Originally Posted by
rosefarts
Bearings are super cheap. It would have been a great idea to replace them even without messing about with mild acid
Acetic acid is good for dying easter eggs and killing c-diff. It's not a degreaser.
Thanks for your input. It's not a degreaser but:
1) I used a degeaser first which didn't hand'e the rust.
2) I'd used diluted vinegar successfully on my last project based on a forum recommendation. That was stainless steel though. At least I think it was.
How to identify and clean/polish various surfaces has turned out to be the hardest part of bicycle refurbishment for me. And the internet is a mixed blessing. It's awesome that it's so easy to find quality recommendations. However, those quality recommendations are sometimes lacking context or mixed in with some lower quality recommendations.