Riding in the Rain

XC Racer

I have made a good training program form myself, but it rain about one a week over here.
I have all the waterproof stuff, but what do I do when I get home and my bike is wet?Do I just Leave it?
(It is an Aluminium frame Merida)

daunce

you have more street cred riding a filthy bike. it's like "yeah man i ride it hard in the dirt!".

i personally give it a quick spray with the hose if i can be bothered. no high pressure stuff.. whatever doesn't get washed off stays.

i wonder how many mountain bikes only see freshly cut grass and a paved bike path..

XC Racer

"i wonder how many mountain bikes only see freshly cut grass and a paved bike path.."

Um...My mum's?...Lol (Gitane Rocks TL4)

Thanks for the reply but that isn't really what I asked.
What do I do when I get home?

frey

I usually go through the following, takes a couple of mins, nothing too serious:
Wipe the bike down with a tea towel
Spray a load of water repellant lube like GT85 through the chain and the derailleurs
Try to get the water off the exposed steel bits, i.e. bolts and any exposed bits of gear and brake cabling

That's about it really, keeps my bike going...

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... must be the damn bike!

ding

i leave it coverd in mud etc untill its so thick it puts couple of pounds of weight onto the bike then just put it under the hose pipe but not the wheels not good for the hubs.(preasure) give it a scrub with sponge an shampoo dry with towell what ever take chain and crank off give em good clean oil chain and use bucket of water and clean wheels. i hardly clean it but when i do i usually strip it down and give it a good clean but only stays clean over night.

garage sale GT

The worst thing about riding in the rain is that the front wheel splashes gritty water or mud into the front sprockets and chain. Clean the chain with one of the clip on units or at least give it a gentle brushing and pour some water over it.

Brakes and derailleurs need a bit of help too. Get the grit out but don't force it in deeper.

I can't believe you'd get any kind of longevity out of your components if you leave them coated in nature's chain grinding compound, especially if you have a regular training regimen. Only weekend warriors can afford to leave it muddy.

Rockslayer

If you have disc brakes try wipe them down and maybe take the pads out and clear any water from the pistons and caliper unit. Wipe down the discs/pads.
Disc brakes can be a sh*t if you let the grit and silt dry inside brake unit.
Mud tends to dry and fall off, cloudy/muddy water is the worst.

alfeng

It really depends how long you want your bike & components to last, doesn't it?

DIRT IS LIKE SANDPAPER.

If you only want to wipe the bike's frame down, periodically, that's "okay"; but, frequent inspection is always a good habit to get into to -- paint chips should be attended to sooner-rather-than-later regardless of the material the frame is made with. You will spot other irregularities sooner if the bike is clean.

REGARDLESS, keep your chain & derailleurs as clean as possible ...

So, AFTER EACH WET RIDE, make sure your chain & derailleurs are NOT sloppy with mud(dy water) ... rinse-and-wipe dry ... re-lube/re-grease. If your cogs or chainrings are caked with anything, rinse/wipe them off.

Keep your rims OR discs clean ... inspect your brake pads for debris.

If your bike has a suspension, make sure there isn't any dirt on the sliders or around the rear suspensions bushings/bearings & shock.

Rinsing off the tires will give you a chance to inspect for embedded debris which could eventually cause a flat OR cuts in the tread.

Periodically, wipe off the frame & use some household furniture polish on it ... that will make the paint's finish last longer. The paint is on the frame to protect the underlying metal as much as to make it saleable when you are looking at it on the showroom floor.

DIRT IS LIKE SANDPAPER.

garage sale GT

For Christmas I want a Rohloff-equipped bike with a chain case, please.

I live close to a nature preserve. Riding home over rainy streets is worse than having a muddy bike because the water from your front wheel really sprays the grit in your chain.

bonirl

A quick wash down with a low pressure hose plus a bit of WD-40 should do the trick. If you have time you could also dry it off. Don't forget to apply a small bit of bike specific spray greese the following day (the WD-40 removes the water but also removes much needed lubricant). A few minutes care and attention after each spin will keep your bike and componets in good nic and you up and out on the bike. (can save you money too). Hope this helps.

epictrailrider.

Always wipe it down. I live on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada where it rains all winter. After a ride I use a hose with low water pressure to rinse bike off, then I use a rag to wipe it clean and mostly dry. I run the chain through a chain cleaner then re-lube.

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Epictrailrider.com

garage sale GT

Have you tried to apply the grease without the WD? The solvent carrier of an aerosol grease will be more effective than WD40 in displacing the water away from the metal, though droplets may remain on the outside, over a layer of grease. There will be no WD40 present to dilute the grease after it dries.

OllyUK

I use Muc-off, its fantastic, has ur bike sparkling like new in no time at all

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