got a bit of rust on the top tube. not a lot, but what’s there is not looking so pretty. guess I’m just gonna have to scrape at the paint with a file, huh?

Fairly common on bikes with braze on cable guides. I think I would just keep it clean , maybe wax the bike , keep a close watch on those guides. It will continue but hopefully you can keep it at bay for a while. The paint , from what I can see , is in nice shape so I don’t think it is ready for a complete repaint. I saw a bike that someone taped off a diamond shape area around each guide and filed , sanded , and painted a different color and it didn’t look bad . I have a Motobecane that suffered this problem and I just had the frame media blasted and powder painted and I applied the new decals. It ended up at about $200 total , but I only payed $20 for the bike and the paint wasn’t as nice as your bike.

The hope is that it doesn't turn into this:
P1010140 on Flickr

Even still, that just looks like it's on the surface, yes?

I've got some of that on my Trek 930 around the same exact place that the OP's bike has it. Almost as bad. Normally I'd just take a wire brush to knock off the loose stuff, then soak in evaporust. However, w/ it being in a rare color, I'm sort of stuck till I find a better solution.


EDIT: Actually, my bike is just about the same color as the OPs! That looks like a nice Miele. Did they use Imron paint? If so, it might even be the same color. Man it would be nice to get a touch up bottle. awrycycle if you can find out what paint Miele used, it's possible that you still might be able to find it, or get a code.

Anybody got a paint code for Imron light green????

I have had similar issues with a bike or two. I used a dremel to clean up the rust. Your bike does not look as bad. I would just wax where the bubbles are.

The areas that are brown rust, I would dremel and paint with rust-o- leum.

Then go to a body shop to match the paint.

Luckily they are very small areas, but should be addressed. ( Just the exposed rust ) You don't want it to get any worse.

Again, the bubbles seem to be ok. As above said, keep and " eye" on it. I would also spray the inside with " frame saver"

Good Luck . Sharp looking bike !!!!!!

Hmm, Rusty Bubbles sounds like the name of a 1960s stripper.

Treating and sealing the affected area in some way so as to prevent the spread of that corrosion is probably a good temporary step, but ultimately you'll have to remove paint and then the corrosion itself.

[QUOTE=nlerner;23106539]Hmm, Rusty Bubbles sounds like the name of a 1960s stripper.

Treating and sealing the affected area in some way so as to prevent the spread of that corrosion is probably a good temporary step, but ultimately you'll have to remove paint and then the corrosion itself.[/QUOTE

Rusty Bubbles, wasn’t she the one with the red hair?

I thought it was a song by Don Ho.

[MENTION=133054]AdventureManCO[/MENTION] - Yes, just over the entire tandem frame!
P1010035 on Flickr
P1010141 on Flickr

In the queue for painting. Currently applying WD40 every year or so.
1994 Burley Duet in the raw on Flickr

Definitely a PC candidate.
It just hangs out a lot.
2023-02-02_06-50-59 on Flickr

I thought Rusty Bubbles was the guy at the auto shop who had the magic touch with those cranky carburetors.

I have a Pro Miyata with paint in far worse shape. A lot of bare rust as well as those bubbles. Middle brake cable braze-on is gone. Seat pin threads stripped second seat adjust. I retouched extensively with nail polish. And figured it was a summertime, dry weather bike only. Absolutely love the ride! Now a fellow forumite is going to send me his exact same frame recently powdercoated so it's not an issue. Otherwise, I might have sent it out to be stripped, then to a framebuilder to access and repair and needed. Maybe expensive!

I have a couple of bicycles completely in the raw, the '87 Ironman being one of them. There is just something especially honest about a raw bike. There is nowhere to hide, for rust, cracks, bulges, separations, etc. The brazework is exposed. I appreciate it and, like you, try to keep the surface corrosion at bay in this state. Living in Colorado where it is dry definitely helps out quite a bit.

Well its not going ta look any better the longer ya wait. Tearing it down and doing a repaint is a good winter project. Better get on it stud...

I thought is was a Don Ho song for C&V bikes

You can still treat the surface of a raw bike with Flood Penitrol. Its easy and looks great...

-----

​​​​​​

...would not wish to be the one charged with maneuvering this barrow into its cradle...


-----

That (and OP's example) is what's called "filiform corrosion" and is not as serious as a Girlfriend in a Coma.

(Google or any old AI is your Friend.)

hm, well if it’s more of a cosmetic issue than anything else..

guess I’ll leave the top tube alone for now, aside from the cable guide. I suppose it’s not all that noticeable past a couple feet, anyway.

the diamond cut-out’s a good idea, I’d probably go with that if I couldn’t find the exact paint(Sikkens?).

anyway, here’s the full frame + seller pics.

That's a great suggestion! I'll try it! The way I figure, there are two ways to go for a 'raw' finish: more oil based / soft/ temporary, and then more permanent, like a clear coat or clear powdercoat.

I hear of issues w/ rust lines forming under the hard coatings, so even though the soft/oil type finishes are less durable and require more maintenance, they are more approachable to service and repair.

With bubbles like on the green frame above, I remove the bubbled or flaking paint, remove the rust with a small wire brush, and then touch-up the paint. If you need to mix paints, the little jars of Testor's oil-based enamel work well. If the whole frame is bubbled, then it's a total re-paint. But for small, spotty areas, touch-up can work fine if you take your time.