bike storage in a coastal environment - advice please

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bike storage in a coastal environment - advice please

10 posts & 9 voices | Started 1 year ago by MikeT-23 | Latest reply from yunki

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MikeT-23 - Member

Do any of you good people ride a cro-mo steel-framed bike and live by the sea?
If so, what do you do about storage of your bike?

I believe that the salty air and water spray could be responsible for premature corrosion of steel and steel-based components, but I'm willing to be corrected if wrong.

My plan, if I decide to keep such a bike in such a location would be to (gently) hose it down with fresh water, probably dry off with towel, put in a (damp-ish) understair cupboard off a garage and cover with a bike storage bag thingy.

The bike may well go a month or two between uses due to irregular visits to said location, hence the cautious approach.

All informed advice welcome, thank you.

Cheers

Posted 1 year ago #
coastkid - Member

i often ride in the sea estuarys on my beach bike which is rusting as expected but none other bikes have rusted i own, i live inland from the coast now but close enough to still smell the salt air,
and i ride alot on coastal trails (user name may give that away).
if you never plan on getting a frame you own powder coated then coat the insides with a spray wax through the air holes left from when it was welded together,alot of people use waxol,i use castrol motorcycle chain wax,heat the cans in hot water first,use the little red nozzle and straw to spray it in the weld vent holes,do the hokey cokey withit then wipe any excess that runs out and job done
if you plan to powder coat a frame at a later date than GT85 or similar every so often is fine, powder coaters will heat the frame to bake it and wax will melt and run out making an awful mess and cause alot of swearing!

Posted 1 year ago #
mmb - Member

i live in poole used to ride a p7 never had an issue with corrosion and there are a lot of p7s in this area as well as other steel and cr-mo frames and do not know of anyone who looks after their bike and keeps it clean that has had an issue.

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Make sure it is dry - really really dry. don't store where it is damp, don't put a cover over it ( holds moisture) if you wash it get it really really dry.

Rust needs ,oisture to form - dry salt won't rust it, wet will

Posted 1 year ago #
MikeT-23 - Member

That's a mixed bag of response thus far.

Thanks for those.

I'm getting this:

if anything, just keep it dry.

As for powdercoating, Coastkid, I think not. It's a six-year old P7 I was gonna sell, but then thought I'd keep up there (NE highlands) as it'll do away with getting the newer one on a rack and carting up every time. It's pretty flat on the peninsula, so I don't need a 'beast' for wee spins up to the lighthouse and back.

Cheers guys

Posted 1 year ago #
adam5555 - Member

I live by the sea and have steel bikes. Never really concerned me really. If you keep it inside/ in a shed etc it will be fine. If you do go riding on the beach or sea front etc and it does get sea spray on it wash it down. My car has been outside in the sea air/weather for years and years with no problems so I cant see why a bike would be affected any worse.

Posted 1 year ago #
StirlingCrispin - Member

Invest in some Scottoiler FS365.
It's a rust-inhibiting spray.
Clean the bike water, spray, and park.

I've used it for years and it works a treat.

http://www.scottoiler.com/FS365-Protector.asp
Any good motorbike shop should sell it.

Posted 1 year ago #
Surf-Mat - Member

My 1997 steel Stumpjumper has yet to show a single sign of any rust despite spending most of it's 13 years very near the sea in Cornwall.

Posted 1 year ago #
rootes1 - Member

Dinitrol is your friend

but doubt it is a real issue

Posted 1 year ago #
yunki - Member

I live by the sea and face open water from the south and the east facing windows of my flat and I ride along the prom occasionally.. over the clifftops.. and sometimes along the beach and up the estuary.. (as well as plenty of inland riding)

Not overly concerned about rust issues.. Surely your steel frame is actually a steel/chrome alloy? So you will get a little surface rust but not much more?

FWIW I only keep my bike thoroughly cleaned and dryed once per month and usually put it away damp in a dry cupboard..

Posted 1 year ago #

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