Some bicycles get rode into or through lots of deep water, other bicycles often get left out in the rain and foggy weather.

Any which way, bicycles can most definitely rust from the inside out, so are there any recommended ways to protect against the elements?

  • tofuwabohu@slrpnk.net
    4·
    2 days ago

    Some frames have small holes for drainage and air exchange so they can dry inside. I’ve also heard about some procedure where the inside gets waxed but I don’t remember if that was for bicycles or motorcycles

    • over_clox@lemmy.worldOP
      5·
      2 days ago

      Actually, all metal bikes with welded tubes have various small holes inside, to relieve the heat pressure from the welding process. And even if the holes are placed favorably for any and all water to drain from a frame, given enough time the corrosion will still accumulate.

      My bike is 43 years old, and aside from the various stress cracks I’ve mentioned in other posts, the very bottom of my seatpost tube has started rusting all the way through, there’s now a rust hole down there, and I had to rig it up with an extra seatpost clamp covering that spot to try to improve whatever structural integrity the old bike still has left.

      I wish I had thought to have it treated somehow like 20 years ago, but hindsight is 20/20…

      • bluGill@fedia.io
        2·
        2 days ago

        Steel is repairable. Not worth it unless the bike is special but you can weld a patch in. Of course you need to be a great welder to work with that steel without ruining it but it is possible.

        • over_clox@lemmy.worldOP
          2·
          2 days ago

          This bike actually is special to me, it’s the best investment I ever purchased back in 1998, at age 15, for only $10. It’s a 1981 Mongoose SuperGoose, was originally a very valuable bike. For me, the value is in the thousands of miles I’ve put on it.

          I didn’t buy it to put in a glass case though, I bought it to customize to my liking and ride the hell out of it and learn some BMX flatland! So yeah, between the rain and my BMX tricks, I’ve been pretty rough on it.

          I more or less set it aside, semi-retired about 5 years ago, noting the wear and tear, rust and stress cracks catching up with time. I’m not in any rush to fix it right now, not high on my priorities list, but I’d like to know all my options before I ever try to tackle this project.

          • bluGill@fedia.io
            2·
            2 days ago

            It might be best to hang it on a wall as is. You can repair it but every scratch is telling a story and that is lost if you do too much.

            • over_clox@lemmy.worldOP
              1·
              2 days ago

              I hear you there too, but ultimately, if my age hasn’t caught up with me too damn much, I do wanna get back out and ride some more one of these days years.

              If anything though, I do want to find a replacement matching solid stainless 43 tooth chainring with the oldschool Mongoose logo, I’ve worn the teeth and decal on mine almost completely out, and as a result it wears chains out pretty damn fast.

              I’ll hang the old chainring on the wall, once I find one, but I don’t think I’ll be hanging the bike on the wall anytime soon. Currently, and for like the past 5 years, it sits safely next to our dining room table off to the side, so it’s safe from the weather, thieves, and apparently me for now…