Bicycle Mechanics - Rust on chain and rear freewheel?

i have just noticed some surface rust on my chain and rear gears. i degrease about every other week and i lube it with Finish line teflon bike lube. am i doing something wrong? how do i get rid of the rust? does Shimano sell a stainless steel chain? any input will be appreciated
thank you \m/\m/

If the chain has even surface rust you need to lubricate more often or with a longer lasting lube. The gears will rust less when the chain is lubed more, and surface rust on it is not important. Which lube? read a few dozen of the lubrication threads in here or spend hours with the results of a Google search on the subject.

Degreasing it strips off the oily film which repels water and helps prevent rusting. A water-repellent coating such as Boeshield T9 may help prevent surface rust on the gears. There are nickel-plated chains available which should be somewhat more rust resistant.

Do you live near the ocean? Even if you don’t get you bike wet just living near salt water can cause you rust problems. You may have to lube your chain and gears daily.

in fact i ride right by the ocean everyday. i ride across the top of a seawall every morning. i think ill be taking that off of my route.i did find a killer link on here all about cleaning and lubing that was very helpful.

Minor surface rust is meaningless. Actually that isn't true, what it means is that you're not riding enough. It's a bit analogous to railroad tracks, which only rust if no trains pass for a while. Once you ride the motion will remove any rust on the surfaces that touch, rub or wear.

If it bothers you, there are lubes that do better preventing rust for longer intervals (not mentioning names). You can also change your routine and cut back on the solvent. If you have serious rust issues, Wippermann makes stainless steel chains, but you could afford to wear out 4 KMC chains before you'll spend as much as one Wippermann chain.

If you have serious rust issues, Wippermann makes stainless steel chains, but you could afford to wear out 4 KMC chains before you'll spend as much as one Wippermann chain.
+1 Wippermann makes stainless steel chains in both 9 and 10-speed formats but, as noted, they are quite pricey. They also make nickel plated chains in both widths that are decently rust resistant and at a smaller cost penalty. All of their chains come with their Connex master link which makes them easy to remove for off-the-bike cleaning.

gasoline eats rust usually. best would be to take the chain off and put it in gasoline for 24 hours or more...

gasoline eats rust usually. best would be to take the chain off and put it in gasoline for 24 hours or more...

1. Gasoline=danger - fumes and contact are biologically hazardous, let alone the danger of fire and explosion.
2. If gasoline ate rust the inside of gas tanks would never rust...and they do. Gasoline has no chemical effect at all on rust. Rusting is an electro-chemical process and requires mechanical, chemical-reactive or electro-chemical methods to remove it.

1. Gasoline=danger - fumes and contact are hazardous, let alone the danger of fire and explosion.
2. If gasoline ate rust the inside of gas tanks would never rust...and they can. Gasoline has no chemical effect at all on rust.

1) Gasoline = danger, only if you don't know how to use it. A simple pen might be dangerous if you put it in mouth and sneeze at the table.
2) Gas tanks rust for several reasons: isn't properly cared, left empty for months, or even if tank is not filled completely often, rust may appear on top walls of tanks, where gasoline haven't washed tank for a while.

1) Gasoline = danger, only if you don't know how to use it. A simple pen might be dangerous if you put it in mouth and sneeze at the table.
2) Gas tanks rust for several reasons: isn't properly cared, left empty for months, or even if tank is not filled completely often, rust may appear on top walls of tanks, where gasoline haven't washed tank for a while.


Gasoline when used for a bike is just a solvent. Kerosene or mineral spirits do a very good job with much less potential hazard. Using gasoline for a typical solvent use is like using a welding torch to light a candle, and using it to remove rust is like using water to remove permanent ink.
The gas tank was just an example, but if gas "eats" rust the fumes that are always present in the tank would do so as well. You are just plain wrong; I listed the only ways to remove rust.

Gasoline when used for a bike is just a solvent. Kerosene or mineral spirits do a very good job with much less potential hazard. Using gasoline for a typical solvent use is like using a welding torch to light a candle, and using it to remove rust is like using water to remove permanent ink.
The gas tank was just an example, but if gas "eats" rust the fumes that are always present in the tank would do so as well. You are just plain wrong; I listed the only ways to remove rust.



I don't know what's mineral spirits, but isn't kerosene almost as same as gasoline chemically? except that gasoline is more "explodable"?

p.s. I'm not native English speaker and I might be confusing some terms sometimes and my apologies.

i have just noticed some surface rust on my chain and rear gears. i degrease about every other week and i lube it with Finish line teflon bike lube. am i doing something wrong? how do i get rid of the rust? does Shimano sell a stainless steel chain? any input will be appreciated
thank you \m/\m/

Why ?

#1 there is no reason to degrease you drivetrain every week. Teflon lubes are designed to bond and then flack off; they have very little rust protection unless you use them almost every day. #2 the whole point behind dry lubes is they tend to stay clean; all you should need to do is brush off the dust and re-apply. If you are concerned with rust, you should use a wet lube. Wet lubes stay on longer and protect against rust, but dirt sticks to wet lube much more than dry, but dry lubes do not stand up well to water. I live 6 blocks from the beach and use Chain-L
If it bothers you, there are lubes that do better preventing rust for longer intervals (not mentioning names) and/or Finish Line Cross Country (Chain-L on a clean chain Cross Country in-between cleanings).

ill hit the lbs today and im gonna get the wet lube hopefully they have Chain L in an earlier post i could agree about rust showing up because bike isnt ridden alot but, i ride 15-18 miles a day. thinking it has to do more with salt air and water and i will stop degreasing so often. thank you all very much for your help and input \m/\m/

I don't know what's mineral spirits, but isn't kerosene almost as same as gasoline chemically? except that gasoline is more "explodable"?

p.s. I'm not native English speaker and I might be confusing some terms sometimes and my apologies.

Gasoline is FAR more explodable, FAR more toxic when inhaled or absorbed through the skin, and does nothing to rust.

Lube the chain weekly with oil based lube, not a dry, wax base. Store the bike indoors if you can. There are nickel plated chains from Wipperman, KMC, Shimano, and SRAM that will slow rusting. I live among the Sea Islands of coastal South Carolina and work on a fleet of rental bikes, and customers don't like rust. If the chain and freewheel are still working properly, then you are fine. Change both when the chain wears out.