rumrunn6

I've got a can of something, in my basement, that my Dad gave to me. something that's good for collectable pocket knives, among other things. I thought it was Boeshield, but maybe it's something else. regardless, I remember reading the warnings on the can & they were different than the usual mumbo jumbo I'm used to seeing. anyway, I sometimes use some spray products in the house, just a squirt, you know? but for that stuff my Dad gave me - it's strictly OUTSIDE, no matter how little I use. I shud check what it is when I get home later

cyccommute 

Or just replace it often. Or use a KMC EcoProteQ chain.

wolfchild

My Avid BB7s and my Tektro rim brakes are still alive an well after 15 Canadian winters and many salt baths. The same goes for my single speed freewheels. track cogs and chainrings. I prefer riding good bikes, winter time isn't a good time to ride junk bikes.

msu2001la

A few years ago I went on a ride during a big spring thaw that was especially salty/slushy/grimy. I cleaned my bike after - spraying it down with some bike cleaner and wiping everything off, cleaning the chain, cassette, chainrings, etc. Then I hung the bike up for a few months until the next thaw.

I didn't realize that salt water had gotten into the freehub. When I cleaned the bike I had removed the wheels and also pulled the cassette off the rear hub. I had soaked the cassette in degreaser so it was really clean, but in hindsight I probably just wiped down the visible grime off the wheels, hubs and spokes and didn't really rinse them off that well. The pawls and springs and the internal space in the freehub all became a corroded mess that had to be replaced a few months later. Not a huge deal - my shop was able to replace everything but I wish I had thought to pull off the freehub shell and flush the whole thing out with solvent.

I'd vote #1, but definitely plan to do a bit more thorough cleaning than just rinsing them off. Salty water can find it's way into places you might not even think of.

rumrunn6

this is the stuff. I guess the warnings are about the same, but they're not pleasant & the smell is very strong & awful

prj71

Road salt causes the brake pistons to stick on hydraulic brakes. Massive corrosion occurs to the chain, cassette and chain ring...any many other parts you don't see.

I ride in winter all the time. Just not on roads. Fat bike on groomed trails.

MikePFlyFish

Rem oil is good stuff for firearms. I've used it often for many years and it has always protected my shotguns used in and around brackish tidal marshes, old cedar swamps, etc. I've never had firing issues in those environments while using it or rust issues afterwards. Not saying that equates to any worthwhile usage for bikes but my experience using it with firearms has been very good. I'm not sure how durable it would be on a chain with all the gears, it's a bit thin but the key is to apply it, let it sit for a while, then wipe it off. There are some other firearm related lubricants/preservatives that come to mind and would be more durable. One such product is Break Free Long Term Protectant (not CLP).

wolfchild

It's all about maintenance. Bikes which are used for winter riding on salt covered roads will require a little bit of extra maintenance, just like cars and trucks. I oil spray and rustproof my pick up truck annually every year.

elcruxio

Really haven't seen corrosion elsewhere than the chain. Some surface rust on cassettes but nothing on chainrings. Brakes haven't broken down either. And our bikes get ridden year round. We live on the coast and roads are heavily salted all winter.

with chain oils I really struggled with chain corrosion. Paraffin wax made life a bit easier and my new wax formula seems to last a week or two of wet commutes with no need for rinsing or rewaxing.

My wife's old 520 disc lasted a decade of salty abuse and in the end it wasn't the rust that did it in. Seat tuve cracked and there was no rust anywhere near the fracture line.

I don't wash our bikes. The fatbike is the exception if it gets muddy enough the start gaining significant weight.

Dino_Sore

In addition to all the other tips above, be sure to pay attention to your wheels and spokes. I used to use an all-aluminum Specialized Tri-Cross as my winter bike, but the road salt would attack the spokes on the OEM wheels. I'd take the wheels off at the end of winter and hang them up, only to find several broken spokes months later. The salt would cause corrosion where the spokes crossed over each other, eventually failing while in storage. It happened year after year. Got rid of that bike and wheel set a few years ago and I have not had the problem again, but I do try to keep the bike clean and pay attention to the wheels.

I also use this: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

streetsurfer

Here are some links for some insight into equipment, vehicle, and aircraft maintenance near the coast.

I saw one mention of 2 miles or closer to the coast as being a delineator. With planes, altitude over the water comes into play as well. Knowing their increased level of maintenance and methods might help you take better care of your ride, should it be needed.


https://riveeraviation.com/aircraft-corrosion/

https://riveeraviation.com/aircraft-corrosion/

UnCruel 

A couple weeks ago, I brought a bike with me when I drove to visit family. 10 hours following the trail of the supposed bomb blizzard. When I reached my destination, my bike and the front of my car were caked with salt. Enough to dim my headlights and blur the numbers on my license plate. I started to fret about the bike. The hose at my family's house was frozen. A car wash occurred to me the next day, and it did an excellent job removing the salt. I wish I'd brought chain oil with me, but the dry lube seemed to be doing its job reasonably well, so I rode with it (the Swamp Rabbit Trail between Greenville and Travelers Rest). I gave it a proper wash and lube the first warm day when I got back, and it seems fine.

Racing Dan

In my experience it isnt a big deal, if you hose the bike on occasion, keep it inside so its dry most of the time and use a suitable chain lube. In the winter I use ordinary engine oil to keep away rust. Wax doesn't last a day.

PaulH

In my experience, the harm wrought by road salt on bikes is nothing compared to what it does to cars. However, the combination of salt and sand will wear out wheel rims in one season. The solution is disc or drum brakes. I've gone twenty winters of daily commuting on my drum brakes and no issues. My car does not leave the garage if there is salt on the road.