Originally Posted by
Ironfish653
Agree with the above posters. Surface oxidation on the exposed aluminum. Aluminum oxidation is not the same as rust
Gonna have to disagree. Oxidation of aluminum (or any other reduced metal) is
exactly the same as “rust” or iron oxidation. It’s caused by the metal reacting with oxygen to form an oxidized metal. Aluminum oxidation can be beneficial since it passivates the surface of a far more reactive metal than steel but under the right conditions it can be just as devastating as iron oxidation.
Originally Posted by
hihi2u2
Thanks, guys, that is such a relief. It's the second second-hand bike I bought in two weeks. The first Bianchi ML3 had cracks all over the frame, only found out after I took it to the shop. I will take it to the shop for a flesh assessment, but it sounds like simple sand and paint to protect it.
Before you proceed, look into other removal methods than sanding. There are aluminum oxide removers out there. It’s better to try to remove the oxide chemically than mechanically. Mechanical methods will remove too much material. I probably wouldn’t use CLR because of it’s acidic nature. Nor would I use any other acid treatment.
To me, it looks like the fork tips have had some road salt exposure which is what caused the corrosion. It’s not bad but if salt is left on aluminum too long (steel as well), it can catalyze further corrosion. At the very least rinse the tips well.