Never buy an Allen bike rack. I just got home from a weekend away and used my girfriend's mother's Allen trunk mount rack. I tried my hardest to ensure that my new bike was in securely and was protected. After about an hour of easy driing being absolutly certain to clear potholes, I dinf that my 2 week old trek 5200 had somehow rubbed against an exposed bolt and was deeply chipped under the top tube.
Needless to say, customer support over at allen will be recieving a phone call in the morning.
On top of this. Being that the chip does not seem to be bad enough to threaten the frames rigidity, what can be done to fix a chip in carbon fiber?
Never buy an Allen bike rack. I just got home from a weekend away and used my girfriend's mother's Allen trunk mount rack. I tried my hardest to ensure that my new bike was in securely and was protected. After about an hour of easy driing being absolutly certain to clear potholes, I dinf that my 2 week old trek 5200 had somehow rubbed against an exposed bolt and was deeply chipped under the top tube.
Needless to say, customer support over at allen will be recieving a phone call in the morning.
On top of this. Being that the chip does not seem to be bad enough to threaten the frames rigidity, what can be done to fix a chip in carbon fiber?
If none of the fibres are exposed, I would just use some automotive clear coat touch up, apply a small amount first, using a toothpick (better control for a small scrape), makes sure you overlap the existing clear coat a bit, so that the elements can't get in later, let it cure for 24hrs. If there still is a depression then apply a second coat, let it cure for another 24hrs. If there is a final raised bump then just use tiny bit of automotive scratch remover to polish it back. You should'nt be able to see the repair. (tip: don't skimp on the curing time.)
Tap on the scrape with something small and metal (i.e. a quarter, key, something similar) and make sure it still resonates there. Tap an undamaged area of the frame if you don't know what it should sound like. If the carbon is damaged structurally then it will sound dead and won't resonate. If you feel unsure about doing this, then have the LBS do it.
If you did happen to damage the structure of the carbon, Calfee will repair it for you. They've done this for a long time with their own bikes, and now will repair anyone's carbon. Prices vary, but I think it tops out at $250USD, so it's a helluva lot cheaper than a new frame. Paint is extra though.
