Originally Posted by
wolfchild
My Thompson seat post and stem are 15 years old and still don't have any rust on the bolts despite being used during winter time and wet conditions. All the other bolts on all my other bikes and components have some rust on them. The disc brake adapter and caliper bolts have most rust on them even after after I've been greasing them during winter riding season. Axle nuts have no rust because they are zinc plated and i grease them regularly...It's just cosmetic rust and doesn't bother me.
My Thompson seat post with nearly 80K miles on it shows zero rust on the bolts. My Thompson stem with the same mileage (and arguable more salt exposure from my hands occasionally clamping the bars right next to the stem) has rust on all the bolts. I've sought out stainless bolts but haven't tried very hard. The ones I can get from my local hardware store have heads that are just a bit to big. I agree that ALL bike components should be specified with stainless bolts where possible. There are various grades of stainless steel that are more or less corrosion resistant.