Caring for a steel frame used in all weather.

[Banjo]

Just bought a new steel tourer and plan to remove all bolts screws etc and apply waterproof grease to threads. Is there anything else I can do to help preserve the frame itself?

Its one of these.http://www.evanscycles.com/products...=85386&utm_medium=Awin&utm_campaign=Affiliate

 

[Amanda P]

Greasing threaded things is good practice on any bike to help prevent things corroding and seizing solid. Grease the seatpost too.

Steel frames take decades to rust through, so don't worry about it too much. You can wax the paintwork just as you would a car, and that makes it easier to remove any muck and salty spray that gets on it. Other than that, wash it often if it gets salty water on it - but that poses more of a threat to transmission, cables and brakes than to the frame itself.

If you're seriously worried about the frame corroding, you can get stuff called 'Frame Saver' which you squirt down inside the main tubes and through the breather holes into the stays and forks, which is supposed to protect the inside of the frame from corrosion. (But it's a bit like the fridge light going off when you close the door - how do you know it works?)

If it should get any chips or scratches in the paintwork, touch them up right away. If you don't have touch-up in the right colour, clear lacquer or nail polish will do.

 

[P.H]

Rather than grease, I'd use a medium strength threadlock on the bolts and screws, Loctite 242 is the right sort of strength for bikes . Threadlock sometimes gets misunderstood, it doesn't glue the thread in, it locks it to a given strength, you know how much torque will be required to unthread it whether it's weeks or years later.
For the seatpost I'd use an anti seize, such as copperslip. It's not that grease doesn't work, but it can dry out or wash away, whereas when copperslip dries out what is left behind is enough to stop the metals seizing.
That looks like a lot of bike for the money, I'd be interested to know how you get on with it.

 

[compo]

Nice bike, a "proper" bike with a horizontal top tube and nicely shaped forks. Just like bikes used to be in the good old days

 

[Crankarm]

Don't use thread lock, it's totally unnecessary. Copper slip is good and wot I use. For the seat post use a white anti seize paste such as a good LBS would use, the seat post will probably be ali and frame is of course steel. If you plan to strip your bike annually then you could use conventional LM grease. You will of couse be dismantling it regularly anyway if you ride it a lot of miles each day just to keep it clean and in good fettle. IMHO the threads of the BB is the one fitting to remove and give a good coating of grease / copper slip to. Don't forget the headset and stem clamp bolts, but also don't forget to torque them up properly in an even sequence when you have re-assembled them. Also chain ring bolts as well.

 

[biggs682]

thread lock is great if you dont to undo things , but surely one day you might want to ..................

 

[P.H]

thread lock is great if you dont to undo things , but surely one day you might want to ..................

Threadlock sometimes gets misunderstood, it doesn't glue the thread in, it locks it to a given strength, you know how much torque will be required to unthread it whether it's weeks or years later.

As I said, it gets misunderstood. Loctite 242, or any of the medium strength types will undo with normal hand tools. Many quality bike parts come with a thread lock already on the threads.
Park Tools has more information about threads than you probably ever need , still if you're going to offer advice it's worth knowing;
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/basic-thread-concepts

 

[HovR]

+1 on the copaslip, although as Uncle Phil said that's a good maintenance habit on any metal frame, not just steel.

If you get a scratch in the paintwork then try to cover it up if you're worried about unsightly surface rust, although it won't turn in to anything serious for many years (even decades) unless you keep your bike in a damp environment.

There's really nothing special you have to do to a steel frame, just perform regular maintenance and it'll serve you for years to come.

 

[Amanda P]

Oh yes - it's absolutely vital that you ride the bike. Far, and often. Then it knows it's loved.

 

[Banjo]

Many thanks for all the advice everyone. Will remove everything including bottom bracket coat threads with something good and reassemble. Dont worry Uncle Phil it wont suffer from lack of use

 

[smokeysmoo]

FWIW I've just done the seatpost clamp, seatpost, quill stem bolt, expander wedge and quill stem today on my new to me bike.

All the above were stripped, cleaned and then copper grease applied before re-fitting.

I also stripped and greased the headset bearing too, (not with copper grease though ).

What I did notice was that the bike must have had similar attention from past owners as everything came apart very nicely.

The seatpost bolt was a tad tight but still came apart easily enough. I guess that's what you get for buying a quality bike from a keen cyclist.

Conversely I've bought my share of unloved 15-20 year old bikes from folk who have owned them from new but not ridden them for 14-19 years!

They don't strip very easily IME I can tell you