Rusting on a new bike

Hi,

I bought a Ridgeback Cyclone back in June and I have been commuting to
work most days since then. Today I noticed that there appears to be a
significant amount of orange fluid, which I am 99.9% certain is rust. It
appears to be coming from (please forgive me for a lack of knowledge
when it comes to bike nomenclature) the area where the frame and the
front forks meet and also some where the frame meets the handlebars.

Surely this can't be normal? Is this because my bike is using cheap
materials or is there a seal that may be damaged? I will probably be
taking it back to the LBS at the weekend to get it checked, but I wanted
to be sure that this sort of thing would be covered buy guarantee.

This problem is likely to get worse as it does occasionally rain in
Glasgow :-(


Cheers

Dave

wrote:

Sounds like they forgot to grease the headset bearings when they put
the bike together - unless you have been storing it upside down outside
in the rain which would fill the bearings with water.
Likely to be damaged bearings so take it back to the shop - the grease
should have lasted for a year or more so it's their fault even if you
haven't oiled it since you bought it.

cheers

Jacob



Thanks for the reply. It is stored upright in a shed.

I have washed when it was upside down, but surely this wouldn't cause
the problem. Anyway I probably don't wash it enough!

Cheers

Dave

Sounds like they forgot to grease the headset bearings when they put
the bike together - unless you have been storing it upside down outside
in the rain which would fill the bearings with water.
Likely to be damaged bearings so take it back to the shop - the grease
should have lasted for a year or more so it's their fault even if you
haven't oiled it since you bought it.

cheers

Jacob

Dave B wrote:
wrote:

Sounds like they forgot to grease the headset bearings when they put
the bike together - unless you have been storing it upside down outside
in the rain which would fill the bearings with water.
Likely to be damaged bearings so take it back to the shop - the grease
should have lasted for a year or more so it's their fault even if you
haven't oiled it since you bought it.

cheers

Jacob



Thanks for the reply. It is stored upright in a shed.

I have washed when it was upside down, but surely this wouldn't cause
the problem. Anyway I probably don't wash it enough!

Could well be the cause especially if you have used a jet spray or even
a normal hose pipe. You may have a prob with wheel bearings too, if you
have been too enthuiastic.
Bikes best left unwashed IMO and well slathered in grease and oil at
all times. Just the occasional wipe down with an oily rag.

cheers

Jacob

wrote:


Could well be the cause especially if you have used a jet spray or even
a normal hose pipe. You may have a prob with wheel bearings too, if you
have been too enthuiastic.
Bikes best left unwashed IMO and well slathered in grease and oil at
all times. Just the occasional wipe down with an oily rag.

cheers

Jacob



Mmm. I did use a hose a few weeks ago but the pressure was pretty low.
Also the problem seems to be worse when it rains .It rained a lot
yesterday and there was a small orange puddle on my shed floor this
morning! This suggests to me my washing wasn't the main problem.

The LBS and most websites I have looked at have suggested that you
should wash the bike, to reduce wear and tear (i.e grinding dirt). Are
there different schools of thought on this issue?

It seems I am damned if I do, damned if I don't......


Dave

Dave B wrote:
The LBS and most websites I have looked at have suggested that you
should wash the bike, to reduce wear and tear (i.e grinding dirt).

The headset (the bit the orange water is coming out of) is designed to
be rainproof - but only if the water is coming from above. (Look at the
way the bearing races fit together, with the top overlapping the
bottom.)

Washing the bike upside-down is a very good way to get water into the
bearings.

Similarly, if you don't have mudguards, water may be sprayed up into
the headset from the wheels. This may be why you notice the problem
more when it is raining.

Are
there different schools of thought on this issue?

Washing is good, but don't wash your bike in the same way you would
wash a car - unlike a car, many of the important mechanical bits on a
bike are on the outside.

d.

davek wrote:

Similarly, if you don't have mudguards, water may be sprayed up into
the headset from the wheels. This may be why you notice the problem
more when it is raining.


Ah but I do have mudguards ( SKS P65's as suggested in this newsgroup!)
so water must be getting in where it shouldn't. My LBS are pretty good
so I will see what they say.


Washing is good, but don't wash your bike in the same way you would
wash a car - unlike a car, many of the important mechanical bits on a
bike are on the outside.

d.


Fair enough. So I reckon the the local supermarket automatioc car wash
is out of the question then?! (the perfect place to test your waterproofs!)

Dave

Dave B wrote:

Mmm. I did use a hose a few weeks ago but the pressure was pretty low.
Also the problem seems to be worse when it rains .It rained a lot
yesterday and there was a small orange puddle on my shed floor this
morning! This suggests to me my washing wasn't the main problem.

Forks should be removed to examine them, the headset and the frame.
Headset = parts and bearings at top & bottom of frame's head tube that
allow the forks to steer.

The LBS and most websites I have looked at have suggested that you
should wash the bike, to reduce wear and tear (i.e grinding dirt). Are
there different schools of thought on this issue?

It seems I am damned if I do, damned if I don't......

Using any sort of hose with even a dribble is potentially more harmful
than riding in the rain and puddles because of where and how the water
goes.

Bike frame and wheels can be washed with a wet cloth or sponge; components
with degreaser on a cloth or just a dry cloth; chain can be cleaned by
removing* and immersing in degreaser or using a clamp-on cleaner device;
sprockets with a rag or brush.

* SRAM Powerlink makes this easier, works with Shimano chains as well as
SRAM.

~PB

In article , Dave B
wrote:
The LBS and most websites I have looked at have suggested that you
should wash the bike, to reduce wear and tear (i.e grinding dirt).
Are there different schools of thought on this issue?

It seems I am damned if I do, damned if I don't......


If joe public takes a bike into the sea it gets washed immediately -
and then stripped and regreased. The bike shed has several fan
heaters to dry the bikes if they are put away damp - never ever wet.

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

Could it be copper grease used to lube the ahead stem? Hard to imagine
its getting washed out by rainwater, but maybe being squeezed out by
the action of steering. Send a sample down to the lab...