>>2022317This
>>2022327 .
Also make sure that, in the position you habitually store your bike, there is drain holes at the lowest points. So BB when upright, rear dropouts when hung up etc.
Traditionally all steel bikes were rusty inside, because they were spray painted externally and that was it. They would rust but not fail in ages. If they would you'd just replace the tube or part (often the brake or chainstay bridge).
My dedicated winter bike, picrel, is all 4130 and I've decided to cook up paraffine wax with paraffine oil in a ratio that seems right. Apply by stuffing a bottle brush through all tubes. Dip smaller parts like forks and rear dropouts. Make sure all drain holes are free and do their job after this.
But yeah, the salt actually fucks: Hubs, BBs, spoke nipples and rims, brakes, driveline components.
