Post-wet ride maintenance checklist

[luvmyguys]

There is a possibility of rain in the forecast for a ride on Saturday, and up until this point I've just avoided riding in the rain. I'm wanting to make sure, ahead of time, that I'm ready to take care of the bike after a wet ride.

I know I need to give the bike a general wipe down and clean and lube the chain. What else?

What about timing? I'd do the wipe-down as soon as I get home, but do I have enough time to get a shower in before I work on the chain?

[indysteel]

There is a possibility of rain in the forecast for a ride on Saturday, and up until this point I've just avoided riding in the rain. I'm wanting to make sure, ahead of time, that I'm ready to take care of the bike after a wet ride.

I know I need to give the bike a general wipe down and clean and lube the chain. What else?

What about timing? I'd do the wipe-down as soon as I get home, but do I have enough time to get a shower in before I work on the chain?

You're safe to shower first IMO. When our bikes get wet, we take the seat post out and let them drain upside down and then thoroughly dry out before reinserting the seat post.

[ny biker]

I wipe down the bike before putting it in the car/taking it into the house. I take everything out of the seat wedge and top-tube bag so I can dry it all out.

I clean and lube the chain before I ride it again.

I stuff my shoes with newspaper or paper towels, replacing it every few hours until the shoes are dry. Remove the cleat covers, clean and lube the cleats.

That's pretty much it.

[Owlie]

I let the bike dry a little on the porch, or I leave it in the garage if I'm at my parents' place. Clothes, if they're muddy at all, go in the laundry room/the handwash tub. Hot shower.

Then I go clean the chain, cassette and however much of the crankset I can, re-lube the chain and clean the bike.

[OakLeaf]

On a more practical note ...

Take all the time you need to stretch, ice any injuries, have your recovery snack, and change into dry work clothes.

Take care of your bike (and shoes).

THEN take your shower.

Otherwise you'll just get filthy again...

[ny biker]

On a more practical note ...

Take all the time you need to stretch, ice any injuries, have your recovery snack, and change into dry work clothes.

Take care of your bike (and shoes).

THEN take your shower.

Otherwise you'll just get filthy again...

Make that *warm* dry work clothes. And bear in mind you will be colder while riding in the rain, so prepare with extra layers.

[Melalvai]

I rode in the rain yesterday and forgot to dry the chain. This morning I noticed it's rusty so I'll be cleaning it tonight. It would have been better if I'd dried & clean it right away, but it's not a big deal that I'm doing it a day later.

[luvmyguys]

I rode in the rain yesterday and forgot to dry the chain. This morning I noticed it's rusty so I'll be cleaning it tonight. It would have been better if I'd dried & clean it right away, but it's not a big deal that I'm doing it a day later.

You can clean it once it has started to rust? I mean, can you actually get the rust off (didn't think that was possible), and how will that affect the chain life and performance?

[Melalvai]

You can clean it once it has started to rust? I mean, can you actually get the rust off (didn't think that was possible), and how will that affect the chain life and performance?

When it's bad like this I will use the chain cleaner tool, this thing:


Then lube it.

If it's really bad I might have to repeat. It would have been better if I'd dried it & lubed it right away. But I have all weekend to get it done. (I'll probably find myself doing it late tomorrow night and cursing myself for not doing it right away, or at any other time this weekend.)

I don't know how it affects chain life & performance. On my commuter, performance isn't something I notice, unless it starts skipping or something. But it's not like I'd notice if I was riding a little slower. The heavy basket and studded tires pretty well take care of that. I'll replace this chain at the end of winter whether it's ready or not. I won't replace it before the end of winter because a new chain would just get torn up with the salt & snow and I'd have to replace it at the end of winter too.

I guess my method works all right. I replace my cassette about every 3-4 chains, and I replace my chain every 1500 miles. But-- that works for me with the type of riding (daily commute) that I do. Commuting in all weather is hard on the drivetrain, and the roads in town are not as clean as the highways that I do my recreational rides on. I'm sure mountain biking on dirt and gravel is pretty rough on the drivetrain too.

[Kernyl]

If it's wet and muddy (i.e. cross race or mtn bike) I'll spray the bike down with the hose, paying special attention to getting rid of any grit in the drivetrain and pedals. After, dry everything off with a soft cloth, then relube the chain. If it's really bad, a chain cleaner may be in order.