I just got caught in a massive rain storm and was thinking about cleaning up my bike and was wondering what everyone else does.

My routine is to wipe down the entire bike and spray compressed air into the cassette to make sure it is 100% dry. Then I relube the chain, derailleurs and brakes and check function.

Is that what everyone else is doing after a rainy day?

ZAch

I just got caught in a massive rain storm and was thinking about cleaning up my bike and was wondering what everyone else does.

My routine is to wipe down the entire bike and spray compressed air into the cassette to make sure it is 100% dry. Then I relube the chain, derailleurs and brakes and check function.

Is that what everyone else is doing after a rainy day?

ZAch
You relube your brakes?

the calipers - right at the pivot point


is that weird???

zach

I've been horribly abusive to my commute bike all winter. I run the chain through a rag and then relube it each weekend but I've been putting it away wet--often twice per day--with no issues. I tend to wipe down my road bikes and mtbs after rides, though.

I just got caught in a massive rain storm and was thinking about cleaning up my bike and was wondering what everyone else does.

My routine is to wipe down the entire bike and spray compressed air into the cassette to make sure it is 100% dry. Then I relube the chain, derailleurs and brakes and check function.

Is that what everyone else is doing after a rainy day?

A good idea would be to turn the bike upside down and make sure all the water drains out.

where is the water draining out of when placing it upside down?

where is the water draining out of when placing it upside down?
I have no idea, but after I dry my bike while it is sitting on its wheels, I hang it upside down on the ceiling hooks through the wheels, and a bunch more water comes from somewhere.

I was tired of fighting rust so I switched to Ti for my commuter. After a Florida T-storm ( and if I am planning to ride the next day) the first thing I do is remove my seatbag and empty it to dry, then the frame pump. I give the whole bike a spray with the hose.If it's been a gritty ride I will get some soapy water and wash off the frame, under the saddle too. I have an old sponge for the chain and drivetrain. I rinse everything off with the hose but avoid bearing areas. I let it drip dry while I slip some newspaper in my shoes and put them and my bike in front of a fan while I shower. I go over it with a dry rag, and then lube the chain.

If I don't need to ride the next day I will soak the chain, remove the wheels and do a more thorough cleaning. After a few very wet rides I will regrease the hubs.

where is the water draining out of when placing it upside down?
From the bottom bracket area, which is where water will collect because its the lowest point on the bike. This is very, vewy scary if you're riding a steel frame, which is why a lot of steel frame bikes will have a little drain hole in the bottom bracket tube. I think FrameSaver treatment is mandatory for steel frames; it doesn't take any time for rust to set up in there, once water has found its way in.

Rainy day? :D :p :lol: So far, our rainy season has yielded less than 3"...should be between 12" and 14" by now. We'd love to need that kind of maintenance.

how long will a carbon frame last if it's been through the rain? I really don't know how long a carbon frame really lasts. All i know is that it is light and does not last no where near as long as an aluminum frame. What say ye bikers?


That's a load of crap that it doesn't las as long as an Al. frame.

No offense but it's nonesense.

an aluminum frame can very well dent and be rendered useless.

why would rain damage carbon fibre? It's not soluble for goodness sake. Doesn't rust for the love of you or anyone praying that it will. Doesn't get cracks from the raindrops pelting on it for sure or most Tour riders and us bikers would have broken bikes in the rain.

How long can they last? As long as you want it to before getting a new frame. As long as there're no cracks and all, they will last a long time. It's the drivetrain that doesnt last long if it's been through the rain without maintenance.

Make sure you clean your drivetrain and dry em up and relube on a rain ride. That's the difference between frequent trips to the LBS to get new parts and frequent trips to the LBS to check out what new gear they have (new gear since you save money on the parts you maintained an hence, can afford those new ear that just came in)

LBS= local bike store.

thanks bro...no offense taken. Again, i have no clue what the "LBS" means. Whats the most common occurrence of cracks on carbon fiber frames? Bike crashes? How do i know if i need to get a new frame? What size crack or scratch tells me i need to do something about the frame? I have no clue on this stuff.
Actually, I think the answer to your original question is that nobody really knows. Carbon fiber just hasnt been used for bicycle weight-bearing parts for very long when compared to steel & aluminum & even titanium. That's why you so frequently see all these questions like yours, and "How safe are carbon bars, how safe are carbon forks, or I got a little chip/scratch in my frame, is it safe to ride? I wouldn't buy a CF seatpost because I'm afraid it will break. I wouldn't buy a fork with a CF steerer, because (insert name of prominent cyclist here) was riding one & it broke. I'm not going to ride my CF bike in the rain, because it has a scratch in the paint, and if water gets into the CF it'll ruin the frame. I'm a clyde. Is it safe for me to ride a CF frame?"The answer is really who knows?

This is not a knock against CF. I have CF weight-bearing parts & I think they're great. Will they last 20, 30, 40 years? I dunno. I know steel & aluminum will.

thanks bro...no offense taken. Again, i have no clue what the "LBS" means. Whats the most common occurrence of cracks on carbon fiber frames? Bike crashes? How do i know if i need to get a new frame? What size crack or scratch tells me i need to do something about the frame? I have no clue on this stuff.


To answer your qn of when/how it cracks, well, it can be due to a few factors.

Crashes are one way.

Tipping the bike over is another, albeit not very likely. (I didn't say impossible here)

Leaving your bike on a car rack and driving into your garage is one SURE way.

Should you crash your bike hard, well, take it to your LBS (Local bike shop) for inspection.
If there are creaky noises or so, then most likely it could be a crack in the frame and you'd need a replacement.

Size crack? Well, any crack on the frame is not safe for it to be used actually. Check the crash replacement policy of the frames you are considering. One of the reasons why I got a Trek was because of it's crash replacement. (Heck actually, if it was a bad policy they had, I'd probably still get a Trek but that's a different story)

What Versatile has said is VERY true. No one knows for certain.

I just got caught in a massive rain storm and was thinking about cleaning up my bike and was wondering what everyone else does.

My routine is to wipe down the entire bike and spray compressed air into the cassette to make sure it is 100% dry. Then I relube the chain, derailleurs and brakes and check function.

Is that what everyone else is doing after a rainy day?

ZAch

That's about right. My routine is to hose off the major grit before I bring it inside, then wipe everything down and then relube. Sometimes I'll hit the chain with WD40 to help clean it and displace the water before hitting with Prolink but I'm not sure that's really necessary. If it's not really dirty enough to warrant the hose, I'll hit it with some Lemon Pledge on a rag. As noted below, it's also a good idea to remove the seat post and hang the bike up so water and drain and any condensation can evaporate. I'm a big fan of Framesaver, too. I also throw a coat of car wax on the frame every now and then, which helps make cleanup a little easier and makes the bike really purty, at least until the next ride.

You might also check to see if you picked up any water in your rims. I used to have a set of Bontrager RaceXLites that picked up ounces of water everytime I rode in the wet. You could hear it sloshing around. They had a little drain hole so I just made sure that it was on the bottom when I hung the bike up, but sometimes I had to take off the tire and rim strip to really let them dry out. Never had that problem with my other wheels.