Example of “Toxic Sweat”
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That's some interesting stuff, thanks for the info.
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The salt is only part of the problem. The humidity and dew point are the other part. Here in dry Colorado it is currently 35°F with a relative humidity of 45% and a dew point of 20°F. Current temperature in Tampa is 70°F with a relative humidity of 89% and a dew point of 69°F. There’s no water to sucked out of the air in Denver while there is lots and lots and lots of water to be sucked out of the air in Tampa. Sodium chloride is hydroscopic which means it can suck water out of the air. Your bar tape in NC wasn’t wet because it failed to dry but because the salt in the bar tape was actively sucking water out of the air.
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#30
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I've noticed the same thing with certain hats. I might work up a big sweat working in the yard and soak the hat real good, and a week later it is still wet. It probably keeps absorbing water from the air until October when the humidity finally goes away.
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yikes, that's worse than a toxic girlfriend! if they rode faster, the sweat would fall further back, no? or is that from an indoor trainer? if so, maybe throw a towel over the bars?
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Man, and I always assumed the Tri-Bikes have a lot of corrosion due to the urine. Who knew it was their sweat!
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I've only ever seen this happen in Tampa. One dude went down at 30mph+ during a sprint. It wasn't the first time it happened to him either...
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#38
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Salt/Sweat also wrecks havoc on headsets. I started to replace mine due to a "creaking" that started up.
Pics in thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...set-stuck.html
Pics in thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...set-stuck.html
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#39
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Here in Florida, bikes practically have an expiration date. Dealing with a warranty because of corrosion is a nightmare. Some companies don’t even bother the second they see the guest is located in Florida.
A lot of people have tried layering electrical tape underneath the tape itself which doesn’t do much besides leaving a horrible residue. It’s just as bad as people who undercoat their vehicles up North. Once moisture and salt finds a way in(which it will), it’s trapped there and causes a lot more damage than usual.
Preventive maintenance is what I usually hammer onto people but a lot of bike owners typically don’t want to learn(neither do I want to fix their attempt at a bar wrap plus smelling their dried sweat).
Again, Florida is just Florida. If you’re not on your bike with a q-tip dabbing Tri-Flow in every nook and cranny every weekend then expect some corrosion.
A lot of people have tried layering electrical tape underneath the tape itself which doesn’t do much besides leaving a horrible residue. It’s just as bad as people who undercoat their vehicles up North. Once moisture and salt finds a way in(which it will), it’s trapped there and causes a lot more damage than usual.
Preventive maintenance is what I usually hammer onto people but a lot of bike owners typically don’t want to learn(neither do I want to fix their attempt at a bar wrap plus smelling their dried sweat).
Again, Florida is just Florida. If you’re not on your bike with a q-tip dabbing Tri-Flow in every nook and cranny every weekend then expect some corrosion.
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Here in Florida, bikes practically have an expiration date. Dealing with a warranty because of corrosion is a nightmare. Some companies don’t even bother the second they see the guest is located in Florida.
A lot of people have tried layering electrical tape underneath the tape itself which doesn’t do much besides leaving a horrible residue. It’s just as bad as people who undercoat their vehicles up North. Once moisture and salt finds a way in(which it will), it’s trapped there and causes a lot more damage than usual.
Preventive maintenance is what I usually hammer onto people but a lot of bike owners typically don’t want to learn(neither do I want to fix their attempt at a bar wrap plus smelling their dried sweat).
Again, Florida is just Florida. If you’re not on your bike with a q-tip dabbing Tri-Flow in every nook and cranny every weekend then expect some corrosion.
A lot of people have tried layering electrical tape underneath the tape itself which doesn’t do much besides leaving a horrible residue. It’s just as bad as people who undercoat their vehicles up North. Once moisture and salt finds a way in(which it will), it’s trapped there and causes a lot more damage than usual.
Preventive maintenance is what I usually hammer onto people but a lot of bike owners typically don’t want to learn(neither do I want to fix their attempt at a bar wrap plus smelling their dried sweat).
Again, Florida is just Florida. If you’re not on your bike with a q-tip dabbing Tri-Flow in every nook and cranny every weekend then expect some corrosion.
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#41
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I had a couple small pencil-tip sized specks of corrosion on my 3T Ergonova last time I changed the tape. Cleaned and coated it with Boeshield T9 and let it dry before wrapping. Due for tape change soon, will see if it helped prevent progression.
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Or take it off and wash it to get the salt out. Actually not a bad idea to frequently "hand squeegee" your bar tape with fresh water on a regular basis when you're sweating heavily on rides. Once the salt gets into the tiny holes in the bar coating, not much can stop the rapid corrosion of the aluminum.
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Yup. Back in the day of anodized aluminum bars, this was not much of an issue. When the market switched to coated aluminum, the barrier to salt was greatly reduced. Those bars lasted me 40-50K miles. Carbon fiber bars are a solution.
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The long and the short of it is that titanium simply doesn’t exhibit the corrosion you see with aluminum or even higher quality stainless steel. No stress crack corrosion and no galvanic corrosion. Also why you see titanium as the main metal used in orthopedic implants.
Its more than salt and air. The minerals dissolved in wet limestone, plus sun, salt, and heat are quite effective together.
So what can be done about a “Florida bike”
Ideally I think a 1 piece carbon bar and stem combo. Otherwise, a carbon bar with titanium stem (use plenty of ti prep) should help. I would worry that brake clomps would become a sacrificial anode in that setup.
What about prevention? Headband, wristbands, and a huge fan indoors.
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rosefarts- I find that you are correct, I think what I am remembering is corrosion of the non Ti part, like seat posts, in a Ti frame. In NC we removed more then a few "welded" in place from various bikes of non steel construction. We saw a lot of bikes that spent a lot of time on the coast that were hard to deal with. Andy
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Whereas my understanding is that Ti does not have a big problem with galvanic corrosion with other metals.
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Sometimes I have mechanics suggest new tape and don't always explain why other than it looks bad, I go in and explain to the customer it is more to inspect the bars underneath and great rid of the old sweat logged stuff so we can give you a safer ride. Some people still reject but most will go for it when they understand the safety aspect. Sweat is nasty stuff that serves a very important purpose to the body but not so good soaked into your bars via your groady tape. Certainly yes washing bars can help a bit but I would just replace tape at least once a year depending on various factors but I think during the annual tune up is a good time to refresh everything and get it ready for the next riding season or for continued riding because you don't stop.
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rosefarts- I find that you are correct, I think what I am remembering is corrosion of the non Ti part, like seat posts, in a Ti frame. In NC we removed more then a few "welded" in place from various bikes of non steel construction. We saw a lot of bikes that spent a lot of time on the coast that were hard to deal with. Andy
Titanium, as well as aluminum, have what is called a high stacking fault energy which means, essentially, the atomic crystalline structure has lots of faults that can catch when the metal slides on a surface. In threads, either material can break off bits that jam the threads. Add in a bit of corrosion of the aluminum and things go south quickly.
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Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!