Paint chip on carbon fork

[neilr]

Hi all,

I've just noticed a nasty paint chip on the (carbon) fork of my bike. (a Felt F75) while cleaning it. Ive had clip on mudguards (race blades) on it and despite the rubber pads for protection the chip is certainly in roughly the place they would have been attached. So, despite being fking livid that the bike has avoidable damage I have 2 questions.

1) If it is just the paint, then will the carbon under it suffer in anyway for being slightly exposed? All I know about carbon is that they make F1 cars and bikes out of it and its light and strong (mostly).

2) Ive never crashed the bike or knocked it with anything, nor left it anywhere unattended where that might happen so its highly unlikely its proper damage. The missing paint does however look like a nasty stone chip you might get on the front of a car but a bit smaller(and its on the trailing edge of the fork). Would you get it checked out? (if so where as i trust my LBS about as far as I could throw a bus) or am i totally over thinking it?

I'm hoping its a case of trying to match some paint and that'll be it.

Cheers.

[Composite Guru]

If it looks like a chip then that's all it will be and nothing will come of it. It wont rust or anything.

If it looks like there a long crack coming out from the chip and you can see any distortion in the surrounding area then its knackered and will require repair or replacement.

Any chance of a pic?

[Hell27]

You can repair stuff like that with clear nail varnish lacquer. Once dry it strengthens the area up.

[pembo]

Take off the fork, pop to Boots with it (other makeup outlets are available) and find a nail polish which matches the colour. Dab a little blob in carefully and you will be sorted.

My cyclocross bike has carbon forks that are covered in chips but it's not the carbon, it's just paint and that has nothing to do with the structure so I bought a nail polish to match and it looks fine.

[neilr]

thanks for the replies! ill give nail polish a go!