Rust

General
1

I am going to ride in snow this year(again) and i really want to get up to the ski area more than 3 times this year like last year and i know i am gong to get some snow on my uni but i am afraid that it’ll get rusty. I dont know why this just occurred to me but it did. And i dont want to ruin my uni. I have a united frame right now for my snowuni and im pretty sure it wont if i am cautious but will it rust or am i just worried over nothing. Keep in mind i do wipe off snow on my way down the hill with a cloth just in case something gets dirty or messed up. Thanx

-Eric

2

Some rust is inevitable but you can minimize it by a few actions.

  1. Keep the frame polished up with some bike or car wax/protectant like Bike Lust or equivalent.

  2. Take the wheel off the frame fairly often and spread grease over the bearing surfaces and bearing holders after wiping them out. Moisture loves to collect here anytime, not just winter. Example is the Phil Wood which you can get at LBS or uni dot com: http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=386

  3. Wipe the uni off right away after you ride. Don’t use a high-pressure hose on your uni but a thick misting spray can help remove salt and crud. For a different view, see http://www.enteract.com/~icebike/Equipment/maintenance.htm.

  4. When the weather warms up, don’t leave the uni in the car with all the other damp stuff; the car will get really humid inside and accelerate the rusting process.

  5. Spread grease over the exposed axle surfaces of your pedals. I use threadlock on the threads; I mean the surfaces where you put the wrench to take the pedals on and off.

  6. Go out and have fun and let the really shiny pretty unis stay inside.

3

You want to take care of the inside of the frame where you can’t clean it. I don’t know if they salt the roads in Reno but here it’s brutal. Take your frame apart and spray protectant (Framesaver, Boeshield or another rust-proofer) into the inside. Use a lot, then shake it up and let it drip overnight.

Then go have fun! :smiley:

Tim

4

Be careful not to coat the seat tube with too much protectant, otherwise your seat post won’t fit into it. Check the mounting hardware for your seat occasionally for rust.
Enjoy the winter…

5

i would just like to say, as for the snow, rock on. I happen to live in a snowy portion of the world in the winter and love snow rides. you guys that live in all these climates without snow are missing something. Come on over to Canada in the months of December and January… no, i wasnt paid to promote tourism. :wink:

I wish there was a ski hill in my area…

Oh, yes, I’ve ridden in the snow and there isn’t any rust on my uni so far, thanks to my trusty snow brush. It’s good for getting alll that snow off.

Snow is our friend…

Steve