Rubble

At least that is what the shop guy called it. Took my bike in for its first tune up. I get two in the first year. After getting scolded for not "degunking" I asked about the rust on some bolts. It's on the bolt that holds the front dérailleur and a couple bolt heads that hold the front gears together. He says it's from sweat. Since I could gold medal in a sweating competition, I just nodded my head. Told me to wash off the bike after each ride.

Okay, so I have a dedicated sprayer for the bike but now I see more rust. It's the kind of rust that just wipes off. Any tricks to prevent this?

Biker395 

I suppose the sweat theory is viable, but consider this ... If you ride your bike much near the coast, you're apt to pick up some rust, particularly where you are seeing it (on surfaces facing the front of the bike). I commute along the beach daily, and under those conditions, even aluminum corrodes eventually(!) I've even had the INSIDE of my cable housings rust and need to be replaced.

Do you see much rust elsewhere?

I think the best thing to do is wipe off your bike with a clean rag regularly. I've also heard of those who coat parts with a thin film of Vaseline. Does all that work? Not well, from my experience. It's one of the costs of doing business near the ocean.

FBOATSB

:Most all bolts, unless stainless steel or chrome plated are cadmium plated and start rusting very quickly when exposed to the weather unless painted or coated with something, even gunk.

BlazingPedals

I suppose you could start replacing one bolt at a time with titanium...

Biker395 

I actually did that on the worst offenders (the stem bolts that affix the handlebar to the stem). They're not cheap, but they're strong and they don't rust.

Titanium Bolts, Titanium Bolt, Titanium Fasteners, Metric Fasteners

Gerryattrick

Rust on a bike!

On an antique bit of furniture they would call it patina and say it added value.

Jimbo47

This ^^^

NVanHiker

This brings up a good point - it seems no matter how high the price point, bikes come with bolts that rust. It's just ridiculous. As a former motorcycle owner, I never encountered this, and yet we put up with it on bicycles, which are also beautiful precision machines intended to be ridden and parked out in the weather.

fthomas

There was a discussion in another forum topic talking about possible solutions to this type of rust. I recommended LPS-1, which is a non-petroleum based lubricant. I have used on parts I don't want collecting dirt and dust. By spraying on a rag and wiping down areas / items I have even used it on expensive camera bodies, binoculars, etc. to help prevent corrosion due to sweat and oil from my hands. The LPS-1 hangs around and does not leave a mess like WD40. I understand there may be other options, but LPS-1 works great for me.

Shp4man

Modern Chinese made bikes.