Hi guys.
I have a 2015 Specialized Roubaix. About 2 years ago i had to replace one shifter and some months after that had to replace the other. Both with internal breakdowns. It came with SRAM Rival HydroR originally but now i have one shifter Rival and another Force, no problem there. The problem is that i have my bike in a garage with 80% + humidity and that means rust. I even bought a dehumidifier
This is the current state of the shifters.
Should i replace some bolts or do something to try and mitigate the problem?
Thank you guys and a happy new year 🙂
by Rare-Action7101
3 Comments
I have seen Sram lever clamp hardware fail from corrosion before, so I’d definitely replace the clamp bands/bolts/nuts (available as a full kit from Sram, will require removing the bar tape). The screws on top are for fastening the brake fluid reservoir caps/bladders. These are also available as kits (left or right specific, cap, bladder, and screws). Probably worth replacing as well (will require bleeding the brakes, which you’re doing at least annually anyway, right?).
As for cause and prevention, there’s a good chance that a lot of this rust is from sweat collecting under the hoods (go ahead and replace those while you’re working on things), and more regular cleaning–really just rinsing well with clean water after riding should be enough–will help tremendously.
The humidity I see as a greater threat to the hydraulic system, as Sram uses DOT fluid. DOT fluid is hydrophilic, and will suck moisture out of the air (even past seals over time), which degrades the fluid, lowering the boiling point, and will also lead to deterioration of seals/o-rings inside the hydraulic system (which will eventually cause major problems for the brakes). With storage conditions like that, I’d recommend bleeding the brakes twice a year at least. Best next step would be finding a better storage location for the bike.
That hardware should all be stainless steel and not corroding from regular humidity.Â
This is probably from sweat salt buildup, especially the discoloration on the plastic. Humidity doesn’t do that to plastic
Pull the hardware and submerge it in a rust conversion solution.
DIY rust conversion solution that works via chelation – i.e. it won’t harm metals, plastics, wood or rubber:
1 litre water
200grams citric acid
125g bicarb soda
Drop of dish soap
You can turn it into a gel by boiling it and adding a teaspoon corn flour dissolved in 50mls of tap water. I made 200mls of gel and kept 800mls for fully submersing bigger parts. I’ve since made a 6litre batch and it’s badass!