Road Salt?

This topic has 16 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 3 months ago by KelOnWheels.

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January 25, 2013 at 11:52 pm #960925

ronwalf
Participant

Salt on the tires is better than asphalt on the face?

January 25, 2013 at 11:58 pm #960926

vvill
Participant

Just ride in as many inches of snow as you can find for, oh 50 miles afterwards.

I don’t know for sure but I do feel guilty not having rinsed off my bike after two days of this stuff. But I doubt it’ll fit in the shower.

January 26, 2013 at 12:06 am #960928

acc
Participant

I parked the first car I ever owned on a sea wall for several years when I was in the Navy. It ruined my car’s paint. I was heartbroken.

What I discovered looking through several sites is that salt can take a toll on your bike’s finish and chain.

Perhaps a bucket or two of water to rinse it off is a good idea.

January 26, 2013 at 12:14 am #960930

bikenurse
Participant

Definitely rinse the bike off! We get a couple of buckets of hot water and rinse the whole bike – be sure to get the drive train. You should also lubricate the chain after it dries.

January 26, 2013 at 12:19 am #960933

vvill
Participant

Noted. I would like to take care even of my beater bike. Last thing I want is to be stranded in 20F with a broken chain.

January 26, 2013 at 12:20 am #960934

Rod Smith
Participant

Bicycles are made of stronger stuff than automobiles.

January 26, 2013 at 1:56 am #960948

Mikey
Participant

@Rod Smith 41719 wrote:

Bicycles are made of stronger stuff than automobiles.

They’re made of adrenaline, dreams, and ninja stars.

January 26, 2013 at 3:46 am #960954

jrenaut
Participant

When I told my bike advisor (the guy who inspired me to start biking to work) that I put my bike in the shower to wash the salt off, he was horrified. He says the water will get inside the tubes and make the steel rust. Is that crazy? Or am I destroying my bike?

January 26, 2013 at 11:04 am #960959

DismalScientist
Participant

Showers are more intense and humid than rain storms. It depends on how you did it. If you just normally hosed the bike down in the shower, I don’t see what difference it makes besides making more work for you.

January 26, 2013 at 11:34 am #960961

mstone
Participant

I had assumed that the shower thing was a joke. Don’t use pressurized water to wash the bike, you’re more likely to force water into places it shouldn’t be.

January 26, 2013 at 1:36 pm #960962

jrenaut
Participant

Luckily the shower pressure isn’t much more than a rain storm. Sounds like it’s still not a great idea.

January 26, 2013 at 5:16 pm #960968

jwfisher3
Participant

Here’s something I discovered (maybe on Belgium Knee Warmers? Or a CX race?) is a simple, elegant way to wash the salt and other crud off your bike – get a pump garden sprayer from your favorite purveyor of gardening gear, and fill it with a warm water/soap solution – spray, scrub and rinse. This solves the do I use my bathroom shower (bad for household comity) or do I turn an outside spigot back on (unless you are my neighbor, who actually piped one of the spigots with cold/hot, the better to wash the dog in winter.)

January 26, 2013 at 5:45 pm #960970

dasgeh
Participant

My brother built a dog washing station into his garage. I’m now wishing we had built a bike washing station into ours…

January 26, 2013 at 6:46 pm #960972

mstone
Participant

@jrenaut 41749 wrote:

Luckily the shower pressure isn’t much more than a rain storm.

Oh, I’m so sorry!

January 26, 2013 at 7:01 pm #960973

ronwalf
Participant

@ronwalf 41710 wrote:

Salt on the tires is better than asphalt on the face?

I say this, but then today my bike is covered in salt and other road crust. I weep for my rims and chain.
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