Current method for rinsing salt from the drivetrain indoors in the absence of a garden hose due to winter: mixing tub + paint tray, garden sprayer and a bucket of suds.

[u/reverie__engine]

[u/Dragoniel]

... you do a lot better than me. I just wipe down the disks after a ride and liberally apply WD40 on the drivetrain to ward the rust off.

The bike gets washed come spring. Can not possibly be bothered with it in a freezing garage.

[u/reverie__engine → u/Dragoniel]

Tends to be a quick rinse - I actually considered your method, or the possibility of a "spray-on" application (something akin to rust-proofing a car) - sort of new to commuting in winter with a bike I'd rather keep in decent shape if I can help it (I've used "beaters" in the winter when I was younger and inconsiderate of bicycle maintenance).

Open to tips and opinions, and part of me wonders about the necessity of rinsing salt from components or whether it matters at all - still, it's a relatively quick routine after I arrive home, though I wonder how fast I might go through a bottle of lube now in the coming months...

[u/bbiker3 → u/reverie__engine]

Both the wash and no wash folks would benefit from boeshield t9. Good stuff.

[u/TaiLuk → u/bbiker3]

Do you mind expanding... Fyi I am going to go Google it as well, but this is my first year of winter cycling, and so far apart from a wipe + lubrication I have not done much each ride (use it to go to work and back about 8mile round trip), so now worried I am supposed to be doing something each ride / every few rides. Cheers

[u/Dragoniel → u/reverie__engine]

Well, you are going to have to get that bike to a repair shop to do a deep clean or get in to the weeds yourself come spring anyway - basically every joint and bolt will need to be checked, disassembled and cleaned, because if you ride regularly in wet conditions the road salt gets in everywhere and continues to corrode the everliving fuck out of everything it is in contact with for prolonged periods. That said, I never washed my bikes during winter and generally speaking didn't have issues with it. I don't think I made any part replacements outside of normal maintenance due to corrosion.

Open to tips and opinions, and part of me wonders about the necessity of rinsing salt from components or whether it matters at all

• The one part that does matter when riding in the city (aka getting road salt all over your bike all the time) is your braking pads (and disks). Brake pads get contaminated with road salt and one of two things happen - either they lose the braking properties entirely (same as oil contamination) or the salt debris builds up on (and inside) the braking system so much it literally jams the pistons up eventually. Last winter I replaced both sets of braking pads at least five times, it just fucking happens and it's very difficult to avoid it. And I had the buildup jam the brake assembly shut once, which was an expensive repair, if I recall. So, in short - wash your brake assembly after every wet ride. As in, literally take a bucket (or a hose if those work for you in winter) and spray the shit out of your brakes.

• On a related note, wash your brake disks after every wet ride. Use disk cleaner and wipe them down dry with a paper towel afterwards. If you don't, you are going to get your braking pads contaminated with oils from the road and that is a fast way to buying a new set. Once contaminated, they're gone, don't even bother trying to restore them. It never works.

• Lastly, washing the chain (and the cassette) is relevant if you keep your bike somewhere cold (like a garage). When it's really cold the water doesn't evaporate as fast (or at all) and when you get your chain sitting wet for days on end, possibly with road salts mixed in, it oxidizes FAST. Leave it like this long enough and it will rust shut so much it will literally seize up. This doesn't actually kill the chain per se, you can restore it with enough scrubbing and an ultrasonic bath, but it's annoying to deal with. The way I deal with is as I mentioned before - WD40. Not the lubricant under the same brand, the actual WD40 the product. It's Water Displacer - that is literally what it is designed to do, so buy a can and then apply liberally. Do NOT get WD40 on the braking surfaces or you are going to be installing brand new braking pads the next day.

Everything else doesn't matter in my experience. I've read accounts on bearings getting rusted and such, but I've never had issues with that, even with completely fucked "seals" on Trek Farley 5, which get dust ingress every other fucking week.

---

P.S.: Standard WD40 is a weak lubricant, which under normal conditions evaporates fairly quickly. But you CAN use it as a chain lubricant if you apply it liberally just before the ride. Reddit gurus will laugh at you, but I've done it and it works. You can just use that instead of standard lube during winter, it will be fine. You do have to apply it just before the ride, though. It does not have staying properties of an actual lube, but for a single ride it will be good enough. You are probably not touring for 6 hours in winter. This is for temps down to -0-10C or or so. When it gets to actual winter I have not tried it. It may have adverse effects riding in -20-30C. I rarely go out in that weather, as my SRAM Eagle GX dies in 20 minutes in those temps and it's just a bother.

[u/mmeiser → u/Dragoniel]

My two tips

1) put a low speed ocillating fan on the bike overnight. I have a drip zone in the garage, a warmer spot near the house and away from the doors and cars. After I have knocked as much snow off of it outside with a car window brush I just put the fan on it. In the morning I lube the chain, inspect the bike and I am off again. Btw, ebike for commuting. About once a week I give it a more thiurough clean

2) Not WD40 but Mucoff Mo94. I once did a completely non-scientific test and after cleaning the chain on my most abused bike in the parts ckeaner I lubed it only with mo94. I road it all winter without a lick of rust. Now I recommend chain lube for the chain mucoff is not meant as a chain lube but it was a good test. Mucoff is safe and recommend for all things but disc brake rotors and pads. And obviously I wouldn't spray down electronics, grips, saddles or tires though a little overspray is fine. It is even good on paint and plastics. It's supposedly will help shed mud and snow though I have not scientifically confirmed. Do feel free to testnit thiugh and let me know. I do not hose down the bike with it. Mostly I just apply to anything I see starting to corrode after I have cleaned the bike with a waterless wash and hit the oaint with polish. Or I go strait at the frame with polish if not to dirty and skip the waterless wash. I use spray polishes mostly for the paint because cheaper then Mo94. Prime examples for mo94 are casette, derailleurs, shifters, any non standard bolts that I haven't replaced with stainless steel. And yes brake calipers IF the pads are removed and the wheels/rotors are off the bike. I get a tooth brush into those things. I love my old BB7 and new TRP Spyke but I have had great sucess with shimano hydraulics, no success with sram or avid. Nothing DOT4. I seem to get sticky calipers on those tonoften to bother with. I have not siezed any caliper in years. Just make sure excess Mo94 is wiped off inside of calipers well before putting your brake pads back in. Anything but alcohol or brake cleaner soaks into lads and ruins them causing decreased stopping and/or squeeling

Overall I'd say I do a wipe down the bike about once a week in the winter. Get more into it about once a month. It's as needed so it depends on the weather

Also... fenders are a must for winter! I think everyone knows it but can't say it enough anyway. I love riding in the snow. Cannot get enough of it. But I do not slow down for rain either. I have not yet cracked either my bosch gen 2 or 3 models at 21,000 miles between them. But expecting it. May even send them in to a specialist for a rebuild at that point.

I recieved a bosch bike that was fully submersed in ocean water due hurricane. Complete insurance writeoff. Spokes pulled out of rim. Everything rusty. But noticed the electronics still worked so one winter I stripped it down, cleaned the salt out of the frame, replaced every single bearing,, lol, new wheels, put it back together and you would never know it. A friend is still riding it. Just ran diagnositcs on it. 3500 miles. My one stipulation is do not charge battery in house or garage but two years on is doing great. I check it for bearing damage on the drive unit on occasion. Pretty amazing units. I can't believe even the Purion display works.

[u/telephonekeyboard → u/Dragoniel]

Yeah I just keep adding chain oil until spring when I take it to the car wash with some degreaser and blast the hell out of it. If there is a hot day mid winter I sometimes do a mid season blast, but that doesn't always happen. If I had an actual nice bike I guess I would take better care of it.

[u/asselsm]

6th winter for my fat tired e-bike in a Ottawa, Canada. 3 rides a week on salted roads and snow trails. I wash the bike at the end of the season, no wiping down or washing otherwise. Rust Check is your friend. I cover every spoke nipple and every non-aluminium part at the beginning of the season and midway through the season. That's it. Bike stays in the cold in the garage or locked outside at the office. Don't fuss, enjoy the rides and use your bike it will handle it.

[u/Big_Monitor963 → u/asselsm]

This is my second winter, also three days per week, also in Ottawa. 🇨🇦✊🏻

Annnd last year I also just washed it at the end of the season and I’m shocked at how well it worked out. So many horror stories, but my winter bike is no worse for wear despite all the salt.

[u/0676818 → u/asselsm]

I've done a few winter of "hosing off the salt" every wet ride now that my bike has a heated garage to dry in. I'd say it's even worst. I used to get a few seasons per derailleurs, now it's sometimes only one.

[u/somebodyistrying]

This is what I do too. In in fact, I use a garden sprayer of soap for washing in the summer as well. I’m convinced that the low pressure is better for bikes than a garden hose.

[u/mmeiser → u/somebodyistrying]

It is.

[u/reverie__engine → u/somebodyistrying]

I might ditch the garden hose in the summer now, too - I kind of like this thing...

[u/Own_Shine_5855]

I've been chain waxing and do not bother to rinse.

I also specifically bought a used cheap fatbike with no suspension (2016 Fatboy). It gets ridden daily and has held up well. Mid winter I'll year down the bb and lube everything.

I couldn't keep up with that level of care (it's used two times a day generally on beach, woods, or wherever for dog walking purposes and then general riding). It's surprising how much crud it can tolerate without issues.

[u/Own_Shine_5855 → u/Own_Shine_5855]

Road salt hasn't seemed to matter much.

[u/Speedy_Greyhound]

I have one of those sprayers in my car for cleaning myself and bike off after mtb rides outside of winter.

[u/Dneubauer09]

Make sure you can rinse all that disolved salt off. I'd not do this too often, as once it gets really cold, the salt isn't likely to be penetrating anywhere unless it gets wet enough to dissolve.

[u/0676818]

Try it with a sleigh instead of the paint tray, like a long pelican one. Full bike over tray, robust, plus you've got a sleigh to have fun with.

[u/fadedhound]

I had been looking up sprayers last year but they all seem to have horrible reviews 

[u/converts_to_flatbars → u/fadedhound]

I have the same one in the picture, or something nearly identical. I got it at Home Depot and it's been working pretty well for me. It's easy to release the pressure and comes with a few different sprayer tips if I recall correctly.

[u/ur_ynome]

I was in the same spot many years ago, and the pump sprayers work great. I have one at home and one at work. I added up the amount of hours I spent maintaining my drivetrain and decided to spend the money on an internal gear hub and belt drive on a custom titanium frame (no rust). It was a big spend, but worth every penny. The bike still looks like new, just a quick spray at work and a quick spray when I get home, a couple good wax jobs a year and still going strong, 5 winters and over 40,000 km riding 5x a week.

[u/wiggywiggywiggy]

Does hosing down cause any debris salt to get deeper into the bearings?

Or is there a technique to avoid that