Aluminium frame and salted winter roads?

[Iddqdatworldonl]

Had write of my trusted every day comuter bad weather bike, Specialized Stumpjumper 1995, the other
day due to it rusting through.

I have aquired a used frame as replacement, a Santa Cruz Chameleon, partly because I want the used
look to keep my bike from getting nicked. Question is what about aluminium and salt, especially in
the places where the paint has come off? I know it won't rust like steel but will salt still eat it
(the aluminium is 6066 afaik)?

Please note that I have no way of washing it during the winter time.

Kind regards

Bruno

 

[Dwb]

"iddqdATworldonline.dk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Had write of my trusted every day comuter bad weather bike, Specialized Stumpjumper 1995, the
> other day due to it rusting through.
>
> I have aquired a used frame as replacement, a Santa Cruz Chameleon, partly because I want the used
> look to keep my bike from getting nicked. Question is what about aluminium and salt, especially in
> the places where the paint has come off? I know it won't rust like steel but will salt still eat
> it (the aluminium is 6066 afaik)?

(motorcycle experience) It won't rust per se.. it will go furry which is the alu equivalent.

Use WD40 or a corrosion inhibiting spry (for bikes there is a spray called Scottoiler FS365) would
work as well.

Obviously none of these anywhere near your brakes/wheels!

 

[Ben]

On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 21:25:24 +0100, "dwb" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"iddqdATworldonline.dk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Had write of my trusted every day comuter bad weather bike, Specialized Stumpjumper 1995, the
>> other day due to it rusting through.
>>
>> I have aquired a used frame as replacement, a Santa Cruz Chameleon, partly because I want the
>> used look to keep my bike from getting nicked. Question is what about aluminium and salt,
>> especially in the places where the paint has come off? I know it won't rust like steel but will
>> salt still eat it (the aluminium is 6066 afaik)?
>
>(motorcycle experience) It won't rust per se.. it will go furry which is the alu equivalent.

'ello Dan, fancy meeting you here.

FWIW, I found simply hosing off my alu bike every weekend stopped any problems developing.
--
"We take these risks, not to escape from life, but to prevent life escaping from us." ***** replace
'spam' with 'ben' to reply *****

 

[Tony Raven]

"iddqdATworldonline.dk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I have aquired a used frame as replacement, a Santa Cruz Chameleon, partly because I want the used
> look to keep my bike from getting nicked.
>

I suspect even used that will be a tempting bike to nick.

Tony

--
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality through not
dying." Woody Allen

 

[Iddqdatworldonl]

Tony Raven wrote:
> I suspect even used that will be a tempting bike to nick.
>

I guess so - I'm hoping it will look uninteresting due to it's condition unless someone takes a
closer look.

On the other hand I'm awfully tempted to outfit the frame as it deservs in which case it will not
look uninteresting

Kind regards

Bruno

 

[James Annan]

Pete Barrett wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 21:44:24 +0200, "iddqdATworldonline.dk" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Question is what about aluminium and salt, especially in the places where the paint has come off?
>>I know it won't rust like steel but will salt still eat it (the aluminium is 6066 afaik)?
>>
>
> Aluminium develops a thin layer of aluminium oxide which protects the metal underneath. Salt
> doesn't react with that (though strong alkalis
> do), but you might get some mechanical damage from the grit and the salt crystals.

Our Cannondale is showing 'significant' corrosion, in that there is clearly visible bubbling and
peeling of the paint, often around the braze-ons (presumably due to a combination of the
vulnerability of the point and the electrolytic effect). I can't say I'm particularly worried about
it though, as it is progresing very slowly and seems to be restricted to a surface layer. The tubing
is fairly thick.

I suspect that the corrosion will kill the frame before it cracks, though, which would run somewhat
contrary to popular myth.

James

 

[Frank X]

"iddqdATworldonline.dk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Had write of my trusted every day comuter bad weather bike, Specialized Stumpjumper 1995, the
> other day due to it rusting through.
>
> I have aquired a used frame as replacement, a Santa Cruz Chameleon, partly because I want the used
> look to keep my bike from getting nicked. Question is what about aluminium and salt, especially in
> the places where the paint has come off? I know it won't rust like steel but will salt still eat
> it (the aluminium is 6066 afaik)?
>
> Please note that I have no way of washing it during the winter time.

Of no real relevance.

I was taught at school that aluninium is highly reactive with oxygen. However the oxide is
relatively the same density as the pure metal ( ******** here?) and forms a protective barrier
preventing further oxidation.

This is unlike iron oxide (rust) which is completely different consistency from pure iron and tends
to flake off.

Tricks can be performed to show this, such as rubbing aluminium foil with abrasive wool and
observing it grows warm from the oxidation reaction ( not the rubbing.).

Experience tells me that unprotected aluminium (such as a bike rack) will oxidise slowly.

 

[Anonymous]

"Frank X" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> > Question is what about aluminium and salt, especially in the places where the paint has come
> > off? I know it won't rust like steel but will salt still eat it (the aluminium is 6066 afaik)?
> >
> > Please note that I have no way of washing it during the winter time.
>
> Of no real relevance.

<snip>

> Experience tells me that unprotected aluminium (such as a bike rack) will oxidise slowly.

Experience tells me that damp aluminium/alloy, especially if salt is allowed in, will corrode. This
is visible with varying degrees of severity on karabiners left in caving kit, handlebars, cannondale
frame, chainset, rims.

The rims were particularly interesting - they foamed at the spoke holes.

So wash it, even if it is just sloshing a bucket of clean water to get the salty stuff off, and try
to keep it dry. Watch under handlebar tape.

Now all I have to do is get the roof fixed and I can follow my own advice


cheers, clive