Too much frame damage??

[Mlegere1]

Looking at buying a used bike and there is a chip on the top tube. Looks like it hits the carbon. I’ve had some scratches on my previous bikes from pretty hard crashes and I’ve never had one this deep. They say it’s from a toddlers seat that was attached to the stem and fell onto the top tube. Wondering if it’s too much or not something I should worry about.

 

[RustyIron]

I wouldn't worry about that for a nanosecond. That's not to say you shouldn't leverage the damage to get a better price from the seller. Squeeze him hard. If the tiny chip bothers you, put a drop of touch-up paint on it and then ride it like you stole it.

 

[Mlegere1]

I wouldn't worry about that for a nanosecond. That's not to say you shouldn't leverage the damage to get a better price from the seller. Squeeze him hard. If the tiny chip bothers you, put a drop of touch-up paint on it and then ride it like you stole it.

Thanks for the reply. Here’s another closer photo.

 

[Weeksy]

no problem with that for me.

 

[irie]

Doesn't look structural. It's pre-chipped so you don't have to worry about the first time you scratch it.

 

[Paulquattro]

Paint and resin damage
Not enough to be a worry as said above
Drip some paint into it and forget about it

 

[mustclime]

Frame is totaled, strip it , toss the frame in to a 50 gallon drum and burn it with fire.
Now you have a good reason to buy more bikes.

 

[Stihldog]

Surface surgery.

Frame is totaled, strip it , toss the frame in to a 50 gallon drum and burn it with fire.
Now you have a good reason to buy more bikes.

Oh c’mon …there’s certain chemicals that will completely dissolve most frames …no need to start a fire .

A certain type of front fender had worn through the paint and some carbon material on my steering tube. I used a small dab of Crazy Glue for the carbon layer, then covered that spot with a matching colour of fingernail paint …smooth or feather it out.

When I eventually stopped crying I covered the area with Ride Wrap. I’ll give that front fender to someone I don’t like.

I occasionally use the black and grey fingernail paint for other minor scratches that I’ve collected in my travels. (As a bonus the fingernail paint can be used elsewhere …for that Goth-Look).

 

[steve_sordy]

Bargain hard to get a price that you are comfortable to pay.
Do what @Stihldog recommends and then ride the bike. Keep your eye on the repair and if you see cracks emanating from it (unlikely), then get the repair done properly. There are places that will do that and do it for a living. Some on here have done it DIY and some have had it done for them.

 

[RustyIron]

a small dab of Crazy Glue for the carbon layer, then covered that spot with a matching colour of fingernail paint …smooth or feather it out.

Crazy Glue!
That reminds me of a repair on a bike I sold a couple months ago. Not long after I got the bike, it ended up cartwheeling down a rock face and gouging the bars. Santa Cruz sent new set through the crash replacement program, but I'm a cheapskate, so I kept using the originals. I dribbled Crazy Glue on the damaged area. Touch up paint always looks like touch up paint, so I slapped a couple stickers over the repairs. The stickers looked good. Crazy Glue and stickers can make damaged carbon look like new.

 

[Mrj35]

Looking at buying a used bike and there is a chip on the top tube. Looks like it hits the carbon. I’ve had some scratches on my previous bikes from pretty hard crashes and I’ve never had one this deep. They say it’s from a toddlers seat that was attached to the stem and fell onto the top tube. Wondering if it’s too much or not something I should worry about.

View attachment 141976

yeah its toast. ill pay for shipping and take it off your hands

on a serious note get another sticker like that gorilla on the bike and put it over the scratch and call it a day.

 

[Hobo Mikey]

Buy it at a good price, repair that small damage area, stick a sticker on it. Good to go.

 

[Mlegere1]

Thanks for the replies. If I got it my plan was to use a tiny bit of two part epoxy and then touch up with paint. Or you think it needs to be repaired somewhere that does carbon repair?

 

[Weeksy]

Thanks for the replies. If I got it my plan was to use a tiny bit of two part epoxy and then touch up with paint. Or you think it needs to be repaired somewhere that does carbon repair?

Nail polish, then forget it happened

 

[irie]

Nail polish, then forget it happened

As Weeksy said. You'll inevitably get bigger dinks, 'appens.

Got dinks all over my 2-1/2 year old Trek Rail. Don't repair them so that when I get another it's no big deal.