Repair of paint work on carbon frame

[mwktar]

Just getting ready to head out on my bike and saw this (ser photo). No idea how it happened.

Not being the most knowledgeable on these things, can anyone advise if this looks purely cosmetic? Also an idea of if this can be repaired and how much (ballpark)

 

[mwktar]

Sorry will have to use this
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8x3lgv90wgyci2j/IMG_20150913_083544446_HDR.jpg?dl=0

 

[mwktar]

Also just noticed this on the frame. Heard so many horror stories about carbon think I might be seeing the boogey man!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/virav071qmoctb5/IMG_20150913_084730980_HDR.jpg?dl=0

 

[Levo-Lon]

Its a paint chip..
repair is a touch up kit price.try halfords..£10

its a carbon frame so it wont rust or make it weaken.

 

[mwktar]

Thanks, second looks like just a paint work crack according to this:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/bikes-frames-forks/carbon-frame-hairline-crack-common-222771.html

Have taken a PIC to monitor

 

[Levo-Lon]

The mark on the frame is best checked in the dark with a small bright light .
if its on the seat tube shine a light down the tube seat removed, and if thers light escaping at this mark you have a frame crack.


Hopefully just a paint issue

 

[EltonFrog]

Take a pencil or a bic biro and gently tap it around the area of the hairline up and down the frame. It should give you an indication of any thing serious if there is a significant change in the tone as you tap.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Just getting ready to head out on my bike and saw this (ser photo). No idea how it happened.

Not being the most knowledgeable on these things, can anyone advise if this looks purely cosmetic? Also an idea of if this can be repaired and how much (ballpark)

I've been using nail polish to touch up chips on carbon forks.

 

[Globalti]

In the first pic the thick, brittle glossy paint has chipped. Get some nail polish and dab it in to refill the gap.

In the second pic the thick, brittle glossy paint has cracked, this is called a witness crack and it shows flexing in the underlying carbon, which is what carbon does. Keep an eye on it and carry on riding.

 

[mwktar]

Done! Used the nail polish as advised. Since it's a new bike (5 weeks) and it was my first chip I think in my head it was a lot larger and deeper than when I just inspected.

Cheers for the tips etc guys, will keep, my eye on that cracking and make sure it is the paint

 

[mwktar]

I used clear nail polish - wondering now if I shoulda used black......

 

[Citius]

I used clear nail polish - wondering now if I shoulda used black......

Well, yeah...

 

[mwktar]

What a pleb like

 

[mwktar]

No idea why my brain told me to use clear

 

[Globalti]

I went to Boots to buy some red nail varnish to touch up my frame. I took along a tiny chip of paint from a dropout, attached to a bit of Sellotape. The young assistant in Boots clearly thought I was a trannie and went into full "here to help" mode, exercising all her sensitivity and discretion. Every time she picked up a bottle of varnish she nearly said: "This is nice, this will really suit y......" but she performed superbly. As I left the shop I could almost hear her thinking: "Wow! I'm glad I did my diversity training! I think I dealt with that really well!"

Of course the colour, which had looked close in the bottle, was nowhere close once dried on the frame.

Here's a witness crack on the junction of alloy dropout and carbon tube. It was like this for several thousand miles without change: