WTF?! E-Bike after the first winter in the garage
Posted by afxmac@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 48 comments
Hi,
got a nice big Maxx E-Bike last summer. Shimano engine. Everything fine and dandy. At the end of October I took out the battery and left it in the garage where my wives E-Bike (Bergamont) stood next to it and in the back my old steel bio bike of over 30 years that never ever has seen that much rust in its 30 whole lifetime.
At the beginning of April I took it out again. And what I saw shocked me deeply. Rust and this white powder (aluminum salts?) on and around the stainless steel screws.
The bike was not wet when I put it in the garage, and even then, It was wet enough through summer and I only use it once a week, so me thinks I would have seen the salts earlier.
And rust on the bell as well as the battery compartment screw in areas that are never scratched or get other contact?
WTF?!?!?!?!?!
Worried_Document8668@reddit
your parking space probably has too much humidity and temperature swings i reckon.
dew forms on the cold metal parts, sits there and causes corrosion
afxmac@reddit (OP)
So why does my wives bike show nothing of this?
str3ss_88@reddit
This bike was clearly exposed to salt on winter roads ...got the same on my bike. You got to rinse the bike after winter riding.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
Bollocks.I do not ride in winter.
str3ss_88@reddit
Well, it's salt ...
wendyd4rl1ng@reddit
It seems pretty obvious that your bike was exposed to something that your wifes wasn't or wasn't as dry as you thought it was when you put it away. You and your wife are the only people who can answer the what/why of that.
In october did you happen to go out for a ride after it had snowed and melted? Perhaps someone borrowed it without you realizing? Someone in the garage could have spilled something on it and not mentioned it? We could speculate forever.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
Unfortunately none of those explanations fit.
chrispark70@reddit
Does your wife's bike have dissimilar metals touching each other?
All it takes is atmospheric moisture condensing on dissimilar metals to get galvanic corrosion.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
Yes, also an E-Bike, but 2000€ cheaper.
Coven_Evelynn_LoL@reddit
I live in Trinidad in the Caribbean we have the highest humidity anywhere and I suffer no such issues like OP not to mention sea blast etc and yet Aluminum holds up perfectly fine for me.
LiveCheesecake6080@reddit
It's true, they salt the roads in some northern areas, this can be a cause if it was ridden while the deposits were out, but unlikely as it's usually too coldto ride when they do this . But maybe the cars have the road spray on them and then it evaporates in the garage. But salt doesn't evaporate, so idk.
drspaz1978@reddit
I ride my ebike 365 and I rarely get anywhere near this, although, I do coat it with used motoroil and a paint brush on all the bolts I can see that are far enough away from battery/electronics or even spark
drspaz1978@reddit
Its very true, I live near the Goderich Ontario salt mine that spans about an 1/8th of Lake Huron under the lake its self, cargo ships bring said salt all over the world, its used from everything from explosives to table salt to road salt, he wasnt talking from his sphincter by any means. 😁
Sensitive_Remote_994@reddit
This. Garages aren't as dry as people think, especially near Munich winters. A cheap hygrometer would probably surprise you.
oozzoo9937@reddit
Stainless steel bolts dont go well with Aluminium. It has to be either greased or another material used. (Painted steel)
That said, i dont think any of this is normal "garage moist" grade oxidisation.
It looks like it was bathed in acid...
Did you wash it since you got it? With what? When not, i would throw that thing on the dealer.
Southern_Ad9514@reddit
maybe your bolts are lower quality?
afxmac@reddit (OP)
I doubt that the bolts of the Shimano parts have been exchanged.
psloan@reddit
I wonder if it's the dissimilar metals issue that boats run into. ie steel and aluminum. is the frame aluminum? did you leave the battery installed over the winter? that could cause electrolysis. no expert so this is just a guess.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
Of course dissimilar materials with aluminium frame and stainless screws, like basically every ebike. And no battery in there over winter.
Hortos@reddit
Whose bike was closer to the entrance?
afxmac@reddit (OP)
Both next to each other facing the entrance .
Roy_F_Kent@reddit
If you're parking a vehicle in the same garage, the corrosion is occurring because the salty snow melts off the car and the moisture jumps to any cold surface, including the cold metal bike.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
But nothing happened to my wives bike. This is a triple garage where only one car is parked that is not next to the bikes.
drspaz1978@reddit
Yours was probably in closer vicinity to the car than hers so your bike took the brunt of the moisture from the melting snow from the car
afxmac@reddit (OP)
Exactly the opposite. Mine was at the wall and then came hers and then 2m to the car.
Hopeful-Driver-3945@reddit
Too moist in garage. Been riding through winter and salt for 3 years and the only rust I have is some surface rust on disc brake. Everything else is perfectly fine. I store mine in basement garage.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
But why is my wives bike not affected?
highinthemountains@reddit
Dissimilarities in materials is my guess
MidnightHeavy3214@reddit
That’s a lot of moisture on your rotors. Your storage needs less
Lopsided-Buffalo-190@reddit
Just like storing a gun. Coat everything in a light film of oil/ dry lube. Humidifier or moisture wicking material cover. Check on it every few months.
Teri_maa_ki_gand@reddit
I like my disc brakes lubed
Monro215@reddit
This sucks! I would be upset about this as well. Since it seems like the normal culprits aren’t to blame, unfortunately one of the next options is that the manufacturer used cheap or older parts assembling your bike. Even reputable manufacturers get faulty items, especially hardware, since their grade and quality can be easily deceived. They don’t always use them on purpose either, even though some would. Then they sometimes don’t find out about the bad hardware or coatings until consumers discover it, like in this situation. I would hit up the manufacturer and explain everything. Take pics of your wife’s bike and garage as well for comparison and context. Chances are they won’t care, but there is also a chance they do, and might be able to help somehow. Good luck. 🤷♂️👍
Ada_Pearce@reddit
You bought a garbage e bike probably made from the cheapest metal possible
tdcOO7@reddit
Bikes are built as cheaply as possible to maximise profit. Most likely the components and fasteners were sourced from cheap Chinese manufacturers whereas the older bikes used better quality bits.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
This is a 5000€ from a small custom manufacturer....
Fit-Crazy1051@reddit
That's tough
s0rce@reddit
Its probably very humid. Can you run a dehumidifier next year or keep the space warmer? There is also likely some galvanic corrosion. You can also try something like Boeshield T9 on some of the parts that corroded to protect them. You can also remove the brake rotors and store them inside wrapped in corrosion inhibitor paper/wrap
afxmac@reddit (OP)
We do not live in a humid area, this is Bavaria. The garage has no power. And my wives bike has no problems at all.
Relative-Display-676@reddit
You need a dehumidifier in your garage.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
Lol. It is dry enough. And why does this only happen to my bike?
Harcustech@reddit
Do you have any pool chemicals in the garage where it was stored? I've had muriatic acid do this to my garage and everything metal inside it. Just from the vapors alone.
afxmac@reddit (OP)
Nope.
BurningPoet@reddit
Do you store any salt or live near the sea?
afxmac@reddit (OP)
As I wrote above, we live near Munich, hundreds of kilometers away from the sea, no salt stored and no issues with my wives bike.
FdUpLoco@reddit
It’s almost like you are an American! As in shirty products at great expense. 😌
boom10ful@reddit
By any chance, do you charge car batteries in the garage? The fumes it gives off could corrode surrounding metal. Or what about pool cleaners?
Fair-Discipline-1005@reddit
This corosion and white powder looks like salt for roads on Winter...
_KeepOnTrucking_@reddit
Looks exactly like my bike this spring .after a winter or riding in snow/icy sludge.
It's taken me a couple weeks to rehabilitate it.