[tommyrod74]

Originally Posted by Brian Smith

The introduction of the HSG IT followed that of the Nove, and as you guessed it, was a close equivalent. The materials, in some cases, were identical.

Yes, you should be concerned about damage to the carbon going forward. During the early period, some of the riveted cable guides and their riveted fasteners were likely to corrode, and clear coat problems sometimes started in these areas. The cable stops themselves and the aluminum bosses at the dropout might be un-anodized, and at any of those locations there could be resulting unintended contact between carbon and aluminum. The tubing itself may not have been inferior to what else existed and/or continues to exist in the consumer sporting goods marketplace, but that doesn't mean that it's what you'd ideally like to have. Let's just say that the tubing itself can be flexed in a workstand, or in some cases by hand, further than the elastic range of most clear paint. Treat it as if it's fragile, and if only loaded in the way that riding a bicycle loads it, the tubing will deliver long lasting performance. If a shovel falls off your garage wall onto it, there's no assurance that it will withstand that abuse the way that a traditional bike would, or that a Meivici/Ottrot would.

Might it be better to have a frame refinisher simply remove the clearcoat and leave it bare, to avoid future issues with paint loss?