New Bike Bag Damaged Paintwork

mikelister

I purchased a triangle bike bag to assist me on a 225 mile charity bike ride. Once I took it off to clean my bike I noticed that it had severely rubbed the paintwork on the frame. Whilst some rub was inevitable I did not expect it to rub all the way through to the aluminium. A product designed to be placed against the frame should be designed not to rub in this way. The bag is manufactured by Deuter. My bike is only 6 weeks old and has been massively devalued.

I have emailed the supplier for comment although not overly sure what they can/will do. Personally I feel they have sold me a defective product as if this is one weeks use, imagine what a month would be like.

Just posting this as a story of caution and wondering if other people had had similar experiences.

cougie

User error ! Never put anything like that on the paint direct. Why didn't you put a couple of wraps of insulation tape around the frame to protect it ? I learnt this as a kid. Of course things will rub.

mikelister

Not all of us had an upbringings like yours. I had thought that something designed to be fixed to the frame wouldn't be made of sandpaper but I guess that was my error. The product doesn't say 'item may rub off paint in only a week' on it. Sometimes you just have to learn the hard way but a little help from manufacturers would be appreciated.

sloppyschleckonds

mikelister wrote:

My bike is only 6 weeks old and has been massively devalued.

Are you selling it?

imposter2.0

mikelister wrote:

I have emailed the supplier for comment although not overly sure what they can/will do.

Hopefully, they will tell you to get a grip.

flasher

I think you're all being a bit harsh, it's a product designed (badly by the sound of things) to carry a bike, not to rub the paint off.

imposter2.0

Flasher wrote:

I think you're all being a bit harsh, it's a product designed (badly by the sound of things) to carry a bike, not to rub the paint off.

Maybe you should read the thread again.

flasher

Imposter wrote:

Maybe you should read the thread again.

All the same it shouldn't rub the paint off.

Baron Greenback

Well im surprised at the tone of some if the replies in here. However, I am finding it to be a fairly common theme on these forums!

Unfortunately, it is kind of common sense for some, but it's the sort if thing you need to experience for yourself I guess. Yes, it would help if the manufacturers suggested that it might happen, either in their literature or on the packaging.

I recently fitted a saddle bag to my bike. There is an elasticated strap that secures it to the seatpost. I fully expect that when I remove it, it will have rubbed away at the paint / anodizing.

Cougie's suggestion of insulation tape seems like a good idea. I have no experience of how this will degrade over time though, after washes etc.

Mikelister, when you come to sell the bike you might just need to sell the bag with it!

cougie

If you expected rub - why didn't you think to protect the frame? OK I've not seen anything rubbing through to the metal before but I've always padded it and I'm thinking there was a bit of weight in it?

As soon as you buy a bike it's worth half what you paid for it so it might not have devalued it as much as you think.

It might be worth getting a respray if the bike is worth it.

imposter2.0

Baron Greenback wrote:

Yes, it would help if the manufacturers suggested that it might happen, either in their literature or on the packaging.

Basic common sense tells you it might happen.

Anonymous

Did you buy it from wiggle?

Anonymous

I am thinking that its not the product that damaged the bike, but any abrasive dirt that got between it and the frame.

There is a reason why most people on here would never, ever, put a triangle bag on their bike.
Another is because it might damage it.

rolf_f

I think people could be a bit more sympathetic though Cougie makes a good point. Insulation tape lasts pretty well and, of course, is easily replaced. Maybe just put some on very neatly were the bag goes - if you were going to use the bag regularly you'd probably end up putting tape on those spots all the time anyway.

svetty

Touch up paint and use tape next time....

mikelister

Just a bit of an update and posting whilst a little calmer. A little surprised by a lack of sympathy from some people but maybe the tone of my initial post set that up however what might seem like common sense to one person, will be a first time experience for someone else.

I'd never used a frame bag before and was literally using it for this 2 day ride from London to Manchester to give me a bit of extra storage capacity due to the variable autumnal weather. It wasn't a long term plan, if it was I might have considered rubbing a bit more seriously but I am really surprised by how quickly it has rubbed through.

I've since been in contact with the supplier who have expressed concern that the bag has rubbed through to the frame in such a short time, essentially 16 hours. They did also suggest using tape to me in their email but there is no mention of it on the product literature. Considering the top edge of the bag is about 25cm long that is a lot of tape to use. If it rubbed through to the frame would tape have actually provided decent protection?

The bag has been returned to the supplier as they wish to inspect it, they also suggested that it may have been some dirt but the polished nature of the mark and the visibility of paint on the bag suggests it is purely bag rub.

keef66

Sounds like an abrasive frame bag meets a frame finished in watercolours...16 hours isn't a very long time.

What's the bike going to look like after 5 years of wear and tear??/

chris_bass

mikelister wrote:

Considering the top edge of the bag is about 25cm long that is a lot of tape to use. If it rubbed through to the frame would tape have actually provided decent protection?

did the bag rub the paint off across the whole 25cm? or just where you fasten it to the frame?

I find it a bit hard to see how a bag can rub the paint off in such a short time if it is fastened correctly, it'd need to be swinging around a lot to make that much damage i'd have thought.

what did you have in it? how heavy was it?

fenix

A lot of people use gorilla tape on their bikes for areas that are prone to rub - so where the cables are up against the frame.

It is tougher than paint.

Was it raining at any time on the ride - if so it could well be dirt thats splashed up and helped the abrasive process. I cant see that it would look any different to if it had just been the bag rubbing at the paint.

What frame was it btw ?

slowbike

IME a bit of insulation tape goes a long way - it doesn't take much to rub through paint.
If they had put a warning on the bag packaging - would you have read it? I doubt many ppl would - so they'd be on here moaning that the kit supplier should've made the warning more obvious - or perhaps the bike manufacturers should include a warning about connecting anything to their bikes ...

yes - it's a pita, but it's an obvious issue - just look at the cranks on most bikes - the anodising worn away ... no warnings on the shoes or the cranks ...

mikelister

Using a bike will result in some general wear and tear but in my experience this takes a while to occur. What really surprised me by this is how quickly the paint has been worn off. Part of the ride was wet and part of it muddy but this wasn't prolonged use over weeks/months but a couple of days.

Here are a couple of photos from the underside of the top tube so fortunately not very visible when I'm riding:

thefd

mikelister wrote:

whilst some rub was inevitable I did not expect it to rub all the way through to the aluminium.

mikelister wrote:

Using a bike will result in some general wear and tear but in my experience this takes a while to occur. What really surprised me by this is how quickly the paint has been worn off. Part of the ride was wet and part of it muddy but this wasn't prolonged use over weeks/months but a couple of days.

Here are a couple of photos from the underside of the top tube so fortunately not very visible when I'm riding:

From what I can see it isn't through to the aluminium???

navrig2

TheFD wrote:

mikelister wrote:

whilst some rub was inevitable I did not expect it to rub all the way through to the aluminium.

mikelister wrote:

Using a bike will result in some general wear and tear but in my experience this takes a while to occur. What really surprised me by this is how quickly the paint has been worn off. Part of the ride was wet and part of it muddy but this wasn't prolonged use over weeks/months but a couple of days.

Here are a couple of photos from the underside of the top tube so fortunately not very visible when I'm riding:

From what I can see it isn't through to the aluminium???

I had some sympathy for the OP until he posted these. Certainly not as disastrous as he suggested.

fenix

Touch it up with some airfix paint if it bothers you. Otherwise just ride the bike. Not as dramatic as you made out.

k-dog

TheFD wrote:

From what I can see it isn't through to the aluminium???

It's that special red aluminium innit?

noodleman

Helicopter tape is what you want. Most bikes come with patches of it already stuck on behind brake and gear cables. I've had soft tri bags take the gloss off one of my frames and that only ever had a few gels in it.
Not really sure you can put any blame on the manufacturer. Even garmin mounts make a mark over time and whether your frame got marked in 16 hours or 6 months is slightly irrelevant. Without any frame protection you're asking for trouble. Buy a dura ace or ultegra crank and see how long the finish on those lasts without protection. I got marks on an ultegra crank after one ride but didn't complain to sidi that their shoes were to blame.