# Riding a mountain bike on the beach



## camdz (Jul 19, 2010)

Ive done many searches, but everything Im finding goes back to people riding fat bikes. Sorry if I missed the rest. 

Im on my 2nd season with my Motobecane 600HT, and love it so far. I know there are bigger and better, but for my ability, its been great for me. My question is, what kind of harm will I do to this bike if I ride in on the sand in Myrtle Beach for a week? Im headed there next week, and really don't want to lose the momentum (getting back into biking shape) Ive gained since starting to ride. Plus it would just be fun to take a early morning cruise with the lady. 

Is there anything I should do before hand?
Just rinse it after each ride and call it good?
Terrible idea all together?

FYI- The sand has been plenty hard in the past, so Im not so worried about the bikes ability. Just whether or not its a good idea. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks :thumbsup:


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Some of this is fat bike related, but some is just good beach riding preventative stuff.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=691932

I'd just try & clean the chain after each ride, keep some of the grit out for the next day.


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## camdz (Jul 19, 2010)

Shark said:


> Some of this is fat bike related, but some is just good beach riding preventative stuff.
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=691932
> 
> I'd just try & clean the chain after each ride, keep some of the grit out for the next day.


Thanks, I did skim through that one last night. Lots of good info, but definitely some work involved haha. Im worried about the surface rust most. As much fun as it would be for the week, Id hate to have rust popping up all over the place for the rest of the bikes life.

Maybe Im just be paranoid, and need to enjoy my bike rides and vacation


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Surface rust?

It's an aluminum frame, isn't it?


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## camdz (Jul 19, 2010)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Surface rust?
> 
> It's an aluminum frame, isn't it?


Yes, but I dont know about every other piece of metal. Im sure there are many parts that would be prone to rust.


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## jpeters (Nov 19, 2010)

You should be ok just don't get it in salt water and try to keep the sand out of the gears. I would clean it good and lube all the gears and cables and some wax wont hurt to keep the salt from getting to the aluminum. I am assuming you will be riding on the trails and the roads not the beach. If you try ride it on the beach it wont work and it will ruin the gears and bearings.


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## Frosti (Jun 15, 2009)

If you are really worried about it, rent a bike - they are not that expensive for the day or week. Plus alot less maintenance on your part.

http://www.beachbikeshop.com/rentals.html


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

camdz said:


> Yes, but I dont know about every other piece of metal. Im sure there are many parts that would be prone to rust.


Inexpensive drivetrains can develop rust at the drop of a hat. But it actually has surprisingly little effect on function. Chains are cheap, and rust has an extremely high volume compared to unoxidized iron. So if your chain rusts, relube with a dry lube and go ride. If you get rust on your chain rings or cassettes, it gets worn off of any surfaces that are actually involved in power transmission really fast.

Cheap bikes sometimes have steel handlebars, steel saddle rails, steel fork stanchions, a steel steerer tube, maybe a steel headset. The little balls in bearings are steel.

If your bearings are adequately greased, the little balls will be fine. If they're not, the little balls are probably going to rust this season anyway. Large steel parts won't rust unless you leave them dirty. So if you're really worried about this, just clean your bike when you get back from the beach. Cables are steel, but typically stainless. If they're the old, galvanized kind, they'll rust and you're better off throwing them out anyway.

Bottom line is that a mountain bike is okay in any environment in which a car is okay. It's more like a hand tool than a VCR.


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## konetiks (Aug 9, 2011)

I have the same questions. I just bought my bike a couple if weeks ago, just want to ride through the coast for the day. I'm assuming everything lubed up pretty well by the LBS. I'm not going in the water. Just clean afterwards and all is well?


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## rebel619 (Aug 15, 2011)

I would make sure to rinse with fresh water after each use near beach...


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