# bike soaked in rain, how to prevent rust?



## Tracerboy (Oct 13, 2002)

My Diamondback Topanga Comp Pro Disc got soaked in the rain, during a freak rain shower. I've been riding it in the city for 1.5 yrs (never took it offroad yet) & kinda protecting it. In 4x4 offroad, a standard trick is to use WD-40 after muddy conditions to prevent rust. What do mtbr'ers do for my situation? The frame is Al, they rust..right?


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## Trevor! (Dec 23, 2003)

I don't even know if Aluminum rusts but bikes generally don't rust - particularly bikes of today. And any rust that appears is usually very minor and only very mild.

Anyhow, when I ride in really nasty conditions (Ie most of my winter here in Tas, Australia) I use wet lube on my chain and then spray some silicone spray or a WD-40 like product over my downtube, chain stays etc so the the mud and stuff comes off. If I don't do that, after my ride, I spray my bike with some bio-degreaser and then just hose away and then dry the bike briefly. Then when I can be bothered I do a good clean.. 


Somebody will have to clarify the issue of rusting...


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## bike_freak (Dec 24, 2003)

Dry your chain off and lube it. 
Wipe down the bike, as mentioned above. 

Just be careful not too spray wd40 in your brakes thinking it will prevent them from rusting, they won't rust, so keep all oil away from the the brakes! This may sound stupid to some, but I've met plenty of people that have done this


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## summitlt (Jan 30, 2004)

lol...

Aluminum doesnt rust, aluminum corrodes, like a whitish stuff. but it wont happen, it wont bubble up thje way Rust does on steel.

if the bike was soaked, just wipe it down and it doesnt hurt for soem WD-40 on things like the derailur. Dont soak it, jsut enough. Dont want to wash the grease out fo there.


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## bike4miles (Nov 14, 2004)

chimpanzee said:


> My Diamondback Topanga Comp Pro Disc got soaked in the rain, during a freak rain shower. I've been riding it in the city for 1.5 yrs (never took it offroad yet) & kinda protecting it. In 4x4 offroad, a standard trick is to use WD-40 after muddy conditions to prevent rust. What do mtbr'ers do for my situation? The frame is Al, they rust..right?


Your aluminum frame won't rust unles you live by the coast. The only thing you really have to worry about is your chain and as long and you have enough lube on it, that should be fine. You shluld replace your chain every 1000 miles anyway. Getting your bike wet is no big deal. I ride my steel cross bike in rain, snow, sleet, mud, and any other wet condition you can think of on a daily basis every winter with no issues.


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## cement54 (Apr 28, 2004)

I am at college and I have to ride my bike rain or shine everyday. Some small stuff I do is always keep the chain lubed (which everyone has already said), use a plastic bag over the seat whenever I have to leave it and I think it may rain, and lately I picked up a lizard skins headset cover. Nothin has rusted yet and my butt is dry.


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## Atomik Carbon (Jan 4, 2004)

*LOL...It's a MOUNTAIN BIKE .*

Guess you would freak out to see the mud caked on my bike at the moment. These things are meant to be used. Yes, it is important to keep it in good mechanical condition, but don't go nuts because it gets a little dirty. it ain't a sponge, so I can't figure out how it got soaked.........


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## sstaurus (Jan 18, 2004)

I found out the hard way one day after a muddy race, and I neglected to clean up after and the next day the chain was rusted solid. I had to buy a new chain.

So at least clean your chain and re-lube it.

One thing I can't figure out is how to clean mud away from the BB and the hubs... I try WD-40 and wiping it away and whatever, but it just seems to draw the mud/sand inside and now my BB and hubs grind...


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## man w/ one hand (Dec 29, 2003)

*No search required.*

1 thing to keep in mind....if you have bearings don't hose directly into them, & make sure you clean away any mud caked around anything w/a bearing. A while back someone made the point about "mud left to dry around bearings will also draw the grease out to effectively drying out the bearing and causing it to implode." Makes sense to me. AND, as everyone else has mentioned, even if you don't wash your bike after a ride, muddy or clean, clean up your chain, knocking as much crud off of it as you can, then dry it, be sure to spin it after you dry it, this will help minimize any sticky links due to surface  rust, now, DO NOT APPLY LUBE YET, wait until your chain has dried at least 4-5hrs., preferably overnight, lubing a chain wet is not good. Don't forget to spin your chain a few times before you walk away from your bike. This is a ritual for me. Gives me a dependable drive train every ride. It will you too.


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## Braunstein Freres (Nov 2, 2004)

It's a bike. It going to get dirty and wet and muddy and all that. All you can do is keep it somewhat clean and lubed up. Oh ya, enjoy the dam thing-take it off road!!!


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