How to stop rust when bikes are in the shed...

murphyebass · 31-10-2012 10:37am #1

Hi guys,

I have 2 bikes. A mountaing bike and a racer.

The racer will get some use this winter probably once/twice a week if its not terrible terrible weather.

The mountain bike however will not get used until probably until March/April when the weather gets sligtly warmer etc...

So my problem is I have to keep the bikes in the shed. No other option before anyone says leave them in the house.
And yes I'm a fair weather cyclist before thats pointed out also :pac:

Anyway the problem I face with in particular the mountain bike I'd imagine is rust. To a point the racer too I'd imagine.
I better point out the mountain bike was recently serviced in Halfords and the racer was only bought a couple of months back.

Is there any way I can stop the rust??
Precautions??
Will a cover help for example??
Products that I can use??
I know your meant to lube certain parts but I really wouldnt know where to start.
Completely new to this so dont know where to start. Bikes I've had in the past were very cheap so I didnt care. :rolleyes:

Any advice welcome.
Cheers.

C3PO · 31-10-2012 10:44am

If the shed is dry it shouldn't be a problem? I would spray GT85 or WD40 on the metal parts (carefully avoiding brake discs/pads/rims!) and maybe put a drop of oil on exposed nuts and bolts.

murphyebass · 31-10-2012 10:47am

C3PO wrote: »

If the shed is dry it shouldn't be a problem? I would spray GT85 or WD40 on the metal parts (carefully avoiding brake discs/pads/rims!) and maybe put a drop of oil on exposed nuts and bolts.

Shed is dry. But that said I was in it yesterday and I have an old cheap tool box I'd forgotten about from when we moved in about 5 years ago and all the tools are rusted over from whatever dampness etc..

So ok I'll use some of the WD40 on the metal parts.

Fair enough on thee pads/discs.. when you say on the rim do mean around the tyre itself. sorry for the stupid questions.

cheers

C3PO · 31-10-2012 11:00am

Really just avoid putting oil on any braking surfaces!

piston · 31-10-2012 11:03am

Rub it over with vaseline, or mix up a little engine in diesel and brush it on.

michael196 · 31-10-2012 11:14am

have experieced this problem. Dry shed ( concreted + steel ) but rust develops on exposed surfaces.

halford are selling bike covers that i am trying out this year, also as posted spray a little WD40 around parts, especially the forks on the mtn bike.

cormie · 31-10-2012 11:15am

Would the bike covers work? Would you not need a full encasement and throw in a dehumidifier pack or something? I was thinking, with a cover, condensation may gather on the cover itself and make it even worse?

Wibbs · 31-10-2012 1:07pm

I'd avoid any kind of covering as that traps moisture under it so the rust pox can do it's work. Better to let the air circulate.

If your talking steel frames then try and get some rust protection inside the tubing cos that'e where the rot will come to bite you on the bum. Go through the seat tube/bottle bosses and for real coverage remove bottom bracket and get the stuff in there into the chainstays. There is stuff called frame saver, but you could use waxoyl for cars or better yet(IMHO and IME) this stuff from Bilt Hamber http://www.bilthamber.com/dynax-s50. Kills rust dead and stays working for a very long time. Comes with a nozzle small enough to go into the frame via the bottle bosses(if you have em). Waxoyl is grand though my faith in the product was somewhat lessened when the can it came in rusted through

WD40 is ok, better than nothing, though dries off pretty quickly leaving the part vulnerable so it'll need redoing. Good for any chrome parts you have though. Check any steel parts for chips in the paint. As a stopgap grease over them should work. Pistons idea with the vaselene another idea, though again vaselene is a light oil so will dry out pretty quickly. Keep an eye on alloy parts too. Though they don't "rust" non anodised parts(and sometimes even them) can oxidise if the conditions are particularly shíte.

(I drive an older car and have an early 80's steel frame. Italian, so you can imagine shíte paint, though pretty and no rust protection, so need to know this stuff

)

Wishbone Ash · 31-10-2012 4:11pm

piston wrote: »

or mix up a little engine in diesel

LOL

I have visions of the OP taking the engine out of the lawnmower and trying to break it up for mixing!

Lusk Doyle · 31-10-2012 6:00pm

Do nothing and in three months, hey presto, you have a reason for a new bike!

kenmc · 31-10-2012 7:17pm

just store the bikes in the house like any normal cyclist....

ednwireland · 31-10-2012 7:36pm

seal shed, fill with inert gas i.e nitrogen problem solved

two wheels good · 31-10-2012 8:00pm

Did anyone mention cleaning the bike? A good clean with a stiff brush and allow it to dry fully is the first step.

I think WD40 will be (is!) useless. I'd recommend ACF50 instead for protection against corrosion. A bit messier but very effective. May clog the derailleur a bit after a while

A cover on the bike in the shed - even just a sheet - will help keep dew or condensation off.

Lusk Doyle · 31-10-2012 9:53pm

two wheels good wrote: »

A cover on the bike in the shed - even just a sheet - will help keep dew or condensation off.

Ghost bike. Very current.

Wibbs · 31-10-2012 10:42pm

two wheels good wrote: »

A cover on the bike in the shed - even just a sheet - will help keep dew or condensation off.

NO it will increase it. A common misconception to be fair*. A proper designed for purpose breathable cover will work, but a sheet will concentrate the damp. Leave any fabric in a cold shed for a week and then feel it. It won't be dry. A plastic sheet? Leave fabric under a plastic sheet in damp conditions and watch it suck up water like a thirsty camel and watch the mould grow. Imagine a bike or any other metal(ferrous) yoke in the same conditions.

OK here's advice on how to store a classic car for a period of time. Note no mention of car covers, until point 15 "Use a car cover only for outdoor storage, or in very dusty locations. Leaving the car "open" indoors allows water vapor to leave the car after humid weather.

Actually they make a point I forgot about, they wax a car that's going to be stored. Couldn't hurt a bike. Good car waxes can have rust/uv inhibitors and will form a protective barrier. And leave it shiny. Always a good bet.

However I'd second two wheels good's recommendation/link of something like ACF50. That's a good idea, just leave the sheet off.

* as is the idea that rust is more likely in winter. In generally damp climes like Ireland rust often runs quicker in summer. Heat adds energy to the process. Bury your bike in the snow in a Swedish winter and it'll likely come out the same way you put it in.

cormie · 01-11-2012 12:27am

What about an airtight bag/cover with a few bags of silica gel thrown in?

Canis Lupus · 01-11-2012 12:44am

cormie wrote: »

What about an airtight bag/cover with a few bags of silica gel thrown in?

lol... can you get one of those vacumm bags bike sized

two wheels good · 01-11-2012 12:15pm

Wibbs wrote: »

NO it will increase it. A common misconception to be fair*. A proper designed for purpose breathable cover will work, but a sheet will concentrate the damp. Leave any fabric in a cold shed for a week and then feel it. It won't be dry. A plastic sheet? Leave fabric under a plastic sheet in damp conditions and watch it suck up water like a thirsty camel and watch the mould grow. Imagine a bike or any other metal(ferrous) yoke in the same conditions.

* as is the idea that rust is more likely in winter. In generally damp climes like Ireland rust often runs quicker in summer. Heat adds energy to the process. Bury your bike in the snow in a Swedish winter and it'll likely come out the same way you put it in.

I agree a damp sheet isn't ideal but I'd prefer most of the condensation to gather on the sheet instead of the bike.
I should have added that drying or replacing the sheet is essential.

murphyebass · 01-11-2012 12:56pm

I know someone mentioned the vacumn bag idea jokingly but seriously I'm surprised theres no product out there that makes this as simple as wrap the bike up and its sorted.

Personally I'd spend money on a product if I knew it would protect my bike over the winter months which would save me the hassle of taking it in and out of the shed all winter and spraying it with WD40 or whatever other product took my fancy.

A bike sized vacumn bag or similar sounds like a great idea in my opinion.

Now someone go off and make this happen!!!

Wibbs · 01-11-2012 1:28pm

two wheels good wrote: »

I agree a damp sheet isn't ideal but I'd prefer most of the condensation to gather on the sheet instead of the bike.
I should have added that drying or replacing the sheet is essential.

You're missing the point. The condensation builds up under the sheet and on your bike/motorbike/car. Far more than if the bike was left without a sheet. That's why the classic car guys avoid storing cars indoors under sheets. Any number of classic car/motorbike sites will tell you this and the reasons why.

Stallingrad · 01-11-2012 1:37pm

Sell the mountainbike, take up knitting, if you are not riding in winter you are not a mountain biker!

Indricotherium · 01-11-2012 1:52pm

michael196 wrote: »

have experieced this problem. Dry shed ( concreted + steel ) but rust develops on exposed surfaces.

halford are selling bike covers that i am trying out this year, also as posted spray a little WD40 around parts, especially the forks on the mtn bike.

WD40 is one of the last things I would spray near the forsk on my mountain bike.

two wheels good · 01-11-2012 2:31pm

murphyebass wrote: »

I know someone mentioned the vacumn bag idea jokingly but seriously I'm surprised theres no product out there that makes this as simple as wrap the bike up and its sorted.

Personally I'd spend money on a product if I knew it would protect my bike over the winter months which would save me the hassle of taking it in and out of the shed all winter and spraying it with WD40 or whatever other product took my fancy.

A bike sized vacumn bag or similar sounds like a great idea in my opinion.

Now someone go off and make this happen!!!

They are available - though I've not seen them specifically for bikes.

two wheels good · 01-11-2012 2:34pm

Wibbs wrote: »

You're missing the point. The condensation builds up under the sheet and on your bike/motorbike/car. Far more than if the bike was left without a sheet. That's why the classic car guys avoid storing cars indoors under sheets. Any number of classic car/motorbike sites will tell you this and the reasons why.

Nope, you're point was not missed. My point is reducing the condensation on the bike. I wasn't suggesting the bike can be abandoned under a damp sheet for the Winter.

murphyebass · 01-11-2012 3:06pm

Stallingrad wrote: »

Sell the mountainbike, take up knitting, if you are not riding in winter you are not a mountain biker!

Correct, I am not a mountain biker. :eek:

As I mentioned in my op I am a fair weather cyclist in general who likes to occassionally go up and down a mountain on my mountain bike probably no more than a dozen or two dozen max times a year is all that bike gets used to be honest or take a longish spin on my racer which happens generally at least once a week doing about 100k a week I'd say on average.

Glad we cleared that up.

Indricotherium · 01-11-2012 3:27pm

murphyebass wrote: »

two dozen max times a year is all that bike gets used
Glad we cleared that up.

That's every second weekend?

murphyebass · 01-11-2012 4:03pm

Indricotherium wrote: »

That's every second weekend?

Probably more like a dozen since I got the racer to be fair.

michael196 · 01-11-2012 4:51pm

I have the breathables on for about two weeks now , in the stell shed , by this weekend , covering 3 bikes, so will have a peek this weekend to see if there is moisture buildup anywhere.

if there is moisture then the bike returns to its rightful place , (on the lazy boy sofa in the living room, by the fire) .

Wibbs · 01-11-2012 5:56pm

michael196 wrote: »

I have the breathables on for about two weeks now , in the stell shed , by this weekend , covering 3 bikes, so will have a peek this weekend to see if there is moisture buildup anywhere.

You should be OK with breathable sheets as they're far less likely to trap humidity, but even there naked is probably better. Not you, the bikes

if there is moisture then the bike returns to its rightful place , (on the lazy boy sofa in the living room, by the fire) .

Run_to_da_hills · 01-11-2012 6:05pm

Brest way to stop rust on a bike in the shed is to get a bike that is resistant to rust.

Ie Carbon fibre / aluminium frame with titanium or stainless steel fasteners.

I am half way there.

Popoutman · 02-11-2012 1:46am

Indricotherium wrote: »

WD40 is one of the last things I would spray near the forsk on my mountain bike.

WD40 is perfectly fine to spray on a cloth and wipe the stanchions with. I wouldn't directly spray the wipers with the can, as this may cause the wd40 to penetrate the forks and mix with the fork oil. The idea is to leave a very light coating of wd40 on the stanchion surface and taking the abrasive dust away.

If you had an industrial quantity of a desiccant and a sealable box, that would suffice for keeping the bikes dry and rust-free, but you'd have to refresh the desiccant every month or so as good practice. Putting the bikes away dry would be necessary as well.

A powered dehumidifier can't take enough water out of the air to prevent rusting..

Capt'n Midnight · 02-11-2012 2:07am

If you have to put a wet bike in a shed then take it out for a short spin when the weather is dry again. This will help dry it out and more importantly expel the remaining water in the chain , gears etc.

How to stop rust when bikes are in the shed...

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