Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - how long will a steel frame last

before it rusts...if you dont use framesaver or paint or anything? just bare steel?
this includes riding in the rain like once a month or so, but not often.

I'd give it three weeks.

pretty much before the frame buckles and collapses is what i mean.

It probably depends on the type of steal. If it's a heavy frame there is probably some extra steal for the rust to eat through before it fails. If your using one of those ultra light tube sets than a month or so of rust will probably weaken the frame. This is just me guessing though. Any metal engineers?

just paint the damn thing and frame saver it! sheesh!!!!!:)

its hypothetical. lol sorry for the confusion

Depends on the type of steel too.
High ten will rust a lot faster than cromoly.

- how long?

- longer than you will live...

A frame rusting depends on the weather its exposed to. If no water is present than it will last basically forever. If its left outside often or ridden in the rain often enough then it will rust. The more water the faster. The more salt water the faster. Also, where the rust is will determine if it crumples. The top tube doesn't carry as much force as the down tube and seat tube or the chainstays.

You're asking a totally unquantifiable question, thats like asking "how long will my chain last" there's too many variables.

Also its STEEL not steAl.

Before it buckles and collapses? That should happen long after you do.

There is a misconception that a steel frame will last forever if its kept from rusting. Thats not true. They eventually become fatigued. I broke two steel frames last year. They both developed cracks near the BB. A 1985 straight guage Bianchi and a 1977? Motobecane. Neither had significant rust. I don't know how many miles were on either, but the point is that theres a limit. Riding them hard and exceeding the fatigue limit of the tubes will speed up the process of frame death, as will rust.