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Hey Chaps,
I've had a new bike for a couple of days, and noticed the colour looked a bit weird after a ride yesterday, and then noticed some paint cracking.
The discolouration is on one pattern on the frame only, and is only where I've not applied invisiframe.
I've never seen this on a bike before, I've seen UV bleach frames, but not darken a colour.
The colour has gone from a orangey, tomato soup colour, to a tomato sauce colour.
The photo with the cracks has been enhanced to better show them, so ignore the colour in that one!
I know I'll be sorted out with the warranty, so no worries there - I'm more intrigued as to what's going on here, as I don't understand it!
Cheers
Ricks
The cracks look like stress marks radiating from a point. If the faces were painted and not cleaned this can happen when you press in the headset cup. I'd definitely want that warrantied as the other reason is something wrong with the headset and its damaged the frame.
I can't really understand the invisiframe problem. But the closely spaced black lines will affect the way you see the red colour around them making them appear a different colour from the solid blocks elsewhere. Also the invisiframe will probably have a more glossy finish which again will affect the way you see the colour. Also even though it is transparent it might not be 100% colourless, especially in some lights so this would affect the way the colour underneath is perceived. Equally it might be the invisiframe which has discoloured.
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/49034-colors-affect-colors
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamerism_(color)
Cheers Jonab,
Nice analysis 🙂
The colour.... if you look at the stripes, the colour doesn't change where the invisiframe is and where it isn't - it stays the same orangey red, it's only on the top colour where it visibly becomes darker. I'm 100% certain it's not the invisiframe creating an optical illusion.
I've boosted the contrast and reduced the brightness here: 
I'd suspect the paint wasn't mixed right. Have you used an ipa wipe before applying the tape? Should not affect properly mixed and fully cured paint but could affect paint that is not right (or the wrong type). Cracking could be shrinkage in paint affected by a solvent.
Maybe a delamination of some point and then letting moisture/dirt in making it appear darker ?
I’d definitely pursue a warranty claim on that, not for the paint discolouration but for the obvious stress marks on the headtube. Whoever inserted the headset cup wasn’t too gentle.
Looks like the HT took an impact from the front while packaged.
Or the headtube took a hit before the headset was fitted and has a flat spot in it, I had a mail order frame arrive like that once.
Edit, either way, I'd be returning that one