Waterlogged Trek 5200

[Jay Pokorski]

I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
came out when I removed the seatpost.

I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
(Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
rain, but it happens...

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
> Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
> cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
> the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
> significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
> came out when I removed the seatpost.
>
> I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
> headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
> Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
> corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
> (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
> of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
> rain, but it happens...

First, the problem isn't so much water getting into the frame as it is that
the water, once in, cannot get out. Trek has, in very limited supply (don't
ask, we're out again) bottom bracket cable guide bolts that have a hole
drilled through the middle of them, so that water can exit the frame.

Second, the issue is worse on carbon frames with carbon posts because you're
not supposed to grease the seat post/seat tube interface (for *very* good
reason, that being you'd have to use way too much clamping pressure to keep
it from slipping, and would likely damage either the frame, post, or both).
The grease that you'd normally use acts like a seal against water
penetration in that area.

Third, I don't think any of this is related to your headset issue, as the
water intrudes into the headset from the top or bottom (of the headset), not
from the inside of the headtube. If you have to ride in the rain, replace
the bearings in your S2 with the stainless-steel version used in their
higher-end headsets.

Hope this helps-

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA


"Jay Pokorski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
> Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
> cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
> the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
> significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
> came out when I removed the seatpost.
>
> I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
> headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
> Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
> corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
> (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
> of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
> rain, but it happens...
>

 

[Mark]

Jay Pokorski wrote:

> I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
> Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
> cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
> the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
> significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
> came out when I removed the seatpost.
>
> I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
> headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
> Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
> corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
> (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
> of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
> rain, but it happens...

Drain holes on the bottom of the BB shell will let the water run out.
In heavy rain, it may be impossible to keep it from getting in.

Mark J.

 

[[email protected]]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
> >I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
> > Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
> > cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
> > the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
> > significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
> > came out when I removed the seatpost.
> >
> > I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
> > headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
> > Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
> > corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
> > (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
> > of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
> > rain, but it happens...
>
> First, the problem isn't so much water getting into the frame as it is that
> the water, once in, cannot get out. Trek has, in very limited supply (don't
> ask, we're out again) bottom bracket cable guide bolts that have a hole
> drilled through the middle of them, so that water can exit the frame.
>
> Second, the issue is worse on carbon frames with carbon posts because you're
> not supposed to grease the seat post/seat tube interface (for *very* good
> reason, that being you'd have to use way too much clamping pressure to keep
> it from slipping, and would likely damage either the frame, post, or both).
> The grease that you'd normally use acts like a seal against water
> penetration in that area.
>
> Third, I don't think any of this is related to your headset issue, as the
> water intrudes into the headset from the top or bottom (of the headset), not
> from the inside of the headtube. If you have to ride in the rain, replace
> the bearings in your S2 with the stainless-steel version used in their
> higher-end headsets.
>
> Hope this helps-
>
> --Mike Jacoubowsky
> Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReaction.com
> Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA
>
>
> "Jay Pokorski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
> > Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
> > cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
> > the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
> > significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
> > came out when I removed the seatpost.
> >
> > I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
> > headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
> > Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
> > corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
> > (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
> > of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
> > rain, but it happens...
> >

I've seen a few Postal Trek OCLV frames with about 0.25" holes drilled
in the BB. My own OCLV has the drilled out screw, but the water doesn't
get out. I guess there's too much surface tension to allow it through
such a small hole. Like the team, I've since drilled a 0.25" hole in my
frame and it works great.

I wonder when Trek will catch up with the rest of the industry and put
in a decent sized drain hole at the factory?

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> I've seen a few Postal Trek OCLV frames with about 0.25" holes drilled
> in the BB. My own OCLV has the drilled out screw, but the water doesn't
> get out. I guess there's too much surface tension to allow it through
> such a small hole. Like the team, I've since drilled a 0.25" hole in my
> frame and it works great.
>
> I wonder when Trek will catch up with the rest of the industry and put
> in a decent sized drain hole at the factory?

Good question. It's been asked many times. Some of the team bikes have holes
drilled in places where they really shouldn't be, and yet didn't cause
problems. You'd think that even a conservative company like Trek could look
at that and think it wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Those holes in the team bikes... they really don't have to be that large.
It's almost as if they're thinking about getting rid of a fair amount of
water pretty quickly. Like what you'd have to do if, for some unknown
reason, somebody were to put ice into a seat tube. Now why would anybody do
something like that???

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>> >I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
>> > Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
>> > cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
>> > the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
>> > significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
>> > came out when I removed the seatpost.
>> >
>> > I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
>> > headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
>> > Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
>> > corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
>> > (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
>> > of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
>> > rain, but it happens...
>>
>> First, the problem isn't so much water getting into the frame as it is
>> that
>> the water, once in, cannot get out. Trek has, in very limited supply
>> (don't
>> ask, we're out again) bottom bracket cable guide bolts that have a hole
>> drilled through the middle of them, so that water can exit the frame.
>>
>> Second, the issue is worse on carbon frames with carbon posts because
>> you're
>> not supposed to grease the seat post/seat tube interface (for *very* good
>> reason, that being you'd have to use way too much clamping pressure to
>> keep
>> it from slipping, and would likely damage either the frame, post, or
>> both).
>> The grease that you'd normally use acts like a seal against water
>> penetration in that area.
>>
>> Third, I don't think any of this is related to your headset issue, as the
>> water intrudes into the headset from the top or bottom (of the headset),
>> not
>> from the inside of the headtube. If you have to ride in the rain, replace
>> the bearings in your S2 with the stainless-steel version used in their
>> higher-end headsets.
>>
>> Hope this helps-
>>
>> --Mike Jacoubowsky
>> Chain Reaction Bicycles
>> www.ChainReaction.com
>> Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA
>>
>>
>> "Jay Pokorski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> >I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
>> > Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
>> > cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
>> > the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
>> > significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
>> > came out when I removed the seatpost.
>> >
>> > I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
>> > headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
>> > Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
>> > corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
>> > (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
>> > of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
>> > rain, but it happens...
>> >
>
> I've seen a few Postal Trek OCLV frames with about 0.25" holes drilled
> in the BB. My own OCLV has the drilled out screw, but the water doesn't
> get out. I guess there's too much surface tension to allow it through
> such a small hole. Like the team, I've since drilled a 0.25" hole in my
> frame and it works great.
>
> I wonder when Trek will catch up with the rest of the industry and put
> in a decent sized drain hole at the factory?
>

 

[Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
> ...
> Those holes in the team bikes... they really don't have to be that large.
> It's almost as if they're thinking about getting rid of a fair amount of
> water pretty quickly. Like what you'd have to do if, for some unknown
> reason, somebody were to put ice into a seat tube. Now why would anybody do
> something like that???

See <http://tinyurl.com/yapvo5>.

--
Tom Sherman - Here, not there.

 

[Callistus Valerius]

> I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
> Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
> cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
> the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
> significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
> came out when I removed the seatpost.
>
> I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
> headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
> Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
> corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
> (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
> of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
> rain, but it happens...
>---------
It's a feature as they say. What I do is just take out the seatpost
out, and dump out the water, if it starts sloshing around.

 

[Callistus Valerius]

> Second, the issue is worse on carbon frames with carbon posts because
you're
> not supposed to grease the seat post/seat tube interface (for *very* good
> reason, that being you'd have to use way too much clamping pressure to
keep
> it from slipping, and would likely damage either the frame, post, or
both).
> The grease that you'd normally use acts like a seal against water
> penetration in that area.
>
----------
I did that once, put grease on a carbon post and put it in the 5200.
Then a year later, when the clamp broke, the post had to come out and it
wouldn't. It was really weird, I could rotate it, but it wouldn't come up
at all. It took a real husky guy, at the bike shop to get it out. He was
sweating, and it was a horror to watch. But I was never so relieved when he
got it out. Don't put grease on a carbon post, for sure.

 

[Colin Campbell]

Jay Pokorski wrote:
> I just recently upgraded bikes from a 91 Trek 1400 to a 01 Trek 5200.
> Last night, I spent ~45 minutes riding in a heavy drizzle. As I was
> cleaning the bike up, I heard what sounded like water running through
> the frame. Sure enough, as I rotated the bike back and forth, a
> significant amount of water ran out from the headset, and a bit more
> came out when I removed the seatpost.
>
> I rode my previous Trek, as well as my Santana, both with threaded
> headsets, in rain numerous times without noticing a similar problem.
> Evidently, this has happend before as the headset bearings were heavily
> corroded when I got the 5200. Any idea how the water is getting in
> (Cane Creek S2?). Is there an easy way to "waterproof" the bike, short
> of finding a wet-weather alternative. Not that I LIKE riding in the
> rain, but it happens...
>
>
Boy, am I glad I only have _two_ of these frames!

Also, I think I'm glad that "it never rains in California...".

I have never experienced the "water in frame" problem, though I have
been caught in the rain a few times on the older of the two bikes.

 

[Patrick Lamb]

On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:44:15 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>> I wonder when Trek will catch up with the rest of the industry and put
>> in a decent sized drain hole at the factory?
>
>Good question. It's been asked many times. Some of the team bikes have holes
>drilled in places where they really shouldn't be, and yet didn't cause
>problems. You'd think that even a conservative company like Trek could look
>at that and think it wouldn't be such a bad idea.
>
>Those holes in the team bikes... they really don't have to be that large.
>It's almost as if they're thinking about getting rid of a fair amount of
>water pretty quickly. Like what you'd have to do if, for some unknown
>reason, somebody were to put ice into a seat tube. Now why would anybody do
>something like that???

Maybe that's why Floyd went through 70 bottle of water on that climb;
he passed the bike weight test with a seat tube full of water, which
melted and flushed out all the bottom bracket lube, and had to
replenish the lube all the way up the last hill.



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