Hello! A few weeks ago some members of the sub helped me decide on this here Crossroads frame! Currently it’s stripped and cleaned, with a fresh go over of auto paint polisher. I’m at the crossroads (lol) of whether to start the build up process or thoroughly treat these chipped spots if they are serious enough. I rather like the look of the frame as is, but if more seasoned cyclists could let me know if this is a case for abrasives and rust treatment, I’d love to know! Cheers
by _cobbleton
35 Comments
what can u expect from a 30 year old bike lmao, theres hardly any rust on that thing
imo treat the scrapes of paint with your choice of nail polish, and otherwise just shoot the interior with rust preventative spray
What rust?
‘tis but a scratch
That’s a great color, nice.
100% looks fine. Honest wear with many more miles ahead of it.
I believe we call that beausage?
It’s only patina
Why don’t you just cover it with two layers of 2K clear coat? If the rust spots have been already treated, of course
Looks like patina, not rust.
Don’t ruin it with bare metal, I would keep paint as it is.
So I was talking to my (auto) mechanic the other day about some rust remediation on my moderately shitty yet beloved hatchback.
He reminded me that (to a degree) rust is self limiting – don’t mess with it and it likely won’t get much / any worse…
If ya already got the Boeshield on there, I’d say leave it be – that patina looks nice!
It looks great as is. That amount of rust has no impact on the structural integrity, and as long as you will not store it out of doors in coastal areas (salty winds) for prolonged periods of time it won’t worsen significantly. I believe it will wear its patina and beausage much better than it would any patching-up or clear coating. Beautiful colour and just the right amount of wear to inherit and keep improving over the next couple of decades before passing it on to the next owner.
I would not worry about that at all. if anything, just put clear nail polish over the worst spots
That’s actually really good shape for 30-year-old steel bicycle frame.
If you have any concerns about the paint chips you can lightly sand the area of the chip and paint it with quality acrylic fingernail polish.
But that frame is likely to last another 30 years.
That does not look bad, have the same but in two spots the paint was bubbling /flaking away so had to remove it to check how deep and rust treat. That was under toptube by the seat and bottom headtube. All good now, paint “ruined” not to bad for a frame from 89.
I also had some like this on my latest build. I used turtle wax polishing compound, and [spray.bike](http://spray.bike) frame builder’s top wax. it was overkill tbh you don’t even have to do it.
ah… also I cleaned the rust area with a steel wool, and smooth surface clay bar before what I wrote, earlier I forgot to mention. but again, you really don’t have to.
I’d FrameSaver the inside and then ride that guy without concern for another 20 years.
When I get a frame with minimal surface corrosion like this I use an iron oxide reducing agent commonly used on cars called “iron fallout remover”. It dissolves away rust by doing the opposite of the oxidation reaction that caused it. And then using touch up paint to seal it.
Common brand to use is “ironX”, but there’s other cheaper alternatives.
…or just put some nail polish on it and call it a day.
If youre worried about rust, buff it with some fine steel wool and then hit it with nail polish. Really though, thats super minor rust, Id personally build her up as is. Cool biek, too.
That’s nuthin
That’s nothin. Run it.
That is nothing
This is most of my bikes.
Is this a real question?
Are you building a bike to ride or showcase? Personally I’d ride that as-is. Protect the bare metal so the rust is contained, and call it “authenticity” and “patina”.
I don’t see a single instance of anything that I would personally describe as rust. I wouldn’t even think twice about any of that.
It’s just surface rust that could be buffed out. Any major dents I would def not use a frame that could potentially have the integrity compromised
I’m using mint condition 20 year old rocshox Judy tt. They’re trash I know, but they’re 20 years old in mint condition.
Glad you got the crossroads 🙂 looks like it’s in great condition! Can’t wait to see the final build
Imho it’s perfectly fine. Get the best wax you can find ,clean frame and wax it to perfectly brilliant shine. I wouldn’t touch original paint at all.
that’s just nice ol’ patina. build it and put some wax on it.
Go for it , no Problem.
Whatever you’re comftoble with. I prefer to treat the rust spots . It’s by far not that bad damaged.
Patina, war scars. The bike looks better this way. Every bike will rust if you keep it in water. Stay away from beaches and keep it dry. I have a Surly Moonlander that has 5 times the freckles this bike has. It looks better that way IMO. It shows that you ride it and not just take pics. If you want to protect it, just put a clear coat finish.
Looks sick! Embrace its charm and build that bad boy up!