Winter/Salt vs. bonded tubes.

[mktng]

So i've been humming and hawing about putting my newly acquired Miyata T6000 bonded Ti bike on the road for the spring. Fender her up and build up some base kms.

However..

Even quickly rinsing the bike after each ride....what effect would road salt/ salt water have on the glued bonded areas.

Should I do anything to prevent damage?

[kasak]

I'd be a little hesitant to take it out and play in the salt brine. It seem Al and Ti get along pretty well most of the time but toss in some corrosive liquid and galvanic corrosion can be hard to prevent.

I'm sure someone who actually knows what they are talking about will chime in soon and correct me though. I'm just going by some less than great experiences with Al bottom bracket shells and a paper (http://goo.gl/5kgKaT) I happen to run across right quick

[54ny77]

speaking of bonded tubes, had a shop say to a friend of mine that "things wear out" with respect to carbon bikes, and that it's worth replacing every handful of years.

naturally, he wanted to sell him a new $6k off the shelf carbon frame to replace the custom carbon frame that's currently about 10 years old. just to be safe and all.

funny, that.

[seanile]

it's often aircraft grade glue, i think it can take it.

[peanutgallery]

My sheer anger and frustration with the snow gods melts and evaporates everything in my path so its not an issue

Only in my dreams

I avoid the road when there's stuff on the road. Hard enough keeping the mtb in working order over the winter. I wouldn't worry about the frame so much if you wipe it down, its all the pieces and parts that suffer too. If they are old and you don't care, ride it. I usually only have one roadie and I hate to abuse it... too much

[nicrump]

The issue isn't glue and or bonded joints with respect to salt but rather the Aluminum lugs. I don't have a solution for you beyond cleaning it after salt water exposure, just wanted to make that distinction.

If a problem arises, upshot is that frame can be completely disassembled, lugs cleaned and anodized and then re-bonded(by someone qualified).