The Question of Touch-Up Paint...: Bikefanclub.com

At Calfee, we often receive calls about the blemishes that spontaneously appear on bike frames from those little rocks and pieces of glass spun off by the tires. This is for everyone whose reckless road-warrior lifestyle has taken a toll on their paintjobs.

You have a couple of options for touch up paint.

You can certainly use nail polish or the like- generally the application of paint with that type of brush yields somewhat uneven surface results. If it's just a small nick, it may not be a problem visually.

Option two is you can send it to us- which requires the complete disassembly of the bike. We can sand down the blemished area, mask off the rest of the frame, and spray it with our High pressure low volume paint gun. The cost for prep: $25, paint: $100 for opaque red base and clear, and $50 for return shipping. Then whatever build and shipping fees on your end.

Option 3: just ride it. If there is no indication of a fracture, puncture, or gouge in the structure of the carbon tubes, then you can decide to ride it, and accumulate more chips and scratches, which are inevitable on a fast-moving object. Then, in a few years, when it has really shown it's wear, you can send it in and we'll give it a complete new clear coat and touch ups for around $325 plus shipping. Then you'll have a well-deserved restoration and it will look all the more sweet when it's finished.

The first nick is tough, but I would ride it out, and call us in a few years, or God forbid, you have a crash and need structural repair as well/

Thanks!
James, Calfee Design Repairs Guru