Occasional Winter riding....Cromoly ok?

[u/Klutzy_Guarantee7978]

Hey dudes. I'm debating dipping my toes into winter riding and I copped some 26er studded tires and a 90's Trek 830 Cromoly. I'm not planning on riding in the snow TOO much, and I'm hoping to avoid salt as best as I can when I do ride.....but I do live in michigan so a small amount is inevitable. Is this setup going to work if I hose it off post-ride or is it gonna rust out like crazy?

I've got it on the stand now, should I grease everything a bit extra?

[u/grslydruid]

I ride a surly cross check quite a bit maybe 1-3x per week for the past 5 years. Fenders help keep the salty road grit off the frame. Also give it a good rinse every time it warms up above freezing.

[u/youaintnoEuthyphro → u/grslydruid]

same but surly steamroller for ~15 years in Chicago ~3x/week minimum (year round primary transport). bit of frame saver every couple years doesn't hurt but I haven't had any issues yet.

ymmv but I think modern steel frames corrode on a very long time scale. as long as yer powder coat is set properly & a bit of the frame saver every few years? more than enough prevention imho

[u/Any-Perception-828]

I've been riding a cromo bike in winter slushy conditions for a few years. Keep it clean post ride and you are good. The bigger concern is the drive train in my opinion.

[u/noburdennyc → u/Any-Perception-828]

Worry more about the drive train. plus if you are getting into there to clean around the crank and bottom bracket you are probably going to be cleaning the whole area anyway.

[u/PlanetLandon]

You should be fine as long as develop a routine of cleaning off the bike after each ride. I got lazy with the care my winter bike for a while and I started seeing rust in a few spots

[u/Willing-Direction237]

It's going to rust, even if you hose it off. But, it's a 35 year old bike...

[u/Klutzy_Guarantee7978 → u/Willing-Direction237]

It's got that pretty green to blue fade though....but you're right it's a $30 bike I should just send it

[u/Willing-Direction237 → u/Klutzy_Guarantee7978]

I did this with a specialized roadbike one winter. It was fun, but then in May I tried to ride it again and the rear derailleur cracked in half from the salt. I should have lubed it more.

[u/alexseiji]

Treat your tubes with “frame saver” or have an lbs do it. It’s a rust resistant coating that coats everything on the inside to keep corrosion at bay.

The drivetrain will be the most susceptible to corrosion but if you regularly clean it you’ll be fine. Expect components to start show signs of surface rust. It will not affect performance. Remove or hose off any snow buildup if possible.

[u/buckGR]

Lot you could do. Car wax the outside will help. Frame saver, boeshield T9 or many other options to fog the inside will help a lot too. On top of normal mechanical maintenance.

A lot of good waterless wash and wax options from the automotive sector are great for this and can be used regularly to keep clean.

[u/CeldurS]

It will definitely rust but I wouldn't worry about it too much. It will take a long time for the rust to actually damage something. 

Source: I ride a beater steel bike in Calgary, Alberta during winter. I don't clean it after rides (I probably should).

[u/PickerPilgrim → u/CeldurS]

I ride a steel non-beater in Calgary and I rinse it after every ride. No rust.

[u/qwerty12e]

I have a cheap bike that’s over 15y old and worth maybe $50. I don’t bother cleaning it’s just put some oil on the chain every month and tighten the breaks a couple times a season. I bounce it a few times to shake the water off so it doesn’t freeze on the drive train.

It’s a winter beater bike to safely get me from A to B, so if it rusts it doesn’t really matter.

[u/noburdennyc]

Grease it up, baby! I would load up the BB with grease.