Paintwork

LeicesterLad

Heres the deal, currently riding a Carerra TdF Ltd, covered about 350 miles, and already a few noticeable small circular chips in the black paintwork at the rear-end, deep enough to feel the difference in level, and obviously the metalic/white chips look a bit nasty on the black paintwork. Is this just the result of a cheap(ish) halfords bike? I say this because i have a 25 year old black raleigh frame that has covered about a gozzilion miles and it has scuffs and some wear, but literally NO back to the metal chips!

Anyway, just a general question, and wondered if anyone else has noticed anything similar, is it just to be expected? is paint not as good as it used to be?

Thinking of getting one of those little car touch up kits with black paint to fill in the chips with on a yearly basis to keep the frame looking fresh, anybody else do this?

Cheers.

ptr_

I would put it down to a cheap finish, the Carrera TdF is a very budget orientated bike. I ride an old (2003) Specialized Allez Comp frame and although it has its share of scratches and peeling lacquer, there are almost no stone chips.

Get the touch up pen

merak

+1 for the car touch up kits - I use them to repair chip marks which are inevitable.

Hoopdriver

As I understand it environmental laws that have been passed in recent years have forced a change in the chemical composition of most paints and this has left the finish more brittle and susceptible to chipping and flaking.

LeicesterLad

merak wrote:

+1 for the car touch up kits - I use them to repair chip marks which are inevitable.

Any one particular company you recommend? Ive been looking and everything is 'mid-alaskan green' and 'marbled-lake blue'. To be honest, i just need black, and not for £35 either.

thel33ter

The Halfords (surprise surprise) near me has a nice selection, although I've never looked at prices or anything.

fludey

Mate of mine used helicopter tape on his mountain bike to stop chips on his down tube, possibly too late but might be worth a go.

ptr_

LeicesterLad wrote:

merak wrote:

+1 for the car touch up kits - I use them to repair chip marks which are inevitable.

Any one particular company you recommend? Ive been looking and everything is 'mid-alaskan green' and 'marbled-lake blue'. To be honest, i just need black, and not for £35 either.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... ||Price||1

(you'll have to copy and paste, doesn't seem to autolink)

£8.49 with a wide variety of choice, but to be honest it's all black so just pick whatever. You can also get just the black pen without primer or lacquer for £5.49. I've got a set of those pens for my car, a difficult to match dark blue Audi and in fairness to Halfords it's an excellent match and useful for covering large stone chips.

Thelittlesthobo

Not sure if its the case in the bike industry but in the motor industry you now hav to use expensive water based paints. These are much more susceptable to chips etc. Old two pack was much more durable.

Does seem extensive on your bike though. My trek has done over 2000km recently and not a single stone chip.

I always feel that a gloss finish is more prone to stone chips. One of the attractions of the matt finish on my trek

rolf_f

Thelittlesthobo wrote:

I always feel that a gloss finish is more prone to stone chips. One of the attractions of the matt finish on my trek

Until you try to polish a scratch out..........!

Peddle Up!

Hoopdriver wrote:

As I understand it environmental laws that have been passed in recent years have forced a change in the chemical composition of most paints and this has left the finish more brittle and susceptible to chipping and flaking.

This is almost certainly the cause. On my old cars, you could only chip off flakes of paint with a bit of force, and they were 2mm thick. On my last four new cars, one sneeze is enough to cause a paint chip. I think it's down to the use of a lot of water-based, or low volatile paint systems which are frankly rubbish IMHO.

P_Tucker

Hoopdriver wrote:

As I understand it environmental laws that have been passed in recent years have forced a change in the chemical composition of most paints and this has left the finish more brittle and susceptible to chipping and flaking.

Yet another reason to order directly from China - no pesky environmental bolleaux there. Lead paint for everyone!

NB its quite possible that nothing above is true

LeicesterLad

Cheers for the input everyone, looks like a trip to Halfords for me then!

andrewlwood

Thelittlesthobo wrote:

Not sure if its the case in the bike industry but in the motor industry you now hav to use expensive water based paints. These are much more susceptable to chips etc. Old two pack was much more durable.

Does seem extensive on your bike though. My trek has done over 2000km recently and not a single stone chip.

I always feel that a gloss finish is more prone to stone chips. One of the attractions of the matt finish on my trek

My last cannon dale with a matt finish was soft as butter - lean it against a wall and you're down to bare metal - but my current trek survived a pretty decent off a few weeks ago without a mark - seriously tough paint/sticker job - a really thick, tough coat of laquer.