Agner1

I have a steel road bike and I do not ride it when it rains or it is expected to rain for the fear of the frame gets rusted. When I do get rained on, I usually take the seat post out and put the frame upside down to dry it. Now, rain is unavoidable in touring, and most touring frames are made of steel. Do you guys take special care for your frames like what I do to my road bike? I know that some steel bikes have sealed pipes, but the seat tube is not usually sealed. (I spray anti-rusting chemical into the seat tube.)

I ask this because I am considering buying a touring bike, and I would like to have a steel frame. Am I too paranoid?

Thanks.

cyclist2000

I don't worry about rust, if my bike rusts then it is time for a new bike. I like new bikes. A lot of people will spray frame saver into the tubes, make sure that you take out the bottom bracket if you do this. One of my friends used frame saver on his bike and didn't take out is bottom bracket and it wasn't functional after that.

warpig

Disassemble the frame and give it a spray with fish oil aerosol. It will last for decades if you do this every few years.

aggri1

I reckon that you are too paranoid (_you_ asked!). :-)

I have 40 year old cars that don't have any significant rust. On bikes, I'm not at all worried. I don't expect it to rust significantly unless I leave it in the splash zone at the beach for a few months.

A.

Shimagnolo

I'll bet that makes you really popular with the neighborhood cats.

seeker333

It mostly depends on your local weather, esp the humidity. Coastal areas with salt are worst.

In western US, steel will hardly rust due to low ambient RH, <15% during summer and fall.

In SE US, RH is 50-95% every day, hardly ever gets below 30%. My old Jeep truck rusted more in a month in this high humidity than the previous 3 years in drier location. 70-80s AMC vehicles were infamous for rusting due to cheap sheetmetal (not galvanized).

A cheap way to rustproof is with boiled linseed oil, available from your local hardware store painting aisle. Best to do it before building bike. Built bike needs BB, seatpost and fork removed to treat each tube.

imi

Don't let worrying about rust stop you from riding... be it a rainy day, or a long tour... this is what bikes are made for.... a little cleaning and lubing is all you need...

foamy

Has anyone ever seen a new bike rust out? I haven't. I haven't even seen an old bike rust away.

I think this steel rusting is a lot of worry about nothing.

Bacciagalupe

Pretty much. Cyclists have used steel touring bikes for a long time now, and the frames haven't crumbled into dust. Even if you did a 2-year world tour, it's highly unlikely your bike will rust to the point where the frame will be affected.

If you are still concerned, a few touring bikes are made with aluminum: Cannondale and Koga. You can also use a Specialized TriCross, and there are probably some other aluminum cross bikes out there that can be tweaked for touring purposes.

nameless

Here's what Surly has to say about caring for their frames:

https://surlybikes.com/blog/spew/spew...r_steel_frame/

Put your paranoia aside and go ride your bike! Most rust that will develop will be superficial and easily wiped off, anyhow.

rdrk

I had a 20+ year old trek 520, a fantastic bicycle. I noticed a clicking sound, thought it was the BB, a pedal, the seatpost, etc. Turns out one of the chainstays had rusted through such that i could press in the metal with my fingers. I had to stop riding the thing.

robow

Any steel frame I build up, gets the inside treatment. Though it may not be necessary, it's cheap to do and only takes 5 minutes (only 2 1/2 min. in the video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKKeQ...eature=related

LeeG

no one is out to get you but the worry is misplaced. There's a cluster of parts on a bicycle that will corrode in a way that will inhibit function or repair if not cleaned and relubed but it's not the frame. It's worth going through all the 5mm threaded eyelets on a frame and re-tap them and install a lubed screw just so that five years down the line you don't have a threaded eyelet full of rusted threads .

On the other hand if you were to dunk your bike in salt water or drag it through a muddy river you should rinse it out repack some bearings. I had a folding bike fall half way into salt water so that it dunked the sealed bearing headset. Some salt corrosion occured between the bearing unit and the headset to such a degree it felt like the headset was loose.
Years ago when zinc/cad plated spokes and chromed steel was common for wheels you could have corrosion problems messing up repairs but I wouldn't be worried about it for the frame.

LeeG

I've been using triflow figuring that if it's that sticky on a chain it must work inside the frame. I never knew there was such a thing as JP Weigle Frame Saver.

warpig

Not after I had to wash off all the bloody overspray and leakage with petrol last night....

staehpj1

Yes. Bikes are meant to be used and a little rain won't kill them. Unless the environment is extreme like storage in salt spray on the deck of a boat, a frame is unlikely to die of rust. Even bikes that are outside 24/7 usually don't have frame problems due to rust. We have steel bikes on campus where I work that have been outside for 20 or more years and do not have significant frame rust. If it makes you feel better treat the inside of the frame with Boeshield T-9 or something, but most people don't bother and have no problems.

lighthorse

Very interesting thread. After some experience with two steel frames I will pass on my thoughts. Both of my steel frames have experienced rusting. The rusting in both cases begins at the brazed on cable housings. I believe that the initial cause is sweat from my body day after day. My LeMond had developed so much surface rust from dings caused by road junk that I had it stripped down and powder coated. It is now rusting again at the braze ons. I use T-9 Boeshield to prevent/slow down the rusting process but it continues on. I also use the stuff inside the frames to prevent rust from beginning there. My Burley was powder coated from the factory but the braze ons are now rusting with the powder coating flaking off as well caused by the rusting process. I do live and ride in a coastal area where salt spray is a constant presence.

I was especially surprised at the previous posts that said rusting on steel bikes is not a problem. I wonder if those posters have had steel bikes and used/abused them as I do? I think not. But then there is no way that I know. Trust me, rust can be a problem on a steel bike.

nameless

I also own a Gunnar. Here's what they say about caring for their frames:

Assembly, Care and Maintenance

How do I get touch-up paint?
Corrosion - how do I prevent it?

Though Gunnars are designed to last a lifetime, they, like any good bike frame, do require basic care to protect against corrosion-related problems.
Annual Overhaul: Like any good bike made of any material, an annual overhaul prevents mechanical problems from occuring such as frozen bottom brackets and stuck seatposts. Your shop is well equipped to perform this work.
Internal protection: If you plan on riding your Gunnar in bad weather, applying Framesaver (tm) or linseed oil to the internal surfaces - especially in the chainstays and bottom bracket area - is very important. This is particularly important in areas where salt is used to melt snow and ice during the winter. Re-apply every 2-3 years.
Fair weather riders don't need this kind of attention. However, after riding in wet conditions, all riders should hold the bike up with front wheel over the rear to allow water to drain out. Evaporation will rid the insides of residual moisture.
External Protection: Polyurethane enamels are, at a microscopic level, porous and, for long-term protection, require waxing. It takes 2-3 months for paint on the frame to fully cure. During this period, if you want to wax your frame, use something very light, like Pledge. After 90 days and after cleaning dirt off the frame, apply a non-breathable wax such as Meguiar's Tech Wax or Turtle Wax.
For most riders, a once a year waxing with your annual overhaul is all the external treatment needed to keep your frame in top shape. If you ride in tough winter conditions or you ride in particularly corrossive environments such as near the ocean, you may consider a semi-annual re-waxing.
If you apply a wax-stripping cleaner/polisher, be sure to re-wax the frame.
Once waxed, periodic cleaning with gentle soap and shining it up with Pledge will keep your bike looking great.
Pledge alone will not provide an appropriate level of surface corrosion protection. It lacks the durability and UV protection of wax. You need a real wax job.

Nigeyy

I think one thing to note here is that it's not the rust on the outside surface you should be concerned about, it's the rust on the inside of the tubes.

I'd guess that it really isn't a big issue -or so I thought. I did have a bike with steel rear chain stays and because of a frame failure I did chop it up. I was very surprized at the extent of rusting that was evident -something you wouldn't know about until it failed. Not that it had severely compromized the chainstay, just that it was much more than I thought it would have been. But.....

I don't think you see or hear of too many bike failing, even in wet or coastal areas. So I do think it's probably worrying over nothing. However, given the cost of framesaver or whatever else you choose to use, I really think it is cheap, cheap insurance. I'd rather do it than not.

Probably don't need it, but then again I'd probably not want a nasty crash either.

LeeG

I'm curious how much internal corrosion is exacerbated by poor chroming or brazing. I had a Bottechia that developed a crack on the down tube below the lugs. I had heard that inadequate washing of the chroming chemicals weakened the frame, could be wrong on that.

Shimagnolo

You are referring to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement

Wogster

I would think the best time to apply an interior coating to prevent rust is at the time of manufacture, either before or after the frame is welded. Tubes like stays that are generally sealed after welding could be made with tiny holes to allow treatment to be placed inside, and then sealed with a bonding agent before exterior painting.

Having said that though, there are bicycle frames from the 19th century made of mild steel that should have been piles of rust decades ago that are not. What I think happens is that the interior surface accumulates surface rust, and once that rust seals the surface it doesn't rust further. Look at railway tracks, for many years they were not painted or sealed in any way, yet lasted well over 100 years, out in the rain and snow.

davidad

You can coat the inside of the tubes with linseed oil or Weigles' Frame Saver. After that don't worry about. My first road bike was a used Raliegh cheapy that was at least 12 years old. When I decided that cycling was for me I bought a new Giant and used the old horse in the refinery where I worked. It spent 27-7 outside near the Guld coast for 6 years and the frame was still in good shape.
Don't worry about it.

Booger1

My old Shogun is 32 years old now.Gets riddin everyday,rain or shine.300,000 miles +,no problem with rust...maybe one day.It's been everywhere west of the Mississippi and I live about 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean,so it's done it's share of beach riding over the years.