Frame Saver
Frame Saver is an aerosol that coats the inside of a steel bicycle frame to prevent rust. Carbon fiber and aluminum frames comprise most of the bicycle market share these days -- have for a while -- but many cyclists still prefer the ride quality of steel frames. Also, the fixed-gear trend has granted a second life to thousands of ’80s-era steel bikes over the past few years.
While the paint on the exterior of the bicycle frame's tubes prevents rust, there's no rust-protection on the inside unless Frame Saver, or something similar (such as Boeshield T-9), has been applied. It's arguable that if you take good care of your bike, pull the seatpost and let the bicycle dry upside down after rain rides, rust won't be a problem, but using Frame Saver is inexpensive insurance for what can be a costly investment. I've applied it and found it solidly in place, with no trace of rust, many years later.
The easiest route is to apply Frame Saver (or have your local shop do it) before your bike is initially built up. A can generally coats two frames, and it can extend the life of your frame/fork indefinitely. If you’re going to use it on a bike that’s already built, it’s best to strip the bike completely before applying; the bottom bracket and headset regions are particularly vulnerable to moisture.
Peter Weigle, the manufacturer, is a highly regarded framebuilder and has posted some beautiful photos of his handmade bikes on Flickr.
Available from Amazon
Favorite (15)
Emmett O'Brian
What would be the difference between this and say a can of Rustolium or undercoating. Twelve dollars is pretty steep for a can of paint.
If it does have special properties such as flowing into crevices it would be interesting to me for non bicycle uses. A little more info would be really useful other than "rust is bad, this works".
Harvey Sachs
Weigle Frame-Saver and BoeShield T-9. are not paint, but some elegant combination that seems to include penetrants/surface tension reducers and a waxy stuff that really likes to make a continuous air/moisture barrier everywhere. Cleans up with mineral spirits. I've heard of folks using BoeShield as a chain lube. At least the Weigle product comes with a skinny injector tube like WD-40, so it's easy to apply through vent holes in the chain stays, etc. Disclosure: I'm honored that J. Peter Weigle is a friend, and that he sold me a lovely frame he made for himself. And included a couple of cans of the product, which I've used as intended, and on some bolts being installed outdoors. An experiment.
mostly cajun
Before Frame-saver and Boeshield, there was (and still is) Line Oil, also called "Lion Oil", meant to be introduced into the steel tube frames of aircraft. And a quart costs $7.70 and has been around for decades. People who work with vintage aircraft know what it is. And before that, boiled linseed oil was used for the same task. You can buy linseed oil at your local hardware store. Of course, it doesn't have the fancy label and price...
chaws
I'm somewhat skeptical. Maybe I just haven't owned a bike long enough, but I've never seen one rust from the inside-out. If anyone has personal experience with the problem this aerosol claims to fix, please post.
Z
Chaws-
Maybe you don't ride all year round on a steel bike, but I do, and when you pull a BB on a commuter bicycle, you will find plenty of water/rust. A frame, even when built, isn't completely sealed to the environment, so even if it doesn't get water directly in it, water can still condense inside the frame tubes. Whether or not FS is worth the price is something people on the bob list can argue about, but what is $13 to someone who just dropped $4000 on a Riv or Ant?
Z
Greg
I don't recall if this is the same stuff I used years ago, but here's a warning. In the 80s, I purchased a new Bianchi Superleggera in the fall of the year and decided to treat the inside of the frame tubes with this or something like this product in preparation for those early spring wet rides. It was quite cool outside and when I sprayed the stuff into the frame, it went on like foam insulation, i.e., thick and foamy. I didn't know any different so I coated the inside of the frame as best I could with this stuff then took the frameset indoors and set in the rec room. I left it and came back hours later. Apparently, as the frame warmed up, the "foam" turned back to its natural liquid state and ran out all over my carpet. What a mess! But the frame never rusted.
Greg
William
Responding to "chaws" above:
I had the chainstays on my steel single-speed rust right through in six years. I have no control group, but rust from the inside definitely happens. This is in Toronto, where I rode in the winter, and the roads are salted, so YMMV.
George Cochrane
Frame Saver is very highly regarded by bike nerds- it really works. Priceless vintage steel frames and rarefied high-$$$ custom jobs cost hundreds-to-thousands, and half a $13 can of stuff that's been specifically tweaked for the purpose is really not a big investment, considering the increase in longevity that can be gained.
Why do people spray Scotch-Gard on wet-weather clothes? Why not just soak 'em in petroleum jelly, eh?
Tom Hickman
I'm a big fan of this stuff, and can possibly clear up some misconceptions. It's basically aerosolized cosmoline. If you've ever bought a new or military surplus weapon, you've dealt with cosmoline. It's a sticky, waterproof grease, almost like a wax coating. A single can of this stuff coats about 3 steel frames. $13 for this, versus $2000 for a lugged steel road racing frame is a no-brainer.
More on cosmolinme here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmoline
Barrie Sutcliffe
If you can find a can of LocTite Rust Prevention, it's basically the same compound and is cheaper too. 5-56 by CRC in Europe is also similar and cheaper still. Both are made by huge companies, so the price is low.
These are the kind of compounds that can do a dozen things but are usually only advertised to do one.
If you need these can be washed away with brake cleaner or similar strong solvents.