Caring for a new steel bike

[HillSlugger]

My new bike has a steel frame. The bike lives in the house, in the heated basement, between rides. Do I need to do any preventative maintenance to prevent rust, something like Frame Saver?

[mimitabby]

not really. you can wipe it dry after a long wet ride. It will be just fine inside.

[DebW]

I've read that the new steel frames have thinner walls than older frames, and therefore a once a year application of Framesaver is a good idea.

[Popoki_Nui]

Check for chips, scratches, and abrasions (even if they don't appear to have penetrated to bare metal) and attend to them promptly. Clear nail polish will do until you can repair them properly.
Also check the frame ventilation holes if your frame has them (some frames have sealed and purged frame tubing and may not have these holes). Look for tiny holes at the top, bottom (or both) of your seat stays, chain stays, and front fork. These holes help your frame breathe and allow internal moisture to evaporate.
Use a pin or length of thin wire to keep them free of mud and road cheese.

[Blueberry]

Check for chips, scratches, and abrasions (even if they don't appear to have penetrated to bare metal) and attend to them promptly. Clear nail polish will do until you can repair them properly..

So how does one repair them properly? I've got many a scratch covered with clear nail polish. Bike Friday actually send me the powder coat (in powder form) and some nail polish to repair the chipping paint on my frame (search under Bike Friday and you'll find pictures of the chipping paint...)

Just curious, as I'm relatively new to steel bikes (but loving them...)

CA

[Popoki_Nui]

So how does one repair them properly? I've got many a scratch covered with clear nail polish. Bike Friday actually send me the powder coat (in powder form) and some nail polish to repair the chipping paint on my frame (search under Bike Friday and you'll find pictures of the chipping paint...)

Just curious, as I'm relatively new to steel bikes (but loving them...)

CA

I do essentially the same thing except I use primer and matching colour coat. I'll patch these little scratches until I have several, then I will sand, prime, and respray the entire tube or stay, and blend it into the rest of the frame until it looks like the original paint.
I hate having lots of bumpy little repaired scratches, but I'm probably more fanatical about nice paint than most people are.

[mimitabby]

So how does one repair them properly? I've got many a scratch covered with clear nail polish. Bike Friday actually send me the powder coat (in powder form) and some nail polish to repair the chipping paint on my frame (search under Bike Friday and you'll find pictures of the chipping paint...)

Just curious, as I'm relatively new to steel bikes (but loving them...)

CA

so what do you do with the powder?

i use nail polish on my bike too. I found garish yellow and navy blue polish
close enough for my use.

[greasycassette]

So I'm asking more questions here than answering them--what's so bad about a scratch or two here and there? I've just for the first time got myself more than a beat up, steel city bike..so I'm new to such immaculate care!

[Trek420]

I've read that the new steel frames have thinner walls than older frames, and therefore a once a year application of Framesaver is a good idea.

DebW, I'll look up framesaver. My steel road bike lives indoors, is rarely ridden in the rain (and never uphill ) This sounds like something I should be doing.

Trek loves my steel bikes 420

[Blueberry]

so what do you do with the powder?

i use nail polish on my bike too. I found garish yellow and navy blue polish
close enough for my use.

(I haven't done this yet)

You're supposed to pour out clear nail polish on a card, mix the powder in and then apply to the frame.

CA

[mimitabby]

So I'm asking more questions here than answering them--what's so bad about a scratch or two here and there? I've just for the first time got myself more than a beat up, steel city bike..so I'm new to such immaculate care!

Simple, enjoy your bike!
when i got my used Bianchi, i cleaned it up, polished it with a clean rag
and then noticed all the dings. That's when I bought the nail polish.
Your bike will probably be fine, but it might get rust in some of the spots that
don't have paint. This is unsightly, but it will be years before it's dangerous.

If you have a brand new bike, you have a tendency to want to preserve its pristine condition a bit more.

[KnottedYet]

I bought 2 new steel bikes from my LBS, and they also care for my 10 year old steel bike. (that's 3 steel bikes in my house) They stay in my house where it is warm and dry. I ride them in the wet (it's Seattle!) and even though I never took particular care of my steel bikes when I was a young 'un, I wanted to be sure to take good care of my bikes now.

For the new bikes: LBS said not to worry about framsaver until I replace the bottom-brackets, then they'll coat the innerds for me, but it's not crucial. My bike guru said the newer steel frames with the nifty new paints are quite a bit more resistant to rust and storing the bike indoors does more than framesaver alone ever would anyway. Oh, and keep those drain holes clear!

For the old bike: yup, I should framesaver it, but again they aren't in any hurry and it can wait until I replace the bb.

The overall impression I got was that storing your bike indoors was the best thing to do for a steel frame.

[Trek420]

Your bike will probably be fine, but it might get rust in some of the spots that
don't have paint. This is unsightly, but it will be years before it's dangerous.

And before it gets to that point you'll take it into the LBS and have it powdercoated bright screaming school bus yellow

[KnottedYet]

Trek - how much does the paint job cost?

[Trek420]

don't ask

JK TE, powdercoat no logos should be somewhere in the range of $150. But first they take the bike apart, then send it off to be repainted. If I wanted the logos reproduced it would be more.

Then they put it back together it's a whole rebuild.

I have to talk to LBS and hope that they don't find anything major that needs replacing.

They said it's a really well maintained bike.

I do try.

The only things I want to replace are the bottle cages which I got for $1.00 at the bike swap, they are flimsy and bend, hard to use in motion. The Planet Bike bike seat is just adequate. It's gotta go.

Someday I would like to change to grip shifters, but if I can get away with the current ones for now that'll be good.

I have a condo to remodel so should not be spending all my discretionary income on the commuter