Got new a new aluminium frame but on wet days it fills with water. It seems to be coming down the seat post clamp, which I have tightened, as much as possible. There is no water hole drilled into the bottom bracket so after a wet training spin I remove the seat pillar and turn the whole thing upside down. Should I drill under the bottom bracket so as to drain the water out? Where do I drill this, right in the center or a bit to the back? Do I need a special drill bit for aluminium?
Is there any water to stop the water getting in the first place? I have tried taping around the seat clamp with only slight success.
Do not drill into your frame at all. Take the seatpost out, and grease it very well with some waterproof grease (assuming it is not carbon fiber) and reinstall it--this will prevent water from coming in this way. Overtightening your seatpost binder bolt to keep water out is not going to help, and could cause much more damage than anything else as you could cause the post to snap if you overtighten enough. To allow water to drain out of your frame, tilt the front end of the bike upwards and allow it to sit like that overnight. There are usally holes in the chainstays, near the rear drop outs. By tilting the front end up, this allows the water to drain back towards those holes and out.
Got new a new aluminium frame but on wet days it fills with water. It seems to be coming down the seat post clamp, which I have tightened, as much as possible. There is no water hole drilled into the bottom bracket so after a wet training spin I remove the seat pillar and turn the whole thing upside down. Should I drill under the bottom bracket so as to drain the water out? Where do I drill this, right in the center or a bit to the back? Do I need a special drill bit for aluminium?
Is there any water to stop the water getting in the first place? I have tried taping around the seat clamp with only slight success.
That's really weird. Drilling a hole in the b/bracket shell will let water drain, but also let water in. It doesn't require a special drill bit to make the hole, a normal twist bit will do the job, about 5-6mm should be enough. But make sure you take the bottom bracket out first, you don't want holes in there!! You'll have to file away the burs inside the shell aswell to let water get to the hole. I'd take the whole thing to a good LBS and have it looked at. Water coming in through the seatpost doesn't sound good at all.
Bill.
Dang, nearly forgot. Drillin it might invalidate your warranty!! And most bottom bracket cartridges are sealed against water and other [censored].
That's really weird. Drilling a hole in the b/bracket shell will let water drain, but also let water in. It doesn't require a special drill bit to make the hole, a normal twist bit will do the job, about 5-6mm should be enough. But make sure you take the bottom bracket out first, you don't want holes in there!! You'll have to file away the burs inside the shell aswell to let water get to the hole. I'd take the whole thing to a good LBS and have it looked at. Water coming in through the seatpost doesn't sound good at all.
Bill.
Dang, nearly forgot. Drillin it might invalidate your warranty!! And most bottom bracket cartridges are sealed against water and other [censored].
What a bunch of mindless babble and blather. A drain hole is the quick easy way to let water drain. Some bikes even come with a drilled cable guide retainer bolt for that purpose.
Drilling the bb shell on an aluminum frame will not allow the water to drain out. Even if there are holes drilled in the bb shell where the tubes are welded on to it, they aren't going to be the full diameter of the insides of the tubes. So some water is still going to collect in the main tubes. Drain holes only work on lugged steel frames because all of the water does drain into the bb shell. You're better off trying to seal the frame like Martin said first.
What a bunch of mindless babble and blather. A drain hole is the quick easy way to let water drain. Some bikes even come with a drilled cable guide retainer bolt for that purpose.
Don't you ever give up? Bikes don't have drain holes, dumbass. The holes you are referring to are there to allow the welding gases to escape when the frames are made. I know. I'm a fully trained and experienced welder. What I've decribed above has been used for years by long distance tourers around the world to prevent rust build up, before cartridge b/b's were even thought of. Read up on your [censored]-poor knowledge, or shut up.
Drilling the bb shell on an aluminum frame will not allow the water to drain out. Even if there are holes drilled in the bb shell where the tubes are welded on to it, they aren't going to be the full diameter of the insides of the tubes. So some water is still going to collect in the main tubes. Drain holes only work on lugged steel frames because all of the water does drain into the bb shell. You're better off trying to seal the frame like Martin said first.
HANG ON JUST ONE FRIGGIN' MINUTE! HOW MANY BOUDREAUX'S ARE THERE ON THIS FORUM? OR IS THERE JUST THE ONE WITH A SPLIT PERSONALITY? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
HANG ON JUST ONE FRIGGIN' MINUTE! HOW MANY BOUDREAUX'S ARE THERE ON THIS FORUM? OR IS THERE JUST THE ONE WITH A SPLIT PERSONALITY? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
BILL.😕
You will never figure it out dumbaZZ. Confused is right.
Keep drilling holes if it makes you feel better, but you aren't accomplishing anything. It's pretty obvious that not all of the water is going to drain into the bb shell on any TIG welded frame. It's far better to keep the water out in the first place than waste time drilling holes in things.
[quote="martin_j001"]Do not drill into your frame at all. Take the seatpost out, and grease it very well with some waterproof grease (assuming it is not carbon fiber) and reinstall it--this will prevent water from coming in this way.
Why do you recommend not drilling the frame? Is there a chance I could damage/weaken it or that it won't do anything for getting rid of the water? First off though, I'll try your suggestion of the waterproof grease and tilting the bike after wet days. Currently I collect about 1/2 a glass of water after about 2 wet hours on the road. If the grease doesn't work then I might drill. Had a search of web and on cyclingnews they showed Discovery's Treks being drilled to allow water out and they are carbon.
Why do you recommend not drilling the frame? Is there a chance I could damage/weaken it or that it won't do anything for getting rid of the water? First off though, I'll try your suggestion of the waterproof grease and tilting the bike after wet days. Currently I collect about 1/2 a glass of water after about 2 wet hours on the road. If the grease doesn't work then I might drill. Had a search of web and on cyclingnews they showed Discovery's Treks being drilled to allow water out and they are carbon.
You aren't going to weaken anything, but you aren't going to get all of the water out either. The insides of carbon and aluminum frames are a lot different, so the Discovery bikes aren't a good example.
You will never figure it out dumbaZZ. Confused is right.
Consider yourself reported to the Cycling Forums Team. If you have mental health problems, you are a liability to all who read your posts. Seek help, if not for yourself, then for others.
Well actually, they do numb-nuts.I aso suspect you have been breathing too many welding fumes.
OK, lets think about this shall we? Assuming you have the mental capacity to think. Not including the obvious 'there for a specific reason holes', ie, seat post, head tube, bottom bracket, brake pivot holes, water bottle cage holes, mudguard and pannier rack holes, and if you have down tube running cables, another hole for the cable guide under the bottom bracket, there are another 6 tiny little holes. One on each inside chainstay, one on each inside seatstay and if you have steel or alloy forks, one at the bottom of each inside forkleg. Correct? Well THEY ARE NOT DRAINAGE HOLES DUMBASS!!! They're there to let welding gases out. OK? Got it? Friggin' amateur!🙄
drilling random holes will not only drain water it will also lighthen your bike, i suggest drilling as much as you can, 50 holes or so will make no water ever stays and your bike's weight will be reduced by half. ok i'm just bsing don't listen to me
There should be a much simpler solution to this than all the greasing, tightening, welding, drilling, etc that has been discussed here.
Just take your seat off, put a plastic sandwich bag or some plastic wrap over the bottom of the tube, and reinsert into the frame. Voila, instant water barrier. If any water accumulates on top of the plastic, just tip your bike up and it will run right back off. Just make sure you dont tear the bag when you put the seat back in.
Any excess plastic hanging out of the tube that bothers you can be trimmed neatly, just dont cut it so close that it runs past the outside of the bag.
Or you could run a plastic hose down in the frame and just drink the water out. Sort of an in frame Camelbak. Lance had this on his last TT bike.
Okay, I'm bs'ing too... isn't this fun?
Kazoo said:
drilling random holes will not only drain water it will also lighthen your bike, i suggest drilling as much as you can, 50 holes or so will make no water ever stays and your bike's weight will be reduced by half. ok i'm just bsing don't listen to me
