Drill holes in bike frame?

Peter Cole writes:

I don't recall that quip but vent holes in my bicycle frame are
brazed shut. You can solicit testimonials from people who have
ridden many miles over many years with no internal rust problems on
their ancient frames. This sort of fear sells useless ointments
and gives bike owners (not to be confused with riders) something to
do and fret over.

On the other hand, I have seen a few frames that have rusted through
to failure. These were all at the chainstay, a more vulnerable
location than the bottom bracket. One of these frames was stored in
a warm, seaside area, the others were ridden in New England winters.
Salts used to treat roads here can be very corrosive, much worse
than simple riding in the rain.

I assume you mean the chainstays rusted from the inside. How did the
water get in there and if that was obvious, why was it allowed to get
in there? You imply that the external atmosphere caused internal rust.
That sounds like the sales pitch of a frame elixir. In contrast,
bicycles ridden in snowy areas with salt on the roads don't fail
regularly but their rims don't hold a shine.

Most riders don't ride in these briny conditions, and many of those
who do use "beater" bikes, but it can be a problem. If you ride a
good bike in these conditions, it's probably worth the $10 to buy a
can of the stuff that's made to solve the problem.

Why are "beater bikes" less susceptible to internal rust than more
expensive ones? Thanks for the $10 pitch. I'll have to consider that
with the many miles I have ridden with the same bicycle. Just think
how many products you could buy and add to your bicycle under the
motto better safe than sorry. There's a large market for that today.

Jobst Brandt