Carbon Fiber Frame Care

[barefooter]

Hello All,
Just picked up a 1997 Trek Y22. It's going to be a winter project for me.
I've never had a carbon fiber frame. There is a chip in the paint on the seatpost and some mars on the frame (see pictures). I don't ride hard on my bicycles, mostly paved/gravel trails. Any advice on the use and care of CF would be helpful.
Thanks

[attachment=2941][attachment=2940][attachment=2942]

[Painkiller]

Are you wanting to repaint the bicycle as part of your project?

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(01-07-2012, 10:45 PM)painkiller Wrote:  Are you wanting to repaint the bicycle as part of your project?

http://mashaw.biz/instructional/Prime_Paint_Carbon.pdf

[barefooter]

Thanks for the info on painting. I'm not sure yet if I want to go to all that trouble. I may just want to protect the chips with something. I thought I read somewhere that exposed carbon fiber can be problematic for some reason. Too much info on the web to remember where I read about it, and since I did not have a carbon fiber bike then, I didn't pay enough attention to it.

[JohnV]

You shouldn't have to worry about paint chips or scratches on a CF frame unless the chip or scratch is actually into the carbon material itself. What I would look for are actual cracks, regardless of their degree, in areas of stress. BTW, nice bike!

[barefooter]

Thanks guys, I've got some work to do on this bike this winter. Off topic, it was 53 degrees today in northern IL, so I took a 20 mile ride! It will probably be my last for a while, because we are supposed to get 6" of snow before Sat. (snowmobiles have been all set to go for a while)

[JohnV]

(01-11-2012, 06:15 PM)barefooter Wrote:  Thanks guys, I've got some work to do on this bike this winter. Off topic, it was 53 degrees today in northern IL, so I took a 20 mile ride! It will probably be my last for a while, because we are supposed to get 6" of snow before Sat. (snowmobiles have been all set to go for a while)

We're getting ready for a cold snap as well. It's suppose to be a high of 63º on Saturday. I love this Florida weather.

[RobAR]

Oh No! I was under the impression that all Trek Y bikes that weren't in a museum somewhere had been destroyed! (kidding )

Carbon is a lot tougher than the 'internet credit' it gets. Those 'spiderwebs' in your paint are purely cosmetic and in no way compromise the CF below. Paint and CF have different 'stretch capabilities' (?). Like trying to patch an aluminum sponson on a pontoon boat with fiberglass.

IMHO, I would get a pack of those Magik Eraser (Mr Clean?) pads and use plain water to dig the grime out of anything that looks like a scratch and then give it a good coat of a quality wax that hardens. Use fingernail polish to touch-up any dings before you wax. You can build it up slowly with several applications and wet-sand it back down if you get too heavy.

Over the years, I've seen some frayed Carbon frames that would scare you and they just kept on keeping on. It is tough stuff. To an extent. When it fails, it fails catastrophically with little warning. One has to know what to look for.

Please don't "fix" that Y bike! Not many of those left!

JohnV? Hush. I have a snowball with your name on it!

[barefooter]

Thanks for the info Rob. I really want to keep it original if at all possible. I have taken it completely apart and have cleaned all the parts up. Will have to replace a couple of minor things, and get new trigger shifters. The old gripshifts are badly cracked, and I like triggers. Will probably start reassembly this weekend or the next. By the way, I left you a PM about some of the items in Robs Garage awhile ago. Have you gotten it?
Pete