Winter tip for us hard men
 

If, like me, you ride all year round, you no-doubt notice how dirty the bike gets. Salt, grit etc. etc.

Now I'm not reknowned for cleaning my bike much but I find it really hard to find the motivation when it's cold and/or damp.

However, the other week I remembered that I had bought a cheap one-piece waterproof suit (Frank Thomas) years ago when I first got back into biking. This is spacious and quilted for extra warmth etc. and only cost me about £20-£30. I never wear it these days as it has no armour.

Anyhoo, it occurred to me this is the IDEAL bit of kit to wear when washing the bike in winter. It may seem obvious, but it had never struck me before. I now go out in (virtually) any old weather to wash my bike and I'm kept warm, dry and clean.

Go buy one - and then you'll have no excuse. 8)

You've only just thought of this??? :lol:

Dont forget to all the exposed metal bits a good coat of WD40 to keep away corrosion. For the dunces out there, DONT include the brake calipers and disks in this.............. :shock:

Too laaaaaaaatttttttteeeeeeeeeee.................................................... *crunch*

:lol: I do this too. (edit: that's use my water proofs - not WD-40 my brakes :lol: )

The thing is I used to used hot water so my hands stay nice'n'warm, but I have read here that hot water can acclerate the corrosive effect for the salt :shock: Cold water is a bit too masochistic for me this time of year. And the hose just does't shift the filth :(

Well it HAD occurred to me to wear my bike gear, but I didn't wanna scuff my nice expensive gear when crawling around on my driveway to get to all the hard-to-reach bits.

And I didn't want to get my £250 Alpinestars jacket filthy every weekend!

PS: DON'T use washing up liquid - it contains substances which accelerate corrosion. Always use a car shampoo.

If you really want to protect your bike from the ravages of winter get some ACF 50. WD40 evaporates, Scottoil F365 comes off in the rain but ACF 50 will stay on the bike for a year.

Give the bike a good wash and liberally spry over the whole bike except brake discs/pads, for calliper bolts spray on a cloth and then wipe on. You'll still need to wash it of course but not as often

This tack was designed to stop corrosion on Aircraft but is perfect for bikes as well, you can get it from M&P

Re: Winter tip for us hard men
 

No. :lol:


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Thanks for the tip. It sounds like it's probably well worth the money.

Update: I've found a link with some information:
http://www.worldwideaviation.co.uk/M...les%20Main.htm

Acutally, i've found once its "evapourated" it leaves a thin film over the surface that corrosive substances such as road salt sit on top of. If you wash it off once a week/fortnight then you've no need to worry about the more expensive stuff.

Not in my experience... I give my bike a thorough clean and spray once a week and hose it down after every wet ride, and there's still a good coating on the bike when I come to my weekly clean, evey time. If you spray and then ride it'll wash off, mind, but if you follow the instructions and let it sit then the film stays on mine for a good time unless I wipe or use tdetergents to get it off.