As others have said it depends on the conditions. I personally won't
ride my Riv in New England until the spring rains have washed away
most of the salt as that stuff will simply eat a steel frame, and
corrode the hell out of everything else. I have a beater mountain bike
that I used to commute on
If you live in a northern city that uses salt it can be a chore. A
couple years ago someone - I believe on this list - suggested going to
a self car wash and rinse the drive train down using the low pressure
pre-wash cycle only.
I use this to get the encrusted stuff off, then take the bike home
I've spent a number of winters with steel frames encased in salt. I do
clean them regularly, but all the same, rust does form. Isn't it a
protective seal against further corrosion, though? I've convinced
myself that it's all largely cosmetic and that any steel frame can
withstand salt thrown at it
On Tue, 2010-02-02 at 09:18 -0800, Rick Smith wrote:
I've spent a number of winters with steel frames encased in salt. I do
clean them regularly, but all the same, rust does form. Isn't it a
protective seal against further corrosion, though?
no
some forms of aluminum corrosion do act that
Hi Mark,
You don't mention whether they salt in your area or not. I live in
northern Michigan where they salt with a vengeance.
I can't ride anything nice in the winter here because of the salt.
Even when things clear up a bit, any puddles on the road are
corrosive. Kiss bare aluminum
I take the lazy man's out. I avoid riding when the temps are just
above freezing - just too much snow, salt and slush to battle with.
At 10 - 20 degrees I can ride with much less muck. A couple of years
ago I rode to work with temps in the mid thirties. By the time I
arrived, the bike, right
Clean early and often, doesn't matter much how. Convenience and
available time regulate your technique. Relube, too. Keep high
pressure away from bearings, modern lubes are better, marginally, than
gear oil, or Sturmey Archer Cycle Oil, which are amazing magnets for
grit. Less lube is more,
