Chipped carbon frame

ashleymp777

What a moose! I was racing yesterday at the 'Are you tough enough?' event, and on lap 2 I looked down at my back wheel as a branch had got caught up on the gears. Unfortunately I was approaching drop-off and crashed down it

The handlebars twisted and the break leaver has made a chip on the top tube. Now its not a massive chip, but would the best idea be to put a small amount of lacquer on it?! And if so, where would I get from?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

nicklouse

Not lacquer but some resin would be better. talk you your local spesh dealer.

But pics please.

ashleymp777

Mmm, good point! Might see what they have to say!

paradox1509

Sorry to hear about ur chip, I have a carbon spesh too... Specialized recommend clear nail varnish, although i would rather use clear laquer. I use autoglym high resin polish and then High gloss protection for minor scratch protection, i think it works well.

But here is what the experts say at Specialized for general carbon tips:


So we have heard lots of questions about carbon fiber these days, and lots of Riders Club members have been writing to ask about caring for their carbon bikes. So us in the Carbon Engineering department sat down and put together this little tip sheet, to help you get the most from your carbon bike or components. Enjoy!

Carbon Tips from the Engineers at Specialized Bicycles

1. Do not use grease on any Carbon seatposts or Carbon seat tubes. What we have started to use in the shop is a product from TACX called Dynamic assembly compound. We have found that this product works very well with all the carbon products.

2. Always use a torque wrench! This is a VERY important tool for carbon fiber frame owners to have. It is much harder to determine the torque on a bolt by feel with carbon than it is with alloy. Overtorquing is probably the biggest cause of cracks that we see in carbon products.

3. It is fine to wash the bikes with soapy water and a hose, and like any bike, it's never a good idea to aim the water directly at bearings (headsets, cranks, etc). We recommend hosing the bike off, then washing with a brush, sponge and a bucket of warm soapy water of diluted Simple Green. Finally, rinse carefully.

4. After a wash, use Pledge furniture polish or something like Pedro's bike lust to put a nice new shine back onto the bike.

5. If you have any stone chips or have had chain suck, then it is a good idea to protect the raw carbon finish with either a clear tape or some clear nail polish.

6. If a frame has been crashed, you should always have it inspected by your dealer.

7. When cutting components (handlebars and seatposts, etc):

- We recommend using a carbon-specific hacksaw blade. These blades essentially “sand” through the carbon instead of tearing through with teeth, which tend to fray and splinter the fibers in the composite. It’s also good practice to wrap the carbon with tape before cutting, though this is less necessary when using a carbon-specific blade.

- Pay particular attention to the orientation of the seat collar. When using a carbon post, it’s very important to have the seat collar slot on the opposite side of the seat tube slot. This helps disperse loads better, reducing the possibility of pinching and crushing the seat post, as well as reducing frame damage. Diagonally slotted seat collars are highly recommended, and proper torque is crucial to long component and frame life

ashleymp777

Paradox,

Thanks very much for that! Greatly appreciated!!!!!

Where would you recomend getting some clear lacquer from!?! Sorry for being dumb, but I've never had any reason to buy any so far!

Mancunianfightingcat

a lot of car touch ups come with a laquer too, try Halfords, they might sell the lacquer on its own

clicky

paradox1509

Ur welcome Ashley, you will be able to buy it from any car accessory shop, you can get it in a touch up pot with a small brush for about a fiver i think...

allthegearnoidea

you cold actually get some poolyester resin and hardener for a fiver too !

on my carbon hard tail, i've used a resin wash as such to protect the area's under the cable run's, the chain stay, etc. and have added an aditional Carbon wrap over the down tube to prevent any chipping to the frame!

has worked well so far! had a few stones chip the resin and not the frame!!

paradox1509

Interesting... where can you get this from m8? also does it take much skill to apply?

Thx...

allthegearnoidea

you can get the resin from most auto factors, halfords or any wholesalers(normally in a yellow conatainer with a boat/car/caravan on the label), all you need to apply it is a paint brush and a small tub!
i normally use an old aerosol can lid! pour the resin in, add a little hardenenr (not too much or you'll turn the resin pink!) and brush it on! simple as that!

paradox1509

Thx m8 i will give it a whirl