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BicycleTutor.com is a great site for home mechanics. Some of the material covered is pretty basic, but for thousands of beginners, the videos are incredibly helpful. And even seasoned cyclists might learn a trick or two, especially since the website takes advantage of reader comments. Take for example, this video on removing surface rust. The tutorial is spot on, yet a reader was able to point out that bronze wool or brass wool works even better than steel wool. Cool.
Check out this and other tutorials at www.bicycletutor.com.
But wait! There’s another, possibly better, technique. Aluminum foil and water.
Ball up a piece of plain old kitchen aluminum, dip it in water, and scrub away. As long as the rust hasn’t eaten through the chrome it’ll be wiped away in seconds. The magic is chemical not abrasive.
The down side to abrasives is that you actually break up the chrome and encourage the return of the rust.
Another bonus to the foil technique: no chemicals! I have enough tri-flow (read: teflon) in my blood that I could lube a chain with a paper cut.
Thanks for posting this, I needed a good bike maintenance site.
I took the rust off my wheels with a tiny bit of water and a sponge with a scrub backing. Took it all off, left it shiny, and the rust didn’t come back. I have some pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquadublavee/2529156704/in/set-72157605308234555/