>From my small experience working with untreated steel, I would say that t
here's some confusion concerning rust (or oxidation) as a protective coatin
g. Rust will protect the steel underneath for a time. Eventually, howev
er, the object will rust away. I think, however, that in this case
, the argument is that existing rust can be prevented from progressing.
I think it's safe to assume that no one wants to inherit a pile of dust --n
ot that we could live long enough for it to matter. The question is how fa
r beyond stabilization should the owner of a particular bike go, if he in
herits it with rust.
I may be naive, but the question about value was interesting. Would a He rse that had been carefully maintained --sans rust-- for 50 years be more o r less value than a similar model with rust? However, I think the argume nt is really about the quality of restoration possible. If "perfect" resto rations were possible, the appeal of vintage bicycle patina would probabl y remain.
A sincere question: I was thinking about "that new car smell" affect and I wondered whether newness or the state of mint condition also be considered patina when it comes to bicycles? Well, I'm having my Marcel Proust mom ent recalling looking at my first classic bike --which wasn't yet a classic . Anyway, a similar feeling of appreciation might apply to a bicycle tha t has been consistently well cared for.
At any rate, this discussion has been extremely enlightening.
Steve James
Bronx, NY USA
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