Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) were used to investigate the adsorption and decomposition of propene on the Ru(0001) single-crystal surface. Propene was found to adsorb at 153 K predominantly in a molecular form, but with some dehydrogenation. Annealing the surface to 203 K produced adsorbed propylidyne species. At 233 K ethylidyne and propylidyne were found to coexist but by 293 K the propylidyne species had decomposed completely to give ethylidyne and some CxH species on the surface.