Newbie -Flash Rust

"TOMMY" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi everybody,

I'm new here and to MTB. I Just picked up a new Trek 4600 this week
and have had it out twice on real trails. I found that mud in the
front derailer system caused shifting problems when going to the small
sprocket. ( I'm still trying to pick up on the lingo for the parts of
the bike). I took and hosed it down after a real dirty run. The
mud was everywhere. I rode it for a minute afterward to get off the
excess water and put it away. The next morning it had a light layer
of rust ( I've heard car body guys call it flash rust) on the chain
and front and rear sprockets. Whats the best spray I could get put on
it after I hose her down. I'm thinking wd-40 but wanted to know if
there's something made for this.

Just wipe it off with a rag and put lube on. Go easy on the hose, a little
dirt won't hurt the bike, but too much spraying in the wrong places can as
you're finding out.

Quoted message said:

Also, I want to get a "computer " for it. I was looking at a Trek
model. Do they stand up to the abuse of MTBing. So far I've been on
single trak's that are rated easy, but I think thats bull. There are
roots and ruts that shake the hell outta me.

Skip the computer and put the money towards something useful like bike
clothes or tools. The only thing the computer is good for is going "gee
whiz, I rode x miles today at x mph." Not important unless you're into
racing and on a training regimen.
--
Chris
________________
www.chrisgroff.com

Quoted message said:

Thanks,
BT

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, I want to get a "computer "

You might look at one of the Garmin Rhino units. Gives you features like
speed, distance, etc. But also has a walkie-talkie feature along with GPS.
Great for keeping up with your riding partners. I ride with my wife, and you
know with all the differences in strength, speed, etc. between a man and a
woman, you can get separated really quick. I can get on my GPS unit and tell
her to slow down, so I can catch up !!

ctg said:

Skip the computer and put the money towards something useful like bike
clothes or tools. The only thing the computer is good for is going "gee
whiz, I rode x miles today at x mph." Not important unless you're into
racing and on a training regimen.

Or navigating on unfamiliar trails without the benefit of GPS. It's
also nice to have an idea of how many more miles to go before you reach
a certain summit, turn off, etc. Even if you know where you're going,
it helps if you want to give directions to others.

Justen

"ctg" <n/a@n/a.com> wrote in news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Skip the computer and put the money towards something useful like bike
clothes or tools. The only thing the computer is good for is going
"gee whiz, I rode x miles today at x mph."

While not a "must-have" gadget, they can be suprisingly useful, especially
if you're just starting out and want to see your progress. I'm not
training for anything in particular, but once I got mine, I started timing
myself on various climbs and rides, trying to break my own personal
records. If nothing else, it's kinda fun to see that stuff. Most places
sell computers that will tell you your distance traveled, speed, and
average speed for around $30, so it's not exactly a big investment unless
you want something REALLY fancy.

On 2004-07-31, ctg penned:

Quoted message said:

Just wipe it off with a rag and put lube on. Go easy on the hose, a
little dirt won't hurt the bike, but too much spraying in the wrong
places can as you're finding out.

I've been told that hosing down the bike is fine; just make sure you
lube the chain again afterwards.

Dirt won't necessarily hurt the bike, but it *can* make it more
difficult to shift and whatnot.

--
monique

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live."
-- Mark Twain

"justen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ctg said:

Skip the computer and put the money towards something useful like bike
clothes or tools. The only thing the computer is good for is going "gee
whiz, I rode x miles today at x mph." Not important unless you're into
racing and on a training regimen.

Or navigating on unfamiliar trails without the benefit of GPS. It's
also nice to have an idea of how many more miles to go before you reach
a certain summit, turn off, etc. Even if you know where you're going,
it helps if you want to give directions to others.

Justen

A computer isn't going to do any of those things without the aid of a map.
And if you have map and compass skills the computer isn't necessary. I've
used computers before, I'm not arguing that they're bad, just not as useful
as other things for a new rider.
--
Chris
________________
www.chrisgroff.com

TOMMY said...

Quoted message said:

Hi everybody,

I'm new here and to MTB. I Just picked up a new Trek 4600 this week
and have had it out twice on real trails. I found that mud in the
front derailer system caused shifting problems when going to the small
sprocket. ( I'm still trying to pick up on the lingo for the parts of
the bike). I took and hosed it down after a real dirty run. The
mud was everywhere. I rode it for a minute afterward to get off the
excess water and put it away. The next morning it had a light layer
of rust ( I've heard car body guys call it flash rust) on the chain
and front and rear sprockets. Whats the best spray I could get put on
it after I hose her down. I'm thinking wd-40 but wanted to know if
there's something made for this.

Also, I want to get a "computer " for it. I was looking at a Trek
model. Do they stand up to the abuse of MTBing. So far I've been on
single trak's that are rated easy, but I think thats bull. There are
roots and ruts that shake the hell outta me.

Thanks,
BT

Others may disagree, but I never use running water to wash the moving
parts of my bike. Tires and rims yes, drivetrain and hubs never. I just
knock off the excess dirt and remove the chain, hand clean it, the
chainrings, derailers and cassette with whatever is appropriate--damp
paper towels, brushes, and finally paper towels with a little naptha to
clean up grease. Then I'll lube the chain, derailer pulleys and pivots,
and rear shock pivots with a small amount of Prolink gold and start
dirtying it again. I do this once every 1 or 2 weeks, depending on how
dirty it gets. Once in a while I will hand clean all of the dirt and
restore everything to new condition. A total hand cleaning takes about 2
hours. I should admit though, that I avoid mud, although sometimes it is
unavoidable. If the trails are too muddy, I ride on the road between
thunderstorms. Sue me, I like both, and on the same bike no less.

For computers, I have had a Planet Bike Protegé 9.0 for the last year
and a half which worked well, but it is now laying on the trail
somewhere above Jackson, WY. The other 2 times I lost it, I was able to
find it. This time I had no idea where it came off. I now have a Cateye
Enduro 8, which I have yet to install. It locks into its bracket, so it
shouldn't fall out. I think it is a worthwhile gadget for the mere $20-
30 they cost.

"ctg" <n/a@n/a.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Skip the computer and put the money towards something useful like bike
clothes or tools.

or a heart rate monitor

Brett Jaffee said:

"ctg" <n/a@n/a.com> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Skip the computer and put the money towards something useful like
bike clothes or tools. The only thing the computer is good for is
going "gee whiz, I rode x miles today at x mph."

If nothing else, it's kinda fun to see that stuff.

That's really all I use mine for - just for the fun of it. When I first got
one I discovered that it was kinda depressing when I realised how SLOW I was
travelling! But it's always fun to get home and to know that I managed
45kms today, that I WAS going scarily fast when I hit 70km/hr on that
favourite steep hill, or that I've ridden 100km this week.
I haven't used a heart rate monitor before but that would be more useful if
I was serious about getting fit. But I figure that if I can ride 150km in a
good week it's doing good regardless of what my heart thinks about it from
minute to minute.
The Cateye Enduro II has been good to me. Next time I break it I'll
probably try the cordless version.
--
Westie
(Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)