Someone I live with moved my bike from the garage into the backyard, where it has been sitting in a pile of snow for a few months (I live in Ontario and we’ve gotten a lot of snow this winter). I only noticed now as I don’t go in the backyard often. I see rust on the bike and I’m mainly concerned about the chain and brakes as they’re pretty rusty. Based on the photos, I was wondering if this seems repairable and how I would go about fixing it? I don’t know too much about bikes so I appreciate any advice!
by emily74291
9 Comments
I apply ketchup and use sponge to scrape off
Poor bike. Chain can be replaced. The rest will likely work with some lube. Take it into a shop and buy em a pizza.
This made me sad.
who knew that leaving something outside would make it rust… you’ll need a new chain, and maybe new cables… the damage is done though.
Similar thing happened to me, would love some advice on derusting if it’s even possible to do without damaging
Drives me bananas when people treat bicycles like shovels or rakes.
All repairable, might be a good idea to just replace the chain though.
And tell that person from your house never to touch your dammed bike again! 🙂
Bike rusted from neglect
A sleeve of 00 steel wool a wire brush
And a can of wd 40 is all you need to clean that up for cheap
Would be great move to apply a drop of oil to the spoke nippels too
That’s pretty minor rust thankfully. Just scrub down the chain with a good degreaser and apply a fairly thick coat of wet weather lube. Run the bike through the various gears, wipe off any excessive lube (still trying to leave the chain fully coated). That should help the chain from forming any more rust while it’s still being stored.
When springs rolls around and you’re getting back to riding, just spray down the drivetrain to remove most of the chain lube and re-apply, wiping off most of the lube after application (you really only need chain lube in the roller pins that connect the links when riding).
As far as that rusted brake noodle , just spray some silicone lube inside and make sure the cable moves freely. It might make sense to disconnect the brake cable and remove it from the noodle while in storage to prevent any corrosion on the cable itself.
Aside from the chain, I really wouldn’t worry about any of this rust. It’s just aesthetic. That being said, steel wool, a wire brush, wd-40, and some elbow grease will get your bike going just fine.
Even for the chain, I would honestly just lube it (with chain lube, not WD-40) and ride. Hopefully, you’ve been good about oiling your chain in the past and the parts that really need the oil, inside the rollers, have enough in there to protect from rust. The surface rust on the outside will be gone after a few rides with lots of shifting. If you’re especially concerned, get a new chain, but if the gears on your bike are worn out, the new chain might not sit right.