Riding in the Rain

I think the extra road dirt that the bike picks up is probably the worst, I cringe everytime I have to brake in the rain and here the pads grinding on the rims. Apart from that the only problem I can see is washing the lube off the chain.
After riding in the rain I give my bike a good wash with warm soapy water and thoroughly dry it, (hair dryer works well if my wife isn't home). Then relube the chain and that's it until the next rainy ride, which in this part of the world is sure to be soon.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by nathang
What impact does riding in wet rainy conditions have on the life of your bike.I hear of people who refuse to ride their bikes in the wet. Is it that bad? I try and give mine a good clean after a wet ride and the amount of grit etc is amazing. What is the best way to maintain your bike after riding in the wet???

Oh, the occasional rain ride isn't the end of the world.

Riding on wet roads (whether its raining or not -- arguably, actually, the problem is greater when it's not) tends to kick a lot of grit-laden water and sludge up onto your bike. In general, grit and grime is the number one enemy of happy componentry. It's little bits of dirt which contribute to wear, so by all means, clean your bits and pieces after a wet ride. Not the end of the world.

The other thing to be wary of is water entering and compromising sealed or semi-sealed parts containing grease and close fitting parts, like bearings. Hubs, headsets, bottom brackets and some pedal designs are typical examples. Frankly, once those parts are assembled and properly installed, the only way to insure that they aren't compromised is to minimize their exposure to heavy doses of water. That, and hope luck is on your side. Sometimes, if you're ridiculously unlucky, a sprinkle from your water bottle can muck up a hub -- but generally, you can ride through any number of rain storms with no real problems.

In the end, most water-senstive components are either hardy enough to withstand reasonable conditions, or they're reasonably easy or inexpensive to service should they require a re-greasing or overhaul. Avoid the Gulf Coast during hurrican season, but don't sweat it if you feel like riding in the wet now and then. As always, keep an eye on your stuff and treat it respectfully, and you should be fine.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lokstah
Oh, the occasional rain ride isn't the end of the world.

Riding on wet roads (whether its raining or not -- arguably, actually, the problem is greater when it's not) tends to kick a lot of grit-laden water and sludge up onto your bike. In general, grit and grime is the number one enemy of happy componentry. It's little bits of dirt which contribute to wear, so by all means, clean your bits and pieces after a wet ride. Not the end of the world.

The other thing to be wary of is water entering and compromising sealed or semi-sealed parts containing grease and close fitting parts, like bearings. Hubs, headsets, bottom brackets and some pedal designs are typical examples. Frankly, once those parts are assembled and properly installed, the only way to insure that they aren't compromised is to minimize their exposure to heavy doses of water. That, and hope luck is on your side. Sometimes, if you're ridiculously unlucky, a sprinkle from your water bottle can muck up a hub -- but generally, you can ride through any number of rain storms with no real problems.

In the end, most water-senstive components are either hardy enough to withstand reasonable conditions, or they're reasonably easy or inexpensive to service should they require a re-greasing or overhaul. Avoid the Gulf Coast during hurrican season, but don't sweat it if you feel like riding in the wet now and then. As always, keep an eye on your stuff and treat it respectfully, and you should be fine.

its not the water its the grit and you know what that you mention, you could wash your bike with hose and it wouldnt matter its just if you get dirt in the bearings youre hosed

Riding in the rain or even just wet/dirty roads does generate an amazing amount of grime but there is a simple preventative solution: fenders. It's amazing how much crud this keeps off your bike. Hey, you can even get thin light-weight carbon fiber fenders for "racing" road bikes.

Also, I find that Kool-Stop salmon brake pads are much better than black in the rain, which seem to generate a messy residue all over the rims in heavy rain.

In my opinion, it's a big problem when you've been riding in REALLY heavy rain at reasonable speeds. This is when water will find a way inside your frame and wheels, and if it can't get out, that can obviously cause trouble, especially with steel bikes.

I once pulled a bike apart, a month after having ridden it in heavy rain, and there was 1/4 inch of water sitting in the bottom bracket shell!!

A lot of guys have a "good" bike for good weather and a cheaper, aluminium bike for wet conditions.

I get a lot of rainy days here.

Is it worst to leave the bike rain soaked then riding in the rain?

At least you can dry your bike when you finished your trip, or cut short the ride.

But when you ride to work and it rains, man! the bike is gonna be in the rain for hours in the carpark where you left it 😄

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by SunBurnt
I get a lot of rainy days here.

Is it worst to leave the bike rain soaked then riding in the rain?

At least you can dry your bike when you finished your trip, or cut short the ride.

But when you ride to work and it rains, man! the bike is gonna be in the rain for hours in the carpark where you left it 😄

It's not really a problem leaving your bike wet for a few hours (although a lot of guys ride a cheaper bike to work, so it doesn't matter as much --- luxury $$), but riding in very wet conditions, with lots of road spray, water will almost always find a way into the frame. So, if it can't get out it will stay they for days, weeks, whatever; that's when it's a problem, especially with steel bikes.🙂