Big chip in fork: longevity? options?

drhaggis
drhaggis Posts: 1,150
edited January 2019 in Workshop
Hi,

I found a big chip of paint in the fork crown (?) while cleaning my bike yesterday. This is shown below:
f2SoGxU.jpg
This is an Al 2016 Giant Defy 2 w/a carbon fork according to specs. I was very disappointed to see this, because although that bike has seen almost three winters of commuting, and using the dirty, gritted shared paths in Edinburgh, I didn't really feel like I was neglecting the bike. Obviously, I was wrong. To make things worse, I found out last december the front brake screw had seized.

Given this I was wondering the following:
  • is the fork's longevity actually compromised?
  • is it worth "painting" over, or doing something to stop further damage?
  • Are full maintenance or things like tear & wear replacements on cassete/chain worth it, or should I just save for the next bike?
  • Would this be sellable at all?

Comments

  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Looks like the exposed bit is aluminium, on which case you have very little to worry about.

    Well, actually you have very little to worry about anyway, paint isn't structural.
  • joe2008
    joe2008 Posts: 1,531
    That just looks like a paint chip to me.

    Of course maintenance and replacements are worth it, no one buys a new bike because their chain or cassette needs replacing. :D
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    Thanks for the tips. I wonder where the fork stops being aluminium and starts being the advertised carbon. If it's aluminium only the outer bit should rust and not propagate, right?

    And to clarify things, rather than buying a new bike instead of changing cassette, my point was more in the direction of throwing good money to a bad bike.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183
    I looked at that pic and thought that it looks like the carbon forks on my (alu) Giant SCR circa 2008. This was the previous incarnation of the Defy.

    Exact same paint erosion appeared when I unbolted the brakes, after about 2 years. 8 years on it still looks much the same.
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    OK, thanks. It's a relief; I'd be quite pissed to have a serious issue with a bike that's 2.5 years old and has only about 8000 miles.

    I've just checked Giant's warranty, and it's 10 years for the fork but only one year for the paint finish. Consumer law says the product should be fit for purpose for 5 years, but at this point the onus would be on me showing it was the mfg's fault and not my neglect.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Have you had mudguards fitted to it?

    One of my old winter bikes lost paint in exactly the same position and it was because of the raceblades rubbing.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    looks like fibreglass to me... :-/
    left the forum March 2023
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    redvision wrote:
    Have you had mudguards fitted to it?

    One of my old winter bikes lost paint in exactly the same position and it was because of the raceblades rubbing.

    SKS raceblades. Two weeks ago :-/
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    DrHaggis wrote:
    redvision wrote:
    Have you had mudguards fitted to it?

    One of my old winter bikes lost paint in exactly the same position and it was because of the raceblades rubbing.

    SKS raceblades. Two weeks ago :-/

    That's what's done it.

    Get some nail varnish on it and then adjust the raceblades to sit further back so they cannot touch the fork. Might also be worth putting a lizard skin patch there, just incase the guards do slip and hit the fork again.

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