Why is it rusting so much and so extensively? I’ve never seen anything corrode so fast. One small winter and my shiny white Inbred frame is covered in rust, especially in the gusset plates where there is a gap in the weld between plate and frame.

I’m considering painting it with Waxoil underbody paint. It’s rusting more than my MGB.

Your frame is going to snap at every joint.

Seriously though, nowt to worry about. I’ve just got an 8 year old Lava Dome frame and it looks like there’s been no rust at all.

Just clean it up and check it over and spray loads of wd40 down all the tubes.

Is it something to do with Fe+H20= Fe2o3?

Also, an old trick on steel frames is to put silicone in all the little welding holes at the bottom of the seat/chainstays and any other gaps and check the seat tube regularly.

someone will probably correct me but it’s not like it’s plain old steel or iron or something..
It’ll be cromoly.. which will get surface rust but is pretty unlikely to rust through to the extent where it will cause structural problems..

The original ones seemed to have been painted with Tipex – I had rust showing after my first ride – worst paint job I’ve ever seen on a frame.

I’ve owned an original Inbred & 456, now own a summer season & slotted inbred and they all do that in the gussets.

You pays your money and takes your choice, it never seems to get any worse.

QUESTION;

dangriff – Why is it rusting so much and so extensively?

ANSWER; £99.99

There are sound engineering reasons for the gap between the frame and the gusset plate.

Nearly all the On-One frames that I see on the trails have some rust on them but the ones have powder coated later have better finish and looked better than the original paint, it’s only about £50 to have it powder coated and your frame will look new.

Cotics rust as well you know. 🙂

To sell them as cheap as they do they have to make them cheaper – so cheaper steel tubing and cheaper paint.

Get it off to a proper powder coaters and it’ll be fine.

On one even used to state with the original 456 Summer Season that it WILL rust.
nothing to worry about at all! as mentioned, if its that much of an issue, get it powder coated and it’ll be like new.
Or sell it and buy the Ti one….

I have the original On One Summer Season with nowt but a laqueur coating, it maybe has one season of proper hard use with rust spots all over the lower bits from chain slap etc, but it will still be a bike frame long after I’m dead, I expect. TBH, it’s quite a few years old and generally not over used, but doesn’t look any different unless you really get down on hands and knees and scrutinise it.
It’s really not a big deal. if it is a big deal, asthetically, you shouldn’t have bought a cheap On One steal frame, they all do it.

5 yr old 456 used heavily in all weathers… only rust on chainslap and areas where i’ve worn through the paint….

protected by a qucik spray of frame protector when new & over sprayed with a can of car laquer from halfords….. not pretty and a bit flacky after 5 yrs … but who cares it was only £125….

I have one of the first generation DN6 Inbreds which I have been riding since January 2005. Yes it does rust a bit at the down tube gusset and where it gets chipped but hasn’t caused me any problems. Every 2 or 3 months I touch it up with white Smootherite paint. Doesn’t look particularly pretty but the frame’s still going strong after 6 years of abuse (and that includes through 6 wet/frosty/salty scottish winters…) Can’t complain for £125.

Doncasters finest scaffolding.

http://www.spectrum-cycles.com/66.htm
“Out of Sight, Out of Mind – Rust Never Sleeps
Steel frames rust, that’s all there is too it. “

Raleigh used to dip their steel frames to give the inside and the outside of the frame a phosphate coating.