I don't know the best way to deal with this. I had a kids Trek MT200 that was my daughter's from 10 years ago that I gave to my GF for her daughter. It was in fine condition last fall when I brought it to her, she stored it in the garage, just like the other bikes, but this one looks like it was stored in the ocean. This has rust everywhere, even the paint and tires have hard white corrosion on top of it. I've never seen anything like it.

I think I can deal with most of it but I really don't like the level of corrosion on the spokes. I could rebuild the wheels with new spokes but could also scrub them... then there's the trust issue the spokes won't break. Might be faster to rebuild. I'm open to suggestions here on what you'd do. Funny I thought all spokes were stainless - except for CF of course.

Stainless comes in different levels depending how they are doped.

Spokes will be be made with cheap alloy.

How attached are you to this wheel/bike?

Quick fix? Sprap affected areas with Evapo-Rust gel for a few days. See what happens.

Fyi, I buy mint condition version of these bikes for $50.

Is a car parked in the garage daily? How much road salt is used in your area over the winter. Are there pool water chemicals stored there? I've seen similar bikes more than I like and the common situation has a dusting of dried salt coating the bike from the last use and a storage area with humidity and/or temp swings allows for moisture to condense out or be drawn from the air. Sad this happened so quickly. Andy

Added- I seriously doubt there's much is any SS on this level of bike. Like the vast majority of bike produced that are intended for the masses and not the enthusiasts. Andy

I'd also suggest pool chemicals as a leading cause. I bought a pair of trek 220s from 1997 and 1999 respectively that had already been through 2 sets of kids, my daughter commuted to school on it year round and were loaned to a 4th set of kids before being sent off to a fifth set, I know from the previous owner and myself they lived on the south shore of LI near the ocean from at least 2006 and they don't look anywhere near that bad, actually barely rusted when we gave them away 2 years ago and they were even ridden on the beach, that has to be largely chemical. Personally, I'd lean towards replacing the wheels, everything is severely corroded and replacement wheels might be cheaper than replacement spokes depending on your online searching skills. Evapo-rust is also a good solution for everywhere else but don't soak the frame of the paint will come off.

And this is one thing I miss about living in the U.S. A quick google search shows about $150USD if I want to go to the US to get it. in Canada its $300+.

No car kept in the garage and certainly no pool chemicals, looks a lot like chlorine corrosion though doesn't it? Her bike is pristine and her son's department store bike appears equally untouched. This one was attacked in particular.

I think the rest of the bike will clean up fine. Chain is a cheap replacement. Cassette will probably clean up fine after a dip in the ultrasonic. Good idea with the rust gel. I think I'll get a pack or two of #400 wet/dry, cut it into strips, and let her loose on it to give her time to contemplate what she's done... while I supervise with martinis in the hot tub. Just a preliminary idea.

I would expect the nipples to be frozen on the spoke threads. If the rims are not true they likely never will be. Before any serious $ is spent I strongly suggest assessing the rest of the bike's condition. More that rust have been found to make a project not worth it. Andy

was there a sack of Lawn Fertilizer near that bike? Ammonia Nitrate does nasty things to Steel.

Cat pee does too.. but that's usually isolated to a smaller area.

no amount of magic rust remover will repair the damage in the pics.

the control cables will also be damaged, i'd guess.

best to look for replacement wheels at a Co-op bike shop.

Rats!... Baby needs a new set of wheels, or at least new spokes...

It just may be worth the time, effort, and money to re-lace those wheels. Especially if the young-un participates n the refurb...

Yes pool chemicals (chlorine & salt) were my first thoughts also.....but how about a salt based water softening system?

a coop or volunteer bike shop should be able to have some used wheels that are in good condition

A bottle of muriatic acid once did something like that to my tool box in a storage area. The bottle was closed, but the seal had been broken.

Knock the rust and corrosion off with a wire brush and then assess the damage. If the spokes and other places don't have large pits or are materially thinner in places then maybe just leave it be or spray some paint on it to make it look better or some preservative lubricant just to keep it at bay.

How much longer will the child be able to fit this size bike? Surely a new bike will be in the works soon enough.

I'd also think you'll find a replacement wheel less expensive than replacing all the spoke and nipples.

She's just big enough to get on it now so probably will be 2 full seasons of use at least. I don't mind doing the work rebuilding the wheels, it's a good excuse to hang out in the garage, watch the ball game and have some pints. I'll have to see how accurately I can get spoke measurements first without removing some. A while back I bought a couple spokes from a LBS and they were rediculously cheap, like 10 cents or so each with nipple. If that still holds true I'm looking at <$10, worth a phone call. Probably a lot faster and easier than a bunch of meticulous scrubbing and painting. Thanks

Funny.

Tell that to all the folks that have had their fb Marketplace ads renewed each week for months on end.

Book value does not imply actual sellable fair market value.

Great info

I waste a lot of time watching prices on rusty old Schwinns listed on facebook drop like leaves on a tree in October.

Those look pretty nasty, but I'd probably first try cleaning and painting. Then see how well they last. Usually a person will break one or two spokes at a time, and the wheel will still be stable enough to safely stop.

It looks like the chain is probably toast too, although some lube and a little work can do wonders for a stiff chain.

Many kids will hardly put 100 miles on a 24" starter bike in their lifetime. Unless the family is really into cycling.