Removing dirty water from cavities

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· 27.02.2008

Photo: Daniel Simon

Dirty weather is unpleasant. This is how you can remedy dirty water in frames, forks and rims.

Degree of difficulty: For everyone - However, the drilling work is only recommended for experienced screwdrivers

Tool: Hexagon socket, Phillips screwdriver, centre punch, 3 and 4 mm metal drill bits, countersink, drill

Excipients: Sandpaper, touch-up pencil

Tips for winter cyclists

- Even if you only cycle on dry roads: Water can still get into the bike, for example when washing it or transporting it on the car roof in the rain. Precipitation also forms when the cold bike is brought into a warm room and the moisture in the air condenses.

- Full mudguards offer the best protection against water in the frame and fork when riding in the rain.

- Always park your bike in a dry, well-ventilated area so that it can dry out properly inside and out.

- In carbon frames, there is no connection between the frame tubes and the bottom bracket shell; if there is no drainage hole, there is no point in drilling one. The only thing that helps here is regular draining of the frame as described below.

Control and first aid

1. not every seat post is as open as this one - but splash water always runs along the seat post into the frame. Because the seat post and tube rarely fit together perfectly, it penetrates through small slits into the frame. Water can also penetrate through the openings of internally routed brake cables or the headset.

2. also remove the adjusting screw and the cover of the steering bearing and tip out any water that may have penetrated. Place the bike in a well-ventilated place so that the inside can dry out before refitting the support and cover.

3. mark the extension length of the seat post with adhesive tape and remove it. If you turn the bike upside down, most of the water will run out if you tilt the frame back and forth a little.

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Drainage holes in the frame

1. if there is a hole on the underside of the bottom bracket shell, water that has penetrated can run off and the frame dries out on its own. This used to be common practice, but many frame designers have obviously forgotten this old virtue of steel frame construction.

2. if the hole is blocked, for example by too much grease inside, you must remove the cranks and dismantle the bottom bracket. Clean and dry the housing thoroughly. Open the blocked hole and reinsert the bottom bracket with fresh grease.

3. loosen the screw of the shift cable guide and push the part to the side. If there is a hole and the cables run past it, you can drill a hole in the plastic guide. There is no remedy for carbon frames without a hole.

4. if a hole has to be drilled, the bottom bracket remains dismantled. Place the bike on its wheels and mark the lowest point on the bottom bracket shell. Turn the wheel over again and mark the drilling point definitively: the cable guide should not cover it.

5. clamp the frame in a mounting stand or clamp it to the seat post if it is deep enough in the frame. Or ask someone to hold the frame briefly. Centre punch the drilling point to prevent the drill bit from slipping.

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Impellers

1. not only the frame and fork, but also the wheels can become heavier unnoticed if splash water runs along the spokes and past the nipples into the rim chambers due to the centrifugal force of the rotating wheel.

3. if a hole is missing, you can drill one. The best place is underneath the brake track just below the tyre bed, in the area of the hollow chamber. Remove the tyre and inner tube to locate the spot. Centre punch the spot and drill a three millimetre hole, deburr and seal the cut with paint.

4 It is not advisable to use the drill on carbon rims. On the one hand it is difficult to hit the hollow chamber of the rim, on the other hand the fibre structure can be damaged. Instead, pull off the tyre at a spoke hole and allow the water to drain off.

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Removing dirty water from cavities

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