Questions on using bike in rainy weather.

wayne0308

Hi,

I got my road bike back in April and have managed not to not cycle it in the rain much so far. I don't use it for commuting, just for training really. It's a fairly expensive bike with CF frame, so I do my best to avoid the wet days. However it's been raining more and more over the past while so I don't think I'll be able to avoid the rain as much any more.

I'm a bit worried that cycling the bike in really wet weather might damage the frame or components in the long run and so I've been thinking of getting a cheap road bike for the winter...

Do you reckon this would be worth doing or would you just say cycle away with the bike I have? If I just stay cycling the bike in the wet have you any tips on bike maintenance? For example specific components that you'd want to keep as clean as possible after each ride.

Cheers.

mtbireland

Rain won't damage your bike... just oil your chain every once in a while....

irishmotorist

The chain would be the biggest thing but, depending on how wet it was, I'd be doing more than just oiling it. Cleaning it thoroughly with a degreaser is important to reduce the amount of wear on the chain. On a very wet week (where all the oil is getting washed off every day), I'll be degreasing and re-lubing every weekend, otherwise, I'd play it by ear.

07Lapierre

The rain won't damage the frame, but the rain will corrode chains, sprockets, deraillers, exposed cables etc. if left unattended to for a long period. Rain water tends to get into the rear brake caliper and also the headset. Over time this will cause creaking/knocking noises from the frame and the rear caliper will slowly sieze up. So you have to clean the bike thoroughly after each spin. As long as you clean the bike regularly and lube the chain/sprockets etc. the bike will be fine.

Having said that, if you can, get a "winter" bike and keep you "good" bike for summer. Mudguards not only keep the spray from the wheels off you, but also away from brake calipers and headset. You'll still have to clean the chain/sprockets and cables!

IM0

yeah a winter bike is an option many of us take
my last bike I got has eyelits for mounting mudguards so that takes care of the heavy stuff over winter :cool:

yes the weather will wear all your components groupset is the most important one to take care of, the CF frame will be fine though, just keep an eye on the headset bearings they dont like the wet..and clean them before they die on you, also wheel bearings keep an eye on them too, they need replacing every so often when you ride in rain regularly. The GS concentrate on the chain and rings, get all the heavy stuff off after a rainy ride, 10min can be enough, and wash the wheels rims too to get the heavy dust of the brakes off and metal splinters, do it when you get back before it dries and you ride it again, much easier to brush off :cool:

BostonB

Would people consider get a hub geared, disk brake, bike specifically for winter commuting to avoid the cleaning, a single speed, or just a lesser road bike?