carbon fibre

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Mark Andrews
Do paint chips affect the general strength of a carbon tube, a friend has some chips on his frame which are quite small but have revealed the original carbon color and he was wondering if it would make any difference to the tubes strength etc.

all replies appreciated

Shouldn't be a problem at all. Paint chips are inevitable with any bike; only users of steel rides need give them a second thought (it's wise for those folks to touch them with paint or a clearcoat to avoid corrosion). Where paint and protective coatings are concerned, carbon is probably the least senstive frame material of all.

Like any lightweight tubing, carbon stuff can be put out of comission by significant cracks or crushing-damage, but a few nicks and dings shouldn't cause any problems.