[Closed] Protecting a steel steerer

so am I being overly cautious?

Very much so

Seconded! I think steerers must be fairly good quality as I've never had one rust badly, and I do have a habit of putting bikes away wet 🙂

I'd probably keep the bike inside until July and maybe use a soft towel to wipe it down 😉

But yeah way over the top the steel will do fine

It is an interesting thought as any unpainted bit of stem might presumably promote dissimilar metal corrosion. Never seen it though. I certainly wouldn't put anything on the steerer given that the stem-steerer connection is pretty important to keeping your teeth where they are.
Maybe a little squirt of LP3 or similar (dries/sets stickier than other inhibitors) in the gaps of the stem and maybe under the spacers where the water can get in to discourage it from hanging around but nowhere else?

Ps where did you find the Swift steel forks?

It sounds as if I'm being over-cautious again 🙄 it's not as if water is going to pool on a vertical surface as it might in tubes!

Cromolyolly, I found the forks on Ebay but I'd been keeping a regular eye out once I realised that they were out of stock at Singular (and I think the next batch are going to be tapered). A couple sets have come and gone in the classified; I think that Stompy put a set up recently but the ad's gone so they've probably sold.

I always smear grease over the unpainted parts of a steel steerer.

I always smear grease over the unpainted parts of a steel steerer.

Including under the stem? Grease would be easier that Dinitrol on the outside.

It sounds as if I’m being over-cautious again 🙄

or perhaps not ...

https://blackmtncycles.com/grease-that-steerer-tube/

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That is just surface rust, it'll polish out!!!

I have had to resort to using a crown race puller and cut off various headset spacers/headset covers over the years, so yes corrosion can be an issue.

can you paint them with hammerite?

Thin coat of grease here too and don't even have steel steerer.

been keeping a regular eye out once I realised that they were out of stock at Singular (and I think the next batch are going to be tapered

Yes, me too. Why would they change them?

A couple sets have come and gone in the classified;

They go pretty fast when the do come up. Why would they change them?

I just realised that your question could be interpreted two ways. When you say under the stem, do you mean the steerer below where the stem clamps into it (in which case LP3) or the part of the steerer where the stem clamps too, so literally between the two bits of metal? In which case no. Just live with the fact that there will be areas where the two don't mate perfectly and may even wick moisture slightly.

I was considering the whole steerer including the clamping area. I don't know if any of the greasers could confirm that they grease this area. I'm also not sure whether lithium/Teflon bearing grease or copper grease would be does and I could always look at the Dinitrol.

Why would they change them?

I'm guessing that the next iteration of the Swift will take a tapered fork which will open it up to sus. forks again. There are hints on the Singular site of updated Singular models appearing in the Spring.

You could paint it with a red or grey primer and gently sand off where the stem and top bearing sit. Then just apply a little bit of fibregrip stype stuff to that area as it should stop moisture. The lower part is the most vulnerable

I'd get a waxoyl gun from the 80s and treat your whole bike.

Especially the saddle.

You would be bonkers to grease the stem / steerer interface. It would mean you'd risk the stem rotating, or torqueing the shit out of the stem.

The steel used for bike frames doesn't corrode that easily. Currently I have a 5 year old Salsa El Mariachi and had a old Salsa Vaya. Both neglected in all weathers, on salty roads etc and no signs of any serious corrosion to the steerer tubes. Or anywhere else. Paint chips and dents down to the bare metal remain non-rusty.

Yeah, really bad idea to put anything on the clamping area. Even loctite, which is good for precenting threads from rusting to each other would probably form a thick enough layer to prevent proper clamping. Clamp it down, put a little grease or similar around the seam at the top to stop water dribbling down it. Dinitrol the rest.
I've used copper grease on wheels to stop them seizing to the hub but wouldnt put it anywhere near a thread/clamp. It essentially leaves little grains of copper which remain frangible.

Especially the saddle.

I thought it was silicone only on the saddle?

The steel used for bike frames doesn’t corrode that easily.

I wish they'd start making cars out of it. Mine all seem to manage to rust in the time between me cleaning off the rust and applying the paint.

You would be bonkers to grease the stem / steerer interface. It would mean you’d risk the stem rotating, or torqueing the shit out of the stem.

That's me bonkers then.

Or anywhere else. Paint chips and dents down to the bare metal remain non-rusty.

From looking inside a couple of fatigue failure frames of mine, the chainstays at least get a bit pitted along the bottom - this isn't great for fatigue as well as for corrosion.

But you do need to leave the stem interface dry and clean to get the stem to clamp properly. Grease the **** out of the bit in between, the stem should be the part that will corrode if you get any galvanic corrosion issues.