what are you using for cleaning bike from winter road salt?

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mattr
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by mattr

Salt doesn't dissolve in cold water? Really?


Just use enough water to rinse the whole bike, thoroughly, after you've cleaned with car shampoo and warm water.
Then give it a quick going over with something to displace the water, or a compressor.

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ultimobici
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by ultimobici

No I should have said they with cold water salt is washed away before if dissolves.

Using cold water allows you to rinse the salt off properly without leaving any residue. Warm water may allow some salt to remain.


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victorduraace
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by victorduraace

That's why I ride my single speed in winter

AJS914
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by AJS914

Is this discussion based in science? I can't believe the temperature of the water would make a material difference in the outcome.

i looked up the solubility curve of salt in water and temperature hardly makes a difference in the case of salt.

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polaris
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by polaris

Heresy! Letting science get in the way of habit and old wives tales?!

:wink:
.....but it still has to work!

mattr
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by mattr

ultimobici wrote:No I should have said they with cold water salt is washed away before if dissolves.
Nah, what you will be seeing/thinking of is the other crap that comes up off the road in suspension, in the spray. Which is mostly salty cold water.
The tiny amount of salt/soluble stuff on the bike will dissolve almost instantaneously.

Multebear
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by Multebear

We have a lot of salt on the roads at wintertime here in Denmark. In order for the gear to last longest, you need to


  • Rinse the bike
  • Wash the whole bike with auto shampoo
  • rinse it again
  • dry of the chainrings, chain and cassette
  • lube the chain
  • pedal through all gears
  • done

This is done after every training where the bike is exposed to salt.

You might want to keep track of the chain wear with a caliper in order to make sure, that you don't wear the cassette to much.

Oswald
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by Oswald

I use a 15 year old Giant tcr alu in bad weather. I don't clean It that often. Only when the grinding chain noise is annoying me. The bike is worth maybe 250€ secondhand. So I don't waste too much time cleaning it. New bike is on the Tacx.

eric01
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by eric01

IMHO if the roads are super salty it's time to get on the rollers and turn on the tv. For me the time to wash up properly, clean and relube isn't worth it.
Specialized Tarmac Sworks SL6, Moots Compact, Carl Strong Titanium

Multebear
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by Multebear

eric01 wrote:IMHO if the roads are super salty it's time to get on the rollers and turn on the tv. For me the time to wash up properly, clean and relube isn't worth it.


As long as the road isn't icy no matter the temperature, I train outside. Rollers doesn't make you a champ.

When you get used to the routine, it's only 30 minutes to get it completely clean and properly lubed. Since you ride shorter rides at wintertime anyway, you spend the same amount of time with your bike.

Bogan
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by Bogan

Live in Australia. What salt?
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sinill
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by sinill

In my experience of riding through road salt (and grit, which is probably just as bad) on a regular basis,

the bike tends to need a new chain every spring, and a new cassette and bearing overhauls about every second year or so.

mattr
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by mattr

eric01 wrote:IMHO if the roads are super salty it's time to get on the rollers and turn on the tv. For me the time to wash up properly, clean and relube isn't worth it.
:? Roads can be salty round here from early October to April or May. And when they aren't salty they are under a good layer of ice..... so you've got to make the most of it.

Hence, winter bike, full mudguards. If the roads are dry and dusty it takes about 5 minutes to clean the bike. If they are wet/muddy/ick it's about 15 minutes. If i can be bothered to put a hot tap outside i can probably knock 5 minutes off that!

998nox
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by 998nox

lukewarm water with bit of washing up liquid.

That's it

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Marin
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by Marin

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