I just picked up a no-name bike with 7spd Shimano RS100 (or is it RSX100?) road group on it - cranks, shifters, brake, levers, hubs, etc with Araya CT-19N rims. Has a real ugly black and pink fade paint and no sticker for tube type so I'm assuming it's plane gauge steel (26.0 seat tube). Paid $60, which at first I thought was good, but getting it home I'm thinking I paid too much. It looks to have sat outside for a while as there are bits of rust on most of the steel fasteners.

Under good light at home the spokes all looks to have a whitish coating on them and rust on many spots. They do not shine at all. I tried some 0000 steel wool on them but then thought maybe there's a solvent I should try. I'm surprised to see rust on the spokes because I thought most spokes after 1990 or so were SS not zink plated steel.

Then I thought maybe I should ask here to see if I'm wasting my time. Will these spokes start breaking once I true the wheels and start riding? They are plain gage spokes. I could remove spokes from each wheel and measure them, order new ones, and re-spoke it.

As well the rims have no eyelets - should I be concerned, and if I re-spoke it should I put in washers or something? No cracks or even brake wear on the rims, just weathered looking.