Author Topic: Water in my Audax frame  (Read 4171 times)

ben n

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Water in my Audax frame
« on: January 07, 2013, 02:27:10 pm »
Hi

I am new to this forum. I joined as I am a bit taken aback by the amount of water that accumulates in the frame of my 1 year old Audax. I rode maybe 60 miles on pretty wet roads shortly before Christmas, did not notice anything at the time, but then a few weeks later decided to refit mudguards (yes, I know, a bit late), and on undoing screw to fit rear mudguard between chain stays was confronted by a flood. I opened the screw holding on the cable guide under bb, and maybe a cup-full of water came out.

Is this normal? Is it worth taking off chainset and checking inside? I can not really think where than much water could have got in - via headset?

Any advice or comments much appreciated. Now I will ride with mudguards until the summer!

Ben

Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2013, 02:38:56 pm »
Hi,  After wet rides its worth removing the screw holding your cable guide on under the bottom bracket and placing a container underneath.  I usualy take the seatpost out on my MTB every now and again and spray some cavity wax down all the tubes trough the breather holes at the end of the tubes http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/wurth-cavity-wax-aerosol-500ml-prod19957/ we will have done this in production, but there is no harm topping it up.

ben n

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2013, 02:43:03 pm »
Hi - thanks for this.

Out of interest, where does the water get it? Water from the front wheel should mainly go up the fork steerer tube and just drip out again, and I would have though the seat post makes and excellent seal with seat tube, the top of the seat post itself is sealed....

Puzzled!

Thanks again

Ben

jags

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2013, 03:06:05 pm »
seatpost i would hazard a guess ;)

Erudin

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2013, 06:48:13 am »
seatpost i would hazard a guess ;)

It was definitely getting in down the seatpost on my Audax Mk3. About a year after building the bike up I changed the Campag chainset and bb to a Shimano Hollowtech setup and the Campag alloy bb cups were corroded and nearly seizing, after greasing the seatpost there was no sign of water getting in the bb shell when I next checked.

As I ride a lot in wet weather I drilled a small drain hole in the bb, my other steel bikes have them and I find they stop water settling and corroding the bb shell/threads. In the winter I spray a bit of GT85/aerosol grease up the drain hole occasionally.

If I was the OP I would lightly grease seatpost and remove the chainset and bottom bracket to check and apply suitable anti-seize to the bb threads before re-installing. If the threads of the bb shell are damaged/corroded a bike shop will have a chase tool to fix it, though I doubt that will be needed.

See also:

http://bobsbikeshed.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-benefits-of-anti-seize-compound.html

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/seized-seatposts-and-stems

« Last Edit: January 08, 2013, 07:13:40 am by Erudin »

Danneaux

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2013, 07:31:23 am »
Some years ago, I took the added precaution of adding a nitrile o-ring to the seatpost above the seat collar. After generously greasing the seatpost, there was usually a little rim or meniscus of grease left when the seatpost was installed at my riding height. I simply pushed the o-ring down into that grease, against the top of the clamp.

I do think it makes a little extra positive difference in shooing water away from the upper post/tube interface, though often the real culprit in this area can be the stress-relief hole at the bottom of the saw kerf or slot in the top of the seat tube. This is where the most distortion can occur under clamping stress, and it doesn't take much to create a little channel to guide tire-thrown rainwater right inside.

This is where generous pre-greasing comes in to form a barrier to water entry. If you choose (or happen!) to ride in the rain consistently without mudguards, then rigging some sort of small shield or deflector over the clamping slot also helps. I once made one for a friend using a small piece of sheet aluminum that was held in place by the seatpost bolt; it made a little shed roof that covered the slot from the rear. I also used to carry a tire sock (an underseat bag shaped like a baguette and intended to hold a spare sewup tubular tire or folding clincher below the saddle rails and it secured to the stays below the seat cluster) and would often hand this off to 'guardless friends when riding in the wet (I used mudguards). It did a world of good for keeping the inside of their frame dry, though it always looked the worse for wear afterward when they handed it back!

Best,

Dan.

triaesthete

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2013, 07:47:16 am »
A Thorn with no mudguards is like tree with no leaves....

I find good old insulation tape makes a good flashing over the seat post to frame joint. It even colour matches to matt black  ;)

Never volunteering for a wet bum ever again
Ian

Andybg

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2013, 09:35:03 am »
Another cause of water in frames this time of year is down to condensation. Especially when your bike is kept in a far warmer area than outside.



Andy

ben n

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2013, 02:45:17 pm »
Thanks for all the advice on this.

I removed chainset and BB cups - hollowtech II - the plastic seal between the 2 x bearing cups was fine, and cups were fine. I put some more cavity protecting spray in there and sealed it all up again.

I think I will seal around top of seat tube if riding without mudguards in future. I am thinking that a section of old inner tube with cable tie at top could make a good seal. And I will store the bike if not riding for a while without seatpost inserted.

Drilling hole in BB sounds a bit scary. If riding on salty roads I want to stop any water getting in there at all, rather than draining it out.

My brother told me that my Audax with mudguards on looks like an old man's bike. But what does he know? I will now go and dye the grey bits in my hair... ;)


Danneaux

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2013, 05:51:28 pm »
Quote
My brother told me that my Audax with mudguards on looks like an old man's bike
Substitute "experienced man's" bike for the above.  ;)

Best,

Dan. ("Age and guile beat...")

Andre Jute

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2013, 06:36:04 pm »
("Age and guile beat...")

You're so smooth, Dan! I woulda said, "Age and treachery beat..." -- Andre Jute

Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2013, 10:43:27 am »
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Drilling hole in BB sounds a bit scary

And would void frame warranty, there is already a hole there anyhow its got a screw in it to hold the cable guide.

il padrone

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Re: Water in my Audax frame
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2013, 11:59:59 am »
My brother told me that my Audax with mudguards on looks like an old man's bike.

Until about 15-20 years ago all Audax bikes were required to have mudguards. I think it was the defining marker between racing and touring. Audax always stuck to their role as a touring organisation.