Stupid Cycling Question - Bike in Downpour

4thDegreeKnight

If this was a cheap bike I bought from Wal-Mart, I don't know if I would care as much. But I sank a decent amount into a bike that fits me properly at a bike shop.

About 1/2 through my ride this morning I got caught in a downpour. (Which was awesome to ride in BTW). But my 2 month old bike got soaked.

I tried to wipe it downwhen I got home to protect from rust, dabbed at the gears and sprokets some as well.

Is there anything I need to do when my bike gets soaked like that - or its it just a matter of letting it dry?

I was concerned about rust, or jacking up the gear change system, etc. Or is this an unfounded fear?

CincyNeid

Dry everything out really well with a Terry Cloth rag or micro-fiber cloth, clean and oil the chain. That's really about it. Most of the bikes that you get from a LBS are going to be alloy frames with some carbon parts mixed in. Typically the only ferrous metals on bikes are the Chainrings, Cassette, and Chain.

Edit : Pay attention to the cables, those can be ferrous unless you upgraded to stainless cable.

NorthCascades

Wipe it down, let it dry. If you want to go above and beyond, clean and lubricate the chain after it dries.

The worst thing that happens to a bike when you ride it in the rain is that your tires kick up water from the ground, that water has dirt and grit and sand in it, gets caught in your chain, and wears the drive train (and brakes) out more quickly than if you never rode in the rain. Good news is it's all stuff that wears out anyway. (I get about 2,000 miles out of a chain and that's in Seattle.) Cleaning the chain will get rid of all of that.

queenliz99

I like this article. I almost never wash my bicycle unless muddy.

http://www.bicycling.com/maintenance/bike-washing/how-wash-your-bike

tjhovey

Bounce it up and down a few times to get as much of the water off as possible, and put it somewhere inside where it will dry quickly (if you can). I use a corrosion-resistance bag (zerustproducts.com/products/rust-protection-for-bicycles/bicycle-cover/) for the bike I keep on the balcony -- I don't know if it really works, but it makes me feel better and the bike looks to be in good shape!

BrianSharpe

The biggest thing would be to dry and lubricate your drive train as soon as possible.

narak_lol

I just hose down the whole bike (not high pressure hose). Use degreaser for the chain, chainset, jockey wheels, blah. Let it dry. Lube. Same routine for my Giant with Di2, even the new bike Emonda with etap.

Triathlete1502

Agree with the above.

Also, most if not all, mid-high cost bikes would come with post purchase 6 weeks maintenance/check. Hence, approach your LBS for some "bike maintenance" and tips. Additionally, some stores provide basic and advance bike maintenance course(s) too.

All the best!

sohosocialclub

I agree with the previous posts. Be ready for snow and ice though. That weather can have a nasty impact on your Derailleurs.

mikepicher

I use chain wax... better repellent plus cleaner... http://www.livestrong.com/article/158740-bicycle-chain-wax-vs-oil/

4thDegreeKnight

Wow, thank you for all the help guys (and gals), I really appreciate it.

kcjchang

4thDegreeKnight wrote: »

I tried to wipe it downwhen I got home to protect from rust, dabbed at the gears and sprokets some as well.

Is there anything I need to do when my bike gets soaked like that - or its it just a matter of letting it dry?

Is the frame steel? If so, check for chips in the paint the next time when it is clean and dry. Apply nail polish to any chips in the paint job. Check for internal rust as needed, something like a quarterly cycle if you are in the rain or wash it with water/hose often. Check on the chain before your next ride. Clean and lube as necessary. To clean, back peddle and hold the chain with a rag (top down and side to side). Wipe down the jockey wheels and front rings. If it's too dry, lube first then clean off the gunk. Lube again once the chain is clean and wipe off excess. Make sure to give some lube on the derailleur's pivot joints and the jockey wheel rollers. I do a more substantial cleaning every two to three weeks where I first de-grease the chain. Try to keep the chain's the factory lube as long as you can (since the bike is new) but two months is a long time if you ride a lot. I replace my chain every three to four thousand miles. The chain lube is mainly to keep it quiet, smooth, and prolong the life of cassette/chain ring.

On my old 7 speed stuff, I didn't really bother. Cleaning was more like a quarterly thing and lubing when it squeaks. The chain broke after 5 years, probably around 25k miles. Shifting was still flawless with minimal wear on the rings and cassette.

4thDegreeKnight wrote: »

I was concerned about rust, or jacking up the gear change system, etc. Or is this an unfounded fear?

Yes. If you must, lube it with a light oil (e.g. Tri-Flow) by loosening the cable clamp and placing the lube on the exposed cable (letting it drip back into the housing. Don't pull the cable out completely. Reassemble and index. A waste of time IMO. Peal back the brifter covers and grease the exposed internals (where the paddles enters the main body, personally I just spray some WD40 after a wash and call it good).

If you ride a lot and have brifters, the derailleur cable and housing need to be replaced after a year or so. The telltale signs are the indexing are suddenly sluggish on the uptake. My front goes out more frequently than the rear and have settle to a 6-8 mos cycle so I replace it every 6 months but only once a year on the housing. I also switched back to stainless instead of the coated cables for the front (last longer, cheaper, and not much different on the shifting). Going to experiment with the rear on the next maintenance. Brakes can go longer but I change it out every year or so along when I change the derailleur cable. Back to stainless also. IMO, the coated stuff doesn't give that much of a performance boost for the cost. I have logged over 8k on the stainless verses 6k on the coated since getting back into the sport.

I also re-lube my headset, bottom bracket, pedal spindle, and cassette body once a year. For headset and BB, it really just greasing the bearing contact point since I have sealed cartridge bearing. If you have loose, I would clean out and re-grease the bearing and housing. Cassette body is just cleaning and light oil.