Does cycling in rain damage my bike?

Shicky

Shicky

Shicky

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Joined
13 Jan 2007
Posts
2,424
Location
Belfast,Northern Ireland
As above, have a decent bike I need to use more often and was about to head out the door just as the heavens opened up. Not worried about safety as I'm not a retard....usually. More concerned that the wet will damage my bike or what can I do to protect my bike when I get in from the wet? Just using an old towel and drying it off is enough?
 
I'd just use an old towel to make sure it was dry properly and make sure it's kept well-oiled so it's less likely to rust, anyway. I think stone chips to the paint would do it more harm tbh.
 
As long as you look after it properly, it'll be fine.
Make sure your chain and any other moving parts are properly lubed up before you go out.
Wash off the dirty water and dry well with a towel when your home.
 
If it's carbon fibre then it will melt in train water. I only clean my with the distilled tears of Thor Hushovd and those are very difficult to come by.....

As touch said, dry it off, particularly if it is steel so as to stop rusting. Clean and oil the drive train regularly making sure you wide off any excess. I spray my cassette with GT85 after most rides, especially in the wet, and then clean it every couple of weekends.
 
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The winter weather will take its toll on your bike and there's not much you can do about it. It's not realistic to clean it every day if you're commuting on it. I tend to give it a clean over and oil once a week or so if the weather is bad. The main thing the rain tends to get is polished alloy parts and surface rust on steel frames. Mine are all a bit crusty anyway so I tend to 'clean' them with an oily greasy rag which protects the frame quite nicely while maintaining the patina.
 
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