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I saw a bit of rust on my chain today on my commuter--just a speck. My chain, although dirty (and now having been rained on), seems to work all right and it has not yet stretched enough to warrant a replacement. When must I change it due to the rust? :p
Tough to say without seeing it. Remember, that what you see is on the outside. The important stuff is on the inside. Of course, rust anywhere is not a good thing. Rust never sleeps.
As it takes only a few moments and zero technical skill to clean and lube a chain properly there is no reason to let it rust. So my advise would be to clean it (some orange cleaner and a chain brush and some elbow grease work wonders) and give it a closer look. If it was light surface stuff you could tell that after getting it clean, which it sounds like it needs anyway. Then lube it if it is only 'a speck'.
I don't guess about the chain, I give it a visual after every ride and wipe/lube/wipe every 2 or 3 rides. Every 5 or so it gets a full cleaning and I use a chain-checker regularly. Call me neurotic about it but my chain looks as clean as the rest of the bike. About a month ago, the chain on my MTB actually had a bad link- it was literally pried open at one link and about to come apart. It might have taken out my new XT rear derailleur had I not checked the chain and just ridden it again. Maybe I am not so neurotic after all.
When the links start freezing into place, you probably need to replace the chain. If it's superficial surface rust, a little cleaning and lubing should do the trick.
I actually had 2 chains rust on me from over-cleaning. (I'm a jeweler, so my idea of clean was apparently a little overzealous) I've switched to a heavier duty lube, since I ride in damp, salty conditions, and that has helped.
They don't seem to be stiff and I just cleaned it (will lube it when it dries) so I'll see if that helps :) It didn't look like link-movement-restriction rust--it looks mostly cosmetic. I'll keep on using it until it stretches or the links get stiff :)
If I ride when it's wet or I wash the bike but wait a few days before I relube the chain I will sometimes get some rust spots. After I lube everything seems fine.
I wouldn't sweat a little surface rust. Lube it, and you're good to go.
Redrhodie- what lube are you using? I'm not right on the coast, but we get our share of salt air, especially if the wind's blowing right.
My new heavy duty lube is Cross Country Finish Line Wet Lubricant for extreme conditions.
For my commute bike, I just don't care whether it has rust or not, even though it is responsible for my daily rides. :D