Sunscreen damage to bike paint/finish?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted post said:

Hi folks. I am new to the group, so forgive me if this question has
been asked.

I recently found some damage to the clear coat on my Trek 5000 after
riding a double century. I couldn't imagine what did it, and was
basically just bummed about my bike. The finish was bubbled up on the
side of the top tube, approx 2.5 inches in length.

A couple weeks later, I was preparing for a ride with some friends, and

applied my sunscreen before driving to the meeting point. I went on the

ride, and when I returned and got it my car, I noticed that the plastic

door handle on the inside of the car was all bubbled up like someone
had put paint remover on it. It has some kind of soft rubberized
coating, and that was completely lifted up from the base plastic, again

about 2 inches in length, and about 1.5 inches in height.

The only thing that I can imagine that might cause this is the
sunscreen. In both cases, the damage was at points where my leg would
normally come in contact with the surface. I don't work with caustic
chemicals, and can't think of any other source for the damage.

Does anyone out there have any similar experience?

I didn't know this previously, but in doing some research I found out
that my tube of sunscreen was approximately 3 years old, and the
manufacturer has said that the product is not guaranteed to be stable
for that period of time. I don't really know if "instability" can cause

1) Check your face in the mirror.
2) Change sunscreen.

No, never seen or heard of similar. Yes, I apply sunscreen before my
rides.
--

I have had so many problems with the finish on Trek carbon frames that I
just went to a different brand, I would not blame the sunscreen. I could not
stand it anymore. I have heard excuses right down to the environmental
control is so tough the paint / clear coat will not stay on. It seems to
stay on many other products painted in the USA like cars /boats. Simply put
Trek is the absolute worst finish I have ever seen on an over - priced
product.

Mike,
I've had Bullfrog melt and peel interior auto paint/plastic. Apparently
it's enough of a problem that auto makers have a standard on it.
“Sunscreen Lotion Resistance of Interior Coatings”
http://auto.ihs.com/document/abstract/UYNTIBAAAAAAAAAA

--
bg

Quoted message said:

Hi folks. I am new to the group, so forgive me if this question has
been asked.

I guess you never got the memo about not bringing up sunscreen while some
of us are freezing our asses off. 😉

Quoted message said:

I recently found some damage to the clear coat on my Trek 5000 after
riding a double century. I couldn't imagine what did it, and was
basically just bummed about my bike. The finish was bubbled up on the
side of the top tube, approx 2.5 inches in length.

A couple weeks later, I was preparing for a ride with some friends, and

applied my sunscreen before driving to the meeting point. I went on the

ride, and when I returned and got it my car, I noticed that the plastic

door handle on the inside of the car was all bubbled up like someone
had put paint remover on it. It has some kind of soft rubberized
coating, and that was completely lifted up from the base plastic, again

about 2 inches in length, and about 1.5 inches in height.

The only thing that I can imagine that might cause this is the
sunscreen. In both cases, the damage was at points where my leg would
normally come in contact with the surface. I don't work with caustic
chemicals, and can't think of any other source for the damage.

Does anyone out there have any similar experience?

I didn't know this previously, but in doing some research I found out
that my tube of sunscreen was approximately 3 years old, and the
manufacturer has said that the product is not guaranteed to be stable
for that period of time. I don't really know if "instability" can cause

this problem.

Best regards,
Mike

Quoted message said:

The only thing that I can imagine that might cause this is the
sunscreen. In both cases, the damage was at points where my leg would
normally come in contact with the surface. I don't work with caustic
chemicals, and can't think of any other source for the damage.

Yes, absolutely positively definitely sunscreen is a paint/decal killer!
Primarily decals more so than paint. A very heavy clearcoat will keep the
decals from puckering up due to sunscreen, but a very heavy clearcoat
literally adds a fair amount of weight to a frame, something manufacturers
really don't want to do for carbon fiber.

Quoted message said:

I recently found some damage to the clear coat on my Trek 5000 after
riding a double century. I couldn't imagine what did it, and was
basically just bummed about my bike. The finish was bubbled up on the
side of the top tube, approx 2.5 inches in length.

Was it actually the paint, or the decal? My guess is the decal. I haven't
seen evidence of bubbled or otherwise-damaged paint on a Trek from
sunscreen.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks. I am new to the group, so forgive me if this question has
been asked.

I recently found some damage to the clear coat on my Trek 5000 after
riding a double century. I couldn't imagine what did it, and was
basically just bummed about my bike. The finish was bubbled up on the
side of the top tube, approx 2.5 inches in length.

A couple weeks later, I was preparing for a ride with some friends, and

applied my sunscreen before driving to the meeting point. I went on the

ride, and when I returned and got it my car, I noticed that the plastic

door handle on the inside of the car was all bubbled up like someone
had put paint remover on it. It has some kind of soft rubberized
coating, and that was completely lifted up from the base plastic, again

about 2 inches in length, and about 1.5 inches in height.

The only thing that I can imagine that might cause this is the
sunscreen. In both cases, the damage was at points where my leg would
normally come in contact with the surface. I don't work with caustic
chemicals, and can't think of any other source for the damage.

Does anyone out there have any similar experience?

I didn't know this previously, but in doing some research I found out
that my tube of sunscreen was approximately 3 years old, and the
manufacturer has said that the product is not guaranteed to be stable
for that period of time. I don't really know if "instability" can cause

this problem.

Best regards,
Mike

Hi Mike.

Thanks for your response.

This was actually the paint. What I was told by the local Trek dealer
is that the frame has a clear coat over everything, including the
decals. It seems that the decal is intact under the bubbled-up clear
coat, but the clear coat cannot be repaired without damaging the
decals. This is a pretty big bummer because my bike is 3 years old, and
it is not possible to get the original decal set for it from Trek
anymore.

Best regards,
Mike

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

The only thing that I can imagine that might cause this is the
sunscreen. In both cases, the damage was at points where my leg would
normally come in contact with the surface. I don't work with caustic
chemicals, and can't think of any other source for the damage.

Yes, absolutely positively definitely sunscreen is a paint/decal killer!
Primarily decals more so than paint. A very heavy clearcoat will keep the
decals from puckering up due to sunscreen, but a very heavy clearcoat
literally adds a fair amount of weight to a frame, something manufacturers
really don't want to do for carbon fiber.

Quoted message said:

I recently found some damage to the clear coat on my Trek 5000 after
riding a double century. I couldn't imagine what did it, and was
basically just bummed about my bike. The finish was bubbled up on the
side of the top tube, approx 2.5 inches in length.

Was it actually the paint, or the decal? My guess is the decal. I haven't
seen evidence of bubbled or otherwise-damaged paint on a Trek from
sunscreen.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks. I am new to the group, so forgive me if this question has
been asked.

I recently found some damage to the clear coat on my Trek 5000 after
riding a double century. I couldn't imagine what did it, and was
basically just bummed about my bike. The finish was bubbled up on the
side of the top tube, approx 2.5 inches in length.

A couple weeks later, I was preparing for a ride with some friends, and

applied my sunscreen before driving to the meeting point. I went on the

ride, and when I returned and got it my car, I noticed that the plastic

door handle on the inside of the car was all bubbled up like someone
had put paint remover on it. It has some kind of soft rubberized
coating, and that was completely lifted up from the base plastic, again

about 2 inches in length, and about 1.5 inches in height.

The only thing that I can imagine that might cause this is the
sunscreen. In both cases, the damage was at points where my leg would
normally come in contact with the surface. I don't work with caustic
chemicals, and can't think of any other source for the damage.

Does anyone out there have any similar experience?

I didn't know this previously, but in doing some research I found out
that my tube of sunscreen was approximately 3 years old, and the
manufacturer has said that the product is not guaranteed to be stable
for that period of time. I don't really know if "instability" can cause

this problem.

Best regards,
Mike

I know and I feel for you, I have been there 3 times. That's why I went to a
different brand frame. Even the Trek rep. told me they need to learn how to
finish carbon. Just go take a look at the Madone's at the LBS you might find
1 or 2 in 10 that has no problems with the finish. Other then this 1 Trek
rep all you get is stupid answers, denials and excuses from customer
service. And if it is not a current year bike and you send it to be
repainted, they paint it one solid color over the original paint and put 2
Trek decals on the down tube. Looks horrible.