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Is it normal that accidentally dragging a brake lever across the top tube of another bike would be enough to scrape some of the lacquer off?
Brand new bike and whilst moving other bikes around, the tip of the STI lever of one of my bikes seemingly brushed the top tube. Scraped up/chipped the lacquer top surface. Even though there are no sharp edges on the STI lever.
Never known anything quite like it. Other carbon bikes I have had have tolerated more abuse and accidental contact with other bikes without such damage.
How bad is the damage? Can you still see color Where it’s been scratched?
Just trying to figure out how to link a photo but it's taken the gloss finish off like there is a little piece of missing cellotape. Colour is still there below.(well, it's black, so I assume it's paint colour and not carbon)
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Metal is a lot harder than lacquer so I’m not surprised. Also the force will have been more than a brushing. Sorry for your loss, the first scratch is the deepest.
I literally just lifted the handlebars of the drop barred bike over the top tube, to prop the bikes more closely together against a wall and as I did so I caught it with the bottom tip of the brake lever. Whilst the brake lever tip is vaguely pointy, I wouldn't have said it was exactly a sharp gouging edge??
Maybe other damage has not been visible but I've dropped spanners, Allen keys on other carbon frames I've had before, had them fall against bare brick walls and not even had a scratch.
Happily the sides of the frame and down tube are helitaped from the factory, but I think i'll add some to the top tube too and any other exposed areas.
The top of a carbon tube is paper thin. Are you sure you didn't deflect the carbon which caused the brittle paint to break/lift?
The top of a carbon tube is paper thin. Are you sure you didn’t deflect the carbon which caused the brittle paint to break/lift?
You can tell all that from the little photo he posted ?
Fair point Bearback, but I have to admit, the lower mark of the two was me trying to replicate the scratch, I was that astounded by how easily I perceived the first scrape to have happened. I can't deflect the carbon with my thumbs, so I don't see how a bike that I have mostly supported the weight of whilst I lifted it could have flexed the carbon. I didn't just push the other bike against it, was trying to hook the drop handlebar over top tube to make some space.
Anyway, i'm sure it will get worse scuffs and marks over the years. If people thinks it's reasonable damage, then fair enough 🙂
You can tell all that from the little photo he posted
Nope, just offering a suggestion.
Have you tried the same action on other bikes?
Would be interested to know the brand.
just wondered as i have 5 carbon bikes none are paper thin top tubes - none have scratched like that either.
If it was a scott HMX frame or similar id believe it was paper thin - you can squeeze them with your fingers .....
I've done similar on a steel frame with a dropper lever, I've got chips in the lacquer of my carbon one I'm adamant came from midges hitting it at [lower than I'd like to admit] speed yet the same frames have no discernable damage from rock strikes that made me feel a little sick when I heard them and so on. Sometimes it's just the angle of the dangle as it were.
Yeah, I was hopefully just unlucky. I'm going to slap on some helitape and get on with it.