty. A clean, lube and a cpl squirts of GT85 should see it good again (when I get round to it).
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
    Find me on Strava
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    CiB wrote:
    I put mine in the garage with the full intention of doing it later, then invariably forget and find that the next time I use it still works just as well and hasn't rusted or dissolved in any way. I'll clean it very so often (weeks, couple of months maybe) but it tends to stay fairly clean & sparkly of its own accord most of the time. I have noticed that even though it went into the garage wet, it tends to be dry by the following morning, so I don't worry too much.

    The Garmin & the Di2 battery go somewhere warm & dry though.

    Ditto - I clean my bikes when they become dirty enough to be ashamed of people seeing them (that happens much sooner for the road bike than it does the MTB) but other than that, wet or dry rides have the same post-ride ritual which involves rinsing the tyres off if necessary so I can bring it in the house - full stop. When I do clean it, it looks brand new again so doesn't seem to be suffering too much from not being cleaned and re-lubed after every ride. If I had the time to clean the bike after a ride I'd just ride a bit more instead....
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    I do nothing immediately after the ride.
    If it's going to be sitting a few days I might add a spot of lube to the chain once it's dry.
    If I've been out on wet and dirty roads frequently I'll give it an occasional wipedown and degrease/re-lube the groupset more frequently.
  • mrkev83
    mrkev83 Posts: 184
    I meant drive train not deliberating. Use gt85 to drive moisture out from where your rags Can't reach.
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/mrkev83

    Built for comfort... Not for speed
  • Dippydog2
    Dippydog2 Posts: 291
    I find it much easier to do the cleaning straight away if it has been wet or muddy.

    Hose off all the mud.
    I have a garden spray bottle full of cleaner. Pump it up and spray all over. Leave it to soak whilst doing the drive train.
    Spray the drive train with citrus degreaser.
    Run the chain through a chain cleaner (only if it's really bad).
    Brush the frame etc.
    Separate brush for the drive train. The cassette will look like new still.
    Hose off all over.

    The order is key as it gives time for the chemicals to soak in. This process takes less than ten minutes. Just enough time for me to cool down normally after the ride. This works particularly well if it is still raining!

    I then spray the derailleurs, chain and pedal mechanisms with GT85.
    Bounce a few times to knock off the big water droplets then I leave it to dry indoors.
    Wipe off excess GT85 and lubricate with a light oil once dry.

    If it wasn't wet or muddy I will just wipe down anything dirty with something like baby wipes.
  • djp66
    djp66 Posts: 115
    +1 on the babywipes.

    Considering the job they were designed for, a bit of mud or road splash is just childs play - sorry, I'll get my coat :wink:
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    @Dippydog2

    That may only take 10 minutes but it's more work than I'm willing to put in after every ride. It seems way over the top to me.
    I don't wash my car after each use and I'm not inclined to do so for my bike either!
    I'd love to have a pristine bike at the start of every ride but not so much that I'm willing to spend 10 minutes cleaning, possibly several times a week. The end of a ride is time for a stretch, some food and some satisfied relaxation. A routine like that would ruin it on me!

    To each their own!
  • Dippydog2
    Dippydog2 Posts: 291
    Ai_1 wrote:
    @Dippydog2

    That may only take 10 minutes but it's more work than I'm willing to put in after every ride. It seems way over the top to me.
    I don't wash my car after each use and I'm not inclined to do so for my bike either!
    I'd love to have a pristine bike at the start of every ride but not so much that I'm willing to spend 10 minutes cleaning, possibly several times a week. The end of a ride is time for a stretch, some food and some satisfied relaxation. A routine like that would ruin it on me!

    To each their own!

    You are right. Of course I do not do that after EVERY ride. Only if it has been raining and muddy. Where I live it is very rural so rainy always means muddy as well.

    If it's dry I just put the bike in the store and head straight for the cold beer.

    I ride four or five times a week and I guess I only end up cleaning once a week maximum.

    Of course, if it is one of those periods of continuous rain I just hit the turbo instead.

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