Rust can be a death sentence to a bike. If left untreated it can destroy your components, eat away at your wheels and in the worst case render a frame useless. I’ve seen my bikes afflicted to various degrees over the years and was reminded of it last week when changing the cranks on my Vitus bike (see Cranky).
If you read that post you will have seen the problems we had extracting the pedals from the old crank. Resorting to an angle grinder was an extreme measure but pretty much all we could do in order to save the pedals. Here is a picture of my old cranks, where you can clearly see how bad the rust was and how we had to cut them out…
Prevention
Without doubt prevention is infinitely better than a cure in the case of bike rust. Depending on where it is, the rust can be very difficult to stop although there are ways of limiting it or slowing it down. As you can probably guess I might not be the best at stopping it but here are a few things you can try:
- Firstly, as I mentioned in the cranky blog post, make sure all parts are suitably greased. This means pedals, seat-post, all bolts, headset and crankset. I’m sure there are others but these are the main areas I can think of. It’s worth redoing these at an annual service as well if they have not been refreshed in the meantime.
- Secondly, washing the bike regularly will stop any oxidation from taking hold. This is more important over the winter but rainy spells in summer can also lead to problems. A proper clean followed by drying the bike down and applying a protective spray (e.g. MO-94) will seriously enhance the lifespan of both the bike and components.
- Thirdly, make sure the drive-train has sufficient lubrication on it. This is important all year round as you want it to last as long as possible. The lube prevents the chain from wearing out as quickly. During the winter the increased rain and salt on the road will soon have your chain creaking if you don’t lube it. I always wash then refresh the lube at the weekend over the winter season and every 2 or 3 weeks over the summer.
- Fourthly, after a wet ride try and wipe the bike down as much as possible with an old rag to remove as much water as possible. Then spray the drive-train with a water displacer like GT-85 to prevent it drying up and squeaking on the next ride.
Cure
Unfortunately there are times when no matter what you do, the rust will start to show and parts will start to seize. It is possible to treat this, at the very least slowing down it’s spread. (I had to use some of these techniques when restoring my Giant bike – Double First (Part 2))
If you have small areas of rust showing a rolled up piece of aluminium foil can be a great tool. Adding a little water or lube to the area can also help with the abrasion.
A kitchen scourer can also be very effective, although will need more effort than the tin foil method. It will also be better with lube on the affected area as well. Just don’t put it back in the kitchen when finished…
For larger or deeper areas a nail file might be the best option. These can be broken down to fit the required shape and allow you to be quite accurate with where to apply the pressure.
After removing the offending rust, if you have removed paintwork get something to touch it up with. Bike paint is available but a cheaper alternative might be to use some nail varnish instead. Follow this up by rubbing very gently with a really fine sandpaper and apply a transparent coating over it. Again, clear nail polish can be used for this.
Death
Despite all your best efforts the weather will eventually win and consign something or other to the scrapheap. As mentioned I’ve recently had dead cranks, but also many cables, brake calipers and wheels give up on me.
The wheels are very susceptible as they are so close to the road and pick up all the salty, grimy water. I always give them a good clean at the weekend, making sure to give the spokes and rims a proper wipe down. It might extend the lifespan but I have had 2 rear wheels die on me with the rim cracking where the spokes attach (see the images below).
If you leave the chain unloved after a wet ride it will start to rust after a very short time. I often see patches starting to form by the end of the week before cleaning it. See the images below for a chain that I replaced as it was worn out, but look at the colour after a few weeks of being left hanging in the garage.
A bit of ongoing maintenance takes a little bit of effort, but it is not without reward. Your bike will run smoother and last for longer. You will also hopefully spot problems before they become too serious!
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Craig