Originally Posted by
wrk101
My feeble experience has just been the opposite. On brands with superior paint: Fuji for example, I often find the chrome to be rusted, while the paint looks fresh. Part of it may due to the thin coating of chrome applied. I can't think of a single neglected bike I have picked up where the chrome was great, and the paint had issues. OK, now that I have said this, I figure the next bike I pick up will have crap/rusty paint, and pristine chrome....
That's just the point, Bill. The chrome is more durable. It resists dings and scratches miles better than paint. That's why it's so often used where it is.
I'm not arguing that chrome protects the steel tubing better than paint on a bike left out in the weather. That's abuse and neglect. Durability does not imply "weatherproof" or "waterproof".