Cycling through deep water, it's bad right?

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Just curious as to how much and what damage cycling am m6r brompton through deep water can do. No reason, definitely didn't do it no , honest! :blush:

Seriously I was too busy staying upright to notice how deep but in think it was only an inch or two. I just wondered if a splash of the water could have got into the hub gear as it will change up and down between 1 and 2 but once it goes into 3 it won't come down until I get off and manually pull on the hub gear chain while changing down with the shifter.

I suspect it's just a years of use without a big service or cable stretch, not water damage but thought I'd ask you guys.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Never seen seen a bike , let alone a Brompton in Rufford Ford (see current thread ‘Fording’). Water ingress is very unlikely I’d have though and wouldn’t do much if it did.
 
Ooh! Nobody told us it was wrong when we cycled through a flooded playing field back in the 60's. Steel bike , steel rims , normal cottered cranks . What could possibly go wrong ? :ohmy:
I was 12 at the time so I didn't know a great deal . The bike survived in to the 80's with my dad using it with no repairs . They must have packed a lot of grease in in those days .
The worry I have and have experienced is that you don't know how deep it is until it is too late . I got wet feet ! The other worry is that there could be deep pot holes lurking there hidden which could cause a rider to fall off .
I would have thought that the bearings and wheel rims should be fine as it would only be a one off situation and would dry out afterwards. If you were concerned you could always replace the grease in the bearings .
 

MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
Just curious as to how much and what damage cycling am m6r brompton through deep water can do. No reason, definitely didn't do it no , honest! :blush:

Seriously I was too busy staying upright to notice how deep but in think it was only an inch or two. I just wondered if a splash of the water could have got into the hub gear as it will change up and down between 1 and 2 but once it goes into 3 it won't come down until I get off and manually pull on the hub gear chain while changing down with the shifter.

I suspect it's just a years of use without a big service or cable stretch, not water damage but thought I'd ask you guys.
it's when your feet submerge at the bottom of the stroke that concerns should be raised... wet feet in winter isn't much fun. But the bike should be ok getting wet. You shifting problem is just a bit of gunk somewhere on the shifting mech. A clean should sort it.
 

Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
If you ride in rainy whether, your bike is going to get wet. Riding through a few inches of water isn't going to get it much wetter, and is unlikely to damage anything.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
An inch or two? Worry when it's knee deep when sat on the bike. I did need a strip down when that happened, but the whole MTB ride was more like riding in a river all day. BB out, headset, jockey's, rear wheel - all serviced after that ride.
 

Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
The worry I have and have experienced is that you don't know how deep it is until it is too late . I got wet feet ! The other worry is that there could be deep pot holes lurking there hidden which could cause a rider to fall off .
Yep. My last crash (May last year) was caused exactly that way. I was going slow, but still managed to get a nasty gash on my shin (must have been the pedal that caught it).
 
OP
OP
T

Time Waster

Veteran
An inch or two isn't deep water. Probably just needs some maintenance like all bikes.
OK confession time, it's a bit deeper. Possibly higher than the hub! Certainly it covering the spokes somewhat. I don't think it's to the hub but I'm a little preoccupied keeping it together and picking my route through (there's deep potholes under the water level and I need to pick my way through carefully).

I need a new job away from this run down industrial estate! Until that happens I'm probably not doing the bike much good. How much damage I could do I think I'd rather know so I can look at keeping on top of things
 
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