Would you go with steel for a rain bike?

[jwb96]

My next frame is going to be mainly a road frame with nods toward cyclo-cross and touring to allow big tires and fenders, and will be my rain & winter (and travel and carriage road) bike. Ideally I'd go with Ti, but I'm on more of a steel budget. And custom Al isn't really a hot market. Obviously, a material that doesn't rust would be best, but in reality, how much do I have to worry about a steel frame and what precautions or additional care are needed? I know there are lots of steel cross and commuter frames out there, so it's not a total no-no. But I'm not clear how far off base my worries are.

Thanks,
Jim

[Elefantino]

Use frame saver. Don't let water sit in the bike.

You'll be fine.

[alancw3]

for a RAIN bike i would not entertain steel. that being said, i would think that you would get tired of the bike and sell way before any rust problems would occur. bikes are like real estate in that you always have to think "RESALE".

[corky]

don't be so hasty....reynolds 953....or equivelent

[fiamme red]

Get a braze-on for the umbrella and you'll be fine.

Holding it in your hand is just too risky.

[avalonracing]

If you had to keep it long enough for rust to compromise it I would say get something else but you probably wont. Aluminum would be a fine choice but the rough carriage roads will beat you up.

I would say buy a used steel ride and dry it of or see if you can get a great deal on a used Ti frame.

[dauwhe]

Steel will work fine. Use Framesaver and stop worrying.

Dave, who's ridden thousands of miles in the rain on steel bikes

[mikki]

no, not steel for rain IMO. Reason? Had a steel mountain bike that rusted way too easily. Was years ago though, maybe they are different now.

[dauwhe]

Do all of you keep your cars in the garage when it rains? Or do you have carbon-fiber cars?

Dave

[Joellogicman]

Originally Posted by jwb96

Obviously, a material that doesn't rust would be best, but in reality, how much do I have to worry about a steel frame and what precautions or additional care are needed? I know there are lots of steel cross and commuter frames out there, so it's not a total no-no. But I'm not clear how far off base my worries are.

Thanks,
Jim

Is a 1982 Trek 728. It has no rust problems. I don't think the original owner took good care of it, seeing how ratty it looked when I bought it. But it was ratty as in scratches and poorly maintained components. The steel itself was rust free.

If a 26 year old steel bike poorly maintained for at least part of its existence does not have a rust problem, I imagine a carefully maintained steel bike should last as long or longer.

[Erik.Lazdins]

I applied framesaver just before I built it up. When I ride in the wet I put a fan on it for a few hours.
The bb has a drain hole

[palincss]

Originally Posted by dauwhe

Steel will work fine. Use Framesaver and stop worrying.

Dave, who's ridden thousands of miles in the rain on steel bikes

I agree completely -- but let me add, besides Framesaver, by all means do add fenders (which I know dauwhe does). Not any skinny, shortie, don't give you full coverage fenders, either; real full coverage metal fenders, like Honjos or Berthouds or Velo Orange. They'll keep you a lot drier (by keeping road spray off you), they'll keep your bike cleaner and drier, and they'll look great as well. They'll even give you a nifty place to add a tail light with a genuine meets German road standards (as opposed to CPSC standards for toys) built-in reflector.

It's not at all difficult to find a steel frame that was designed to be used with fenders. It's much more difficult to find plastic or non-ferrous frames that were designed that way.

[malcolm]

When I first started riding all we had was steel and we rode in the rain. I don't recall seeing a bunch of rusty bikes. I've got a steel centurion prestige from the late '80s early '90s and it was ridden in everything and never treated with anything and the only rust is the cable guides on the top tube from riding it on the trainer and not wiping off the sweat. Ti would be more worry free but I think the corrosion factor with steel is overblown.

[RPS]

Originally Posted by jwb96

Ideally I'd go with Ti, but I'm on more of a steel budget.

Jim, if you are looking at a custom steel frame, you can probably find an inexpensive Ti frame for about the same cost (maybe generic made in Asia) so it comes down to value versus what you prefer. If you are looking at a relatively inexpensive steel frame, I’d guess the cost could be low enough that if you only get 10 years out of it you would have gotten your money’s worth.

Personally I think of my Ti frame as indestructible so I take it out when the weather is bad – but mostly I stay home and wait for a nice day.

[Tom Matchak]

The threat of damaging rust in a steel frame built with today's resistant alloys, protected with today's surface coatings, and even moderately cared for is, for all practical purposes, a non-issue.

Framesaver is great stuff, and highly recommended. Water WILL, however, find its way into a frame, and the well known secret to longevity with ANY steel structure is adequate venting and a low-point drain hole.

On the outside, if the paint scratches through to bare metal, it's such a simple matter to protect those little spots with a bit of model paint, or even nail polish. Way down the road, when you've accumulated more paint zits than you can stand, get it repainted. It'll feel like a new bike.

We all have a picture in our heads of some old neglected, rusted-through Huffy that's spent 30 years out behind the woodpile. IMO that sort of image is what drives a lot of the spontaneous "steel rusts" responses. But really folks, that's got nothing to do with buying a current high quality steel frame and taking care of it.

For a durable, comfortable, affordable rough-stuff ride, get a steel frame and enjoy growing old with it.

Cheers,
Tom Matchak
Glen, NH
http://tommatchakcycles.blogspot.com/