Rusted Conditioning

Have you ever noticed that all bicycles have some rust on them after a short while beyond initial purchase?

This is because of two reasons:

1. The cheap bikes are wholly or partially made from cheap Chinese recycled steel, and/or

2. Even expensive bikes have plenty of high tensile steel components, such as bolts and sprockets and chains, that rust like crazy.

In the modern era we’d never accept rust on a car but we do on our bikes.

I’d say this is because they all do it and most people have never asked the question. They just learn to ignore the rust.

It says a lot about human conditioning.

All it needs is one enterprising entrepreneur to build the ‘will not rust, ever’ bike and the game’s up.