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Whether you are boating at a lake or doing some island hopping out in the Bahamas we are hearing more and more stories of our ZiZZO family making their folding bikes a big part of their journey. When one thinks about going boating with family or friends taking a bike doesn’t seem to be on the list of items to cart along. I don’t own a boat but I know that when I have gone fishing with friends, we were lucky to have enough room for the coolers and gear let alone a bike. Maybe a traditional bike would be way to big but I can see where a ZIZZO folding down so small you might be able to take a few. I once stuck 4 in the backseat of my Honda Accord so I am pretty sure you can find a spot on the boat.
I can imagine it would be a lot of fun to hop around from location to location on the water and then dock the boat for a ride around the roads and trails. We see most of the social media posts about this fun activity done down in Florida, Texas, and the Bahamas. As amazing as these adventures will be I think we need to talk about the few things that can cause some issues in the long run. Sand and moisture are unavoidable in most boating situations. Add in some salt and we have a triple headed monster waiting to attack all your bicycles parts causing rust and corrosion. We all know how sand can get everywhere after a day at the beach. Months later we are still finding grains in our shoes, bags, and cars. Those same grains of sand can get in the brake cables, cogs/gears, chain, bottom bracket, and any small place that could cause some serious issues. A lot of time the gears and chain of are the first casualty to moisture. Rust will form pretty quick unless you clean the bike up after each excursion.
If you choose to store the bike somewhere make sure that it is well ventilated after a day on the boat. I know after a day in the sun you may feel a little too tired to do some cleanup but if you want to keep your ZiZZO happy you might want to try to make the time. Grab some old rags and take a hose with light to medium pressure and get at it. If you have some scrubbing tools and a bucket of your favorite bicycle cleaning products that is even better. When your done dry everything off as best as you can. If you want to take it one step further get a nice big floor fan and put it on in front of the bike to get some air flow. Don’t forget to make sure all the locking mechanisms and parts with indentions or depressions don’t have any standing water/pools in them.
Once you are done and things are dry go ahead and put your favorite wet lube on the chain and other moving parts. If you are going back out on the water soon it is better to have as many of the parts lubed up as possible. You don’t have to go crazy but when dealing with water it is better to have more than less. At the minimum bring the bike back in to a dry environment and wipe it down really good after hosing it off you can get by until the next cruise. Get out there and have some fun in the sun but don’t forget about that ZiZZO sitting in the boat still dripping. A week or so sitting may mean an expensive overhaul of parts and labor that could have been avoided. Happy pedaling and enjoy the ride on the boat and the bike!
