need help with serious corrosion issues



Gringo

New Member
Sep 8, 2010
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Hello. Just joined this forum today. I am looking for advice, or brainstorming. Wife and I live on a small tropical island. It is made out of limestone, that was formed at the bottom of the ocean a long time ago. This means that the composition of the rock and dirt here is about the same concentration as sea water. That means even mud puddles after a rainstorm are essentially sea water. Have lived here five years, and am fighting corrosion constantly. Anything with iron in it is on it's deathbed the moment it gets here. Aluminum is a sacrificial anode. The only things that survive are 316 stainless steel ( not 304) brass, bronze, and titanium. Unfortunately, bike drive trains have a LOT of basic steel in them.

I have been thinking of trying one of the shaft drive, internal hub bikes, just to see if they will last any longer with all the moving parts packed in grease. Anyone have any ideas on that?
 
Shaft drive is one of those things that seems to fit a niche market. The bevel gears are quite lossy as compared to chain, and more energetic riders have commented on that the feel of wind-up in the drive axle is disconcerting.
Shaft drive bikes use a lot of proprietary drivetrain parts, and I've read some real horror stories about getting spares.
Service might be more of an issue too, due to the rarity of the design.

You can get bicycle chains in stainless steel, which would then let you run a regular IGH w/o any further concern. Much wider choice of bikes that way.

If it was me I'd look for a belt drive bike before looking at a shaft drive bike. That would eliminate the windup issue and might cut down on the number of proprietary parts required.