Scratches

[Jim77]

Does anyone have any recommendations of if or how to treat scratches on your bike?

I have scratched the end of my crankset and have heard some people use clear nail polish on scratches to seal them from moisture getting in. Any one heard of this or have any other ideas?

Cheers.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I treat scratches as wear and tear of a well used and abused life...

 

[spence]

Carbon or ally? The nail varnish thing was touted as a fix for scratched lacquer on carbon stuff, don't know if it does anything....

...anyway each scratch, bash and ding should be cherished as memories of the good times had out on the bike.

 

[mondobongo]

Your crankset is going to take some scratching and scuffing by the very nature of going off road, also make sure you have a chainstay protector fitted to take the hits from a rattling chain. Look at the contact points were the cables meet your frame and put a little piece of electricians tape or you can buy sticky patches which do the same thing to prevent cable rub


Chips and scratches can be covered up with either nail polish or Car touch up paint.
I am with Fab Foodie though that on an MTB they are battle scars and should be worn with honour.

 

[RedBike]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking pride/care of your equipment but with MTBs I think you've just got to accept that if you're using them they will get scratched / bashed about.

It's very common if you're riding in rocky terrain to hit the rocks with your cranks putting deep scratches in them.

 

[Lion]

Ok heres where my very bad obsession for car correction shines through..

Yest its a MTB, but with a little time and hard work you can definately keep it near showroom fresh.
How deep are the scratches? Can you catch your nail in it? If not they will come out with ease.
Most scratches can be removed if there not down to the primer / metal.
As a first step i'd try something like Meguiars Scratch X, sold in most good car accessory shops such as Halfords, retails at app £7.99.
Or have a look for some Poorboys SSR (you can buy this on ebay, and online stores)
This should take the worse of it out, dont be afraid to really work it in, its not a vey harsh abraisive, so you wont burn your paint or anything like that.
A good polish can mask some of the deeper scratches, AutoGlym SRP does a good job.
If it is very deep scratches, how about a paint touch up pen? Take your bike along, and they should be able to mix you a near perfect match.
I personally wouldnt use Nail Varnish.
And i would reccomend waxing it with a good car wax say every 4 weeks.
(i did mention i was a little obsessed )


This is the sort of results i usually get from the Poorboys SSR, allthough i dont have any pics of anything really deep atm
Before & After

 

[Panter]

I tend to carefully cover mine with more scratches, dents and scrapes

 

[globalfish]

I tend to carefully cover mine with more scratches, dents and scrapes

Ooh yeah - way to go dude

 

[Globalti]

As others have written above, scratches are merely the scars of honourable hard work and use. Now damage from abuse or negelect - that's another thing.

If the lacqer is scratched through there's not much you can do about it, just keep riding.

 

[GilesM]

Chainrings and cranks on mtbs are supposed to be scratched, and as most have already mentioned you should be proud of the scratches.

 

[Black Sheep]

also make sure you have a chainstay protector fitted to take the hits from a rattling chain.

Those neoprene protectors are soo over rated, they get eaten away by the chain quickly and hold water and grit against the paint.

take an old inner tube, cut in half, cut along the folds to get a strip of tube

start at the drop out end and start wrapping round the tube similar to bar tape for a road bike, stretching it on

secure with zip ties

cheap and virtually indestructible.