Worth 'touching up' paint on alluminium frame?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
I can see the benefit from touching up scratches on a steel frame to prevent it rusting.

I have an alluminium frame and wonder if attending to the scratches is worth it?

I know alluminium corrodes but not in the same way as steel and much more slowly, so is it OK to just leave it?
 

Paulus

Started young, and still going.
Location
Barnet,
Hi there, personally I wouldn't bother, you won't be able to get an exact match so it will look odd.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Worth doing as you can get corrosion spreading under the paint which looks a right mess. The material oxidises under the paint and lifts it causing bubbling.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DRM

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
573735

The rear triangle on this old 2007 Trek I rescued was badly scratched so I painted it satin black rather than silver which you will never match. Looks okay.
Paint is missing on other parts but you can't really see it unless you look closely.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I know alluminium corrodes but not in the same way as steel and much more slowly, so is it OK to just leave it?
Worth doing as you can get corrosion spreading under the paint which looks a right mess. The material oxidises under the paint and lifts it causing bubbling.
Alloy corrosion looks horrific when it sets in.
That's what I've got. Looks bloody awful ☹
For example - my singlespeed bike's frame. I was given the frame and it already had some damage to the paintwork where the band-on front mech. had been attached. It has got worse since then...

573763
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
That has got me thinking about trying to stop the rot before it gets even worse!

I aim to put gears back on the bike and take it down to Devon to leave at my sister's new home there. It would be nice if it didn't rot away altogether in between post-Covid holidays... :whistle:
 
Top Bottom