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My steel frame got wet! What do I do?

It rained unexpectantly in Denver over the weekend and my steel lugged Fuji frame I was keeping on the balcony got a bit sprinkled on. It had some wet brown rust spots that I quickly wiped clean with some paper towels. There are more noticeble brown spits left near the welds at the bottom bracket. What can I do to clean it? Can it just be cleaned and sanded down in preparation for it's future paint job? What are my options? Is it damaged? Please help, first bike build and not that knowledgeble on this particular issue. Thanks!

Tags: Steel, damage, fuji, lugged, rain, rust

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Permalink Reply by Devin on November 9, 2008 at 1:06am

Dude if it just got a little wet you'll be fine. Especailly if you wiped it down afterwords, it's not until things start getting wet constantly or get wet and are left to sit and rust.

Sanding and painting is still and option but as for structural integrity unless you have rust that's putting holes in the frame you're ok.

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Permalink Reply by 2Fixed on November 9, 2008 at 8:06am

Keep it dry and clean and it will be alright. It sounds like surface oxidation and not scaley flaky rust.

Sanding down every last rust spot is bordering on the obsessive. Steel has a lifesapan that rivals human life. Those rust spots may have been there for much longer than you may have realized.

Of course, you can go your route, sand down each bit of surface oxidation, and dab the bare metal spot with some primer. But it seems like a lot of work for some relatively benign oxidation.

Just ride it and be happy you are on a lugged steel bike.