Saturday, January 31, 2009

A Briny, Rusty Mess

I've been riding to and from work each day though the snowy, cold Nebraska Winter. This includes a fair amount of riding on Omaha's salted and sanded streets.

While the briny grit is great for melting ice and getting traction for cars (I do just fine with my studded tires on ice, thank you very much), it's making a mess of my bike, and the regular spot on the bike racks at work.

There are still a handful of daily bike commuters at my office, but I seem to be the first or second one in each morning, giving me my pick of the rack, so I pick the same spot each day. I noticed a while back that my spot was getting messier and messier, until it got to a point where I just had to take a photo of it.

Look at this photo and you can't miss the salt deposits, and even a large pool of rust left from my often neglected chain.

Here's a second photo showing a rusty looking spot on the racks. I'm hoping this still will just wipe off, as I don't want to see them damaged by the salt.

Needless to say, my bike is filthy. I need to clean it, but I just keep putting it off. It looks like a messy way to spend some time.

3 comments:

munsoned said...

I have a very similar rust/salt/crud deposit where my bike hangs out at work. I'm uber lucky to bring it inside and into a back storage room where I keep all of my work clothes.

brady said...

I brought Old Yeller inside after the last outdoor ride. 30 minutes later, I heard some sizzling sound beneath the bike - my basement floor paint was being actively oxidized with the salt brine dripping from the bike. I promptly cleaned up my bike and floor

munsoned said...

Holy crap, Brady! Now I understand why my drivetrain got so rusty. That's crazy.