Does anyone make a bung or cap that protects the lower end of the steerer tube? A lot of crud and crap seems to end up in mine. Is it even worth protecting?
Don't bother. It will still get on but then can't get out. It will fester and turn nasty. Leave it open and let it drop out again.
A cork is best as its breathable, which will prevent sweating.
I stuck a bar end plug in my Fox forks, lost it when the CSU was replaced, haven't bothered since.
fork mounted mudguard in mine - even when the guard is off the mount is still there
Don't wash or store your bike upside down and you shouldn't have problems with crud up there. I've seen star nuts rusted to nothing in bikes that have been habitually turned upside down.
Can't win with my bike then. Due to it having no drain hole in the BB shell, common wisdom is that you take the seatpost out, turn upside down and let any water drain out, after a wet ride.
With all this lovely weather recently, my bike is spending a fair amount of time being stored upside down.
Another problem I've seen with bikes stored upside down is brake fluid seepage from the breather holes. Beware!
Would it be a problem to drill a hole in the bottom bracket shell?
Maybe a bit of bathroom sealant in the seat clamp slot to stop water getting in in the first place?