I am planning on buying this bike, it’s a willier triestina so it has an aluminum frame, even the seller listed it as an aluminum frame, but a long the photos they posted for the add, there was this one, and I am pretty sure it looks like rust and not just corrosion, I am not sure where that rust came from but I don’t know if it’s just not a big deal and I can clean it up when I get it or is it a serious flaw that could mean a death sentence ?
I am planning to go check the bike and pick it up tomorrow
by El_Mokh
18 Comments
Even if it is rust it looks like surface rust and most likely isn’t going all the way through the frame
That’s not aluminum.
I don’t think that’s aluminum. I’ve never personally seen an Al frame with welds that compact. When Al oxidizes, it turns white, not brown.
Ok this is weird. Aluminium oxidisation doesn’t look like ‘rust’ on steel bikes; it’s white or grey, not red-brown. I don’t know what this is. There appears to be a little rust on the back of the front derailleur cage (made of pressed steel) and the chain. I would have a really hard look at this to figure out what it is. Hopefully it’s just some dirt of some kind.
It’s surface rust.
Nothing a brass wheel on a grinder or Dremel tool can’t remove. Or if you lack the tools, a good hand scrubbing with wadded up aluminum foil and water (ironic right) will work too.
Follow up with a good automotive body waxing a couple times a year to prevent it spreading. If you’re going to store it over winter, lightly coat the sections in motor oil, and wipe down when you bust it out in the spring.
That is NOT aluminum. It appears to be brazed steel. If it was TIG-welded you would see the scalloping of the weld at each tube junction. Brazing uses brass, bronze or silver usually, to join the tubes. But most of the time there is a lot more braze material around each joint for strength. This almost looks like a higher-quality version of an old Huffy electrostatically brazed frame construction…
It is definitely steel.
About 20 years ago, clear coated steel finish was popular. One drawback was that over time you can see the surface rust underneath the clearcoat.
It could also be a painted finish, made to look similar to polished aluminum or chrome. Either way, I would not be too concerned
if the rust is below the finish leave it alone, if the rust is flaky to the touch, sand it down.
Looks like they do a willier triestina in steel [https://www.cxmagazine.com/wilier-jaroon-29-plus-drop-bar-steel-frame-adventure-gravel-cyclocross-bike](https://www.cxmagazine.com/wilier-jaroon-29-plus-drop-bar-steel-frame-adventure-gravel-cyclocross-bike)
Use a magnet to check if it’s steel. If so, you can use some rust converter and some touchup paint, for a quick fix and to stop it from spreading.
That’s steel, by the tig weld beads, and the fact that it has red rust.
Clean it , treat it with a rust converter (it will turn the rust black) and enjoy the bike.
I learned a lot by reviewing the responses. Great discussion
It looks like it’s internally welded stainless steel. I would be weary of buying it without taking the crank/bb out to see how the internals of that area look. It’s probably fine but I imagine it’s not cheap, so wouldn’t want to risk it.
I would use a wired brush, steel wool, and some CLR and you should be ok.
You can tell by the welds that is absolutely not aluminum tubing
Just me or does the non drive side crank arm look like it isn’t seated all the way on the spindle? If so, another sign that this bike has had a rough life
Get a wire brush on it you will be fine.
Steel frame and carbon fork is a nice bike.
Get some fluid film or similar product for the inside of the frame. I’d try to clean up that surface rust which should help confirm it’s just that, on the surface.