water damage?

[bikerXJ]

I brought my road bike over from Brevard to WCU yesterday in the rain. It was strapped to the top of my Jeep in my bike rack. I was wondering if there is a chance that water would have gotten into the wheel bearings or bottom bracket? Or will my bike be alright?
Thanks.

[Vespa]

Hi BikerXJ,

I ride sometimes in serious rain -- through standing water, etc.

My bike also used to live on top of the car, rain or shine, much of the time before I got a van.

I got 7 years out of one set of Mavic hubs, and I'm still using one BB that I installed around 1995, All with zero maintenance.

Of course, some of this depends on what equipment you are using. And you need to clean your chain once in a while. I lube mine once every couple of weeks and it does fine.

I did get water in a set of deep dish, carbon rims when I raced in the rain in Florida. That was annoying...

Of course, I'm a mimimalist when it comes to bike maintenance. Some are more, er, fastidious than me.

If you hear or feel noise from those parts, take it into Motion Makers for a check.

Cheers,

Mike

[Wrenchmeister]

Is there a chance that water got in your bearings? Yes. Will your bike be OK? Probably.

Your various bearings have seals to keep water out, but they are less effective at highway speeds than at normal riding speeds. The quality of the seals varies dramatically with price, so keep in mind that Vespa's old bike had very expensive parts, and thus, very good seals. One ride through the rain (or even three or four) isn't a big deal. Try turning your bearings by hand (take the wheels off the bike and turn the axles directly, and remove the chain from the chainrings to turn the cranks) to check them for smoothness. If they are rough, have someone take a look at them. If they are smooth I'd leave them alone.

Cables also can have trouble in rain. If moisture gets into the cable housing it can cause corrosion over time, which affects shifting and braking. If you end up with brakes that are hard to pull, or derailleurs that just won't adjust properly, then you are a candidate for new cables. Usually this will develop gradually on all bikes, moisture simply accelerates it.

It wouldn't hurt to pull your seatpost out of your frame and turn your bike upside down to let accumulated water pour out of the frame, after heavy rain exposure. Some bikes take on lots of water. Some stay dry. Make sure to mark the post before removal so you re-insert it to the correct height, and grease the post before insertion (unless it's carbon) to prevent seizing over time.

And finally, lube your chain. Pretty much any time it gets wet it's going to need to be lubed afterward or it might develop rust, or at least be a little squeaky next time you ride.

Wrenchmeister

[Vespa]

Thanks Andrew! I knew you'd post something informative.

On a related note, I just changed a flat for the first time on my new wheels and out dripped maybe a 1/8 cup of water that had been trapped in the rim.

Is there a remedy for this? I thought most deep dish wheels had a tiny hole to release trapped water when spinning on dry road.

Since so many folks ride Kyseriums, I thought I'd ask publicly...

Thanks!
Mike

[Scott Baker]

On my SSC SL's after a longer rain ride I check mine when I clean the bike, ASAP after the ride. When I take off the wheel I shake it to see if there is any water in there. If so, I found that deflating the tire and rotating a rag or towel around the edges of the rim seems to get it out.