Originally Posted by
Drillium Dude
Speaking
only for myself, it's not a matter of grip.
Drive train components wear exponentially faster when used in wet conditions as the road debris I mentioned affixes itself to the chain, which in turn transfers it to the rings and cogs. It's akin to sandpaper slowly but surely wearing away at the moving parts. Brake pads transfer that same grit to the rim's braking surfaces, which in turn gets onto the tire sidewalls; both actions shorten the life of the rims and tires.
Rain-riding - for me - is a zero-sum game, because I'm not training, touring, or commuting, but riding primarily for fun and fitness. I can
always wait for the next sunny and clear day
DD
Originally Posted by
Drillium Dude
We're talking aesthetics here, but I'm in total agreement! It's also been shown the additional brake shoe residue build-up serves a role in decreasing the life of the tire's sidewalls if not cleaned off between wet rides.
Full disclosure: I also absolutely
hate deep-cleaning a bike I've been obliged to ride in wet conditions. I feel more than a bit peeved at myself for having subjected my bike(s) to such abuse, when all they've ever done for me is provide innumerable moments of unadulterated happiness
DD
I have made washing and polishing my bikes a fun ritual that I try to stay caught up on. Rain rides are adventure for me and some of my best training is done on the crap days. I have a soft nylon paint brush that flows water through a ball valve when connected to the garden hose. I spray a dilute solution of Dawn dish detergent with Simple Green then scrub my tire sidewalls, rim sidewalls, take a toothbrush to my rim brake pads and rinse with clear water. The whole process goes quickly and I also wear a magnifier to be able to visualize where the gritty nastiness lives.
My tubeless wheelset is built with Chinese made DT Swiss R460 tubeless compatible rims. The sidewall machining on these is good and the rims themselves I only paid about $40 each for (pre-Covid pricing). I'm about to add at least one tubular tire/wheel bike to the stable here soon. The Velocity Major Tom rims have nicely machined sidewalls but they are also mirror polished. I may well cringe if I ride these in the rain and abrade up the pristine sidewalls. Maybe I will report back on the ride of this classic/modern wheelset when it takes its maiden voyage on my rescused size 57 silver Masi Gran Criterium.