Leaving bike in the rain.

[Profpointy]

Can't help feeling you're all over-thinking this. If you buy a bike made of a waterproof material, such as a combination of steel, alloy, carbon fibre, and rubber it'll be just fine

 

[Kookas]

Can't help feeling you're all over-thinking this. If you buy a bike made of a waterproof material, such as a combination of steel, alloy, carbon fibre, and rubber it'll be just fine

Water washes the oil out of the components, and with salt dissolved in it can cause rusting & corrosion. It's a perfectly reasonable fear.

 

[Profpointy]

Water washes the oil out of the components, and with salt dissolved in it can cause rusting & corrosion. It's a perfectly reasonable fear.

Well yes, but sitting there being rained on isn't as bad riding through puddles though, and a bit of oil on the chain now and again, and it's fine in any case.

 

[HLaB]

How many of you have to leave your bike in the elements while it's at work. I do and I don't like it. We don't have a bike shed so its just chained to a fence all day, with others.

Any recommendations in doing this and I don't fancy carrying a cover. Plus it could be under the cover wet through if I arrive in rain. What preventative methods in anti-corrosion could I do?

At my current and last place its a covered shelter but it was just left to the elements at my last work (and Dublin gets a lot of the wet stuff). It was cleaned and dried occasionally but the only specific element protection it got was a poly bag over the saddle but that was more of a comfort thing

 

[Matthew_T]

I am lucky enough to have a key to a restricted bike shelter at college. It should be for staff only but after doing a bit of work experience with the Estates department at college, I was able to get one. It means that I can lock my bike in the same way I did last year, but then have a locked cage with a shelter over the top.
Its a different matter at work though. I just have to lock it on the railings outside our staff cabin.

 

[oiljam]

Thumbs up, my work place are costing a covered bike shelter. I'll keep you posted, lets see how high on their agenda cycling to work really is

 

[MrJamie]

We have a number of covered shelters, but they're all wheelbenders and several bikes have been stolen in the past few weeks, so I only lock mine to the pillars of the shelter, but it does mean that it gets soaked in the rain.

I'd imagine putting little blobs of silicone grease around screws/bolts etc would probably help avoid rust. I just re-lube the chain at the moment.

 

[Tcr4x4]

My old Apollo mtb had been sat in the garden for over year unused through rain, sleet, snow and heat waves.

In July when I started cycling again, I pulled it out from beneath the weeds (literally), dropped some oil on the chain and cassette and then rode it for the rest of the week without any issues other than the pure weight of the thing.
Yes, some of the bolts are a little rusty, the brake discs took a while to skim off and the saddle was a bit sticky, but it rode and stopped just fine.
Bikes are pretty hard wearing!

 

[Davidc]

Seawater spray in the air damaged the bike I used to park outdoors in Brighton. Took 10 years to cause a problem though. Ordinary rain has never been a problem. I do lube the chain and mechs, and I do use furniture polish on the frame sometimes.

Shower caps (as supplied in hotels) make good saddle covers - I hate getting a wet bottom when I get on the bike.