Paint flaking on brand new frame

[yinzerniner]

That's just a bad paint job. Subpar or no prep, and don't see any adhesion primer anywhere. Flaking in non-contact areas is unacceptable for such a new frame.

Don't know what you can do other than ask for a bunch of money back or return the frame. If you blast and repaint that could get more expensive than the frameset.

Good luck and keep updating the post.

[fellowsun]

I should mention there are some parts with more normal looking wear. Those don't bother me.

Its specifically where flakes of paint are falling off.

[ultraman6970]

The dropouts is kid'a normal to have paint peeling and it makes sense too.

Regarding the other nicks, probably you got stones to hit the tubes and the paint got a nick, normal use.

Paint will hold depending of many things (even with powder coating)...

1 - preparation work before painting, if the surface preparation is bad the paint will start peeling quicker, or you start with other problems like bobbling paint or even rust under the paint.

2 - Quality of the paint, in a bike is not like a big problem like in a car but the better the paint the better the paint will stand.

3 - primer, you can use so so paint but with a good primer the paint will end up really good, sometimes is the primer that fails and not the paint but since what you see is the paint peeling you might think is the paint.

4 - expect wear and tear in paint but there's limits to it too... OP just use the retouch paint and cover the nicks and look what happens later... the good thing is that you have a frame with no lugs, can be retouched on top imo...

Hope this helps.

[ColonelJLloyd]

If you have it redone consider powdercoat. My frame is over two years old and I've beaten it up and changed the wheels lots. There's lots of marks on the finish, but nothing hinting at chips or the like.

[Peter P.]

The head tube rub and the chainstay chips; those are on you. The others well; you could wish for better paint adhesion and maybe that would have minimized the chipping/flaking, but you're at a point now where I don't think arguing with the builder and returning it makes sense.

Go ahead and touch up the spots, and consider a repaint sooner than typical, but I don't see a need to do it now.

[Dino Suegiù]

Originally Posted by fellowsun

I picked up my new bike 4 months ago and have been riding it constantly. After the first few rides I noticed a few bare spots where paint has flaked off on the chainstays/bottom bracket revealing the steel beneath.

Slightly concerned I contact the builder explaining whats up and he gets me a bottle of touch up paint to cover them. Great! Right?

However the rate of chipping/flaking hasnt decreased. Ive noticed bigger chunks around the dropouts and eyelets coming off to where the eyelet is totally bare steel now.

Overall there are 10-12 places where paint is flaked off ranging from a few mm to a cm.

Am I overreacting or is this happening because of a mistake made during paint?

No, the builder sending you a bottle of touch-up paint is not the best resolution.
No, it is not "Great! Right?" (as you already know).
No, that's not "normal wear and tear" on a 4-month old frameset.
No, you are not over-reacting at all.

Of course you should be using head tube and chainstay protection, but those wouldn't have mitigated the flaking issue regardless.

From the photos you posted:
That is a truly terrible, really half-assed looking paint job.
People love to joke/rage about "cheap Italian paint", etc etc...but this looks far worse than that, on an essentially brand new frame.

Now, the price of the frameset may have been super cheap (but you say "builder", so...likely not a Walmart bike), and obviously one certainly can't expect Joe Bell quality on a $500 frameset, so you may have bought what you paid for, but that doesn't alter the fact that the paint job itself is of low quality.

You know what is guaranteed? That more paint will be flaking off, because apparently (as yinzerziner already pointed out above) apparently someone somehow sort of forgot the proper primer stage....

[macaroon]

oh my days! Worrying about a few paint chips but letting your cables rub away at the headtube! If it gets repainted, don't let this happen again!

[fellowsun]

Not worried about paint chips/scuffs I can control! Worried that the paint wasn't applied correctly.

[oldpotatoe]

I picked up my new bike 4 months ago and have been riding it constantly. After the first few rides I noticed a few bare spots where paint has flaked off on the chainstays/bottom bracket revealing the steel beneath.

Slightly concerned I contact the builder explaining whats up and he gets me a bottle of touch up paint to cover them

Who made the frame? Same guy painted it?

[AngryScientist]

I'm not a paint expert, but from the photos, i would say that is not a good paint job.

my guess is that the prep was not good/complete.

even if the right primer was used (unknown) - what is also important is that the metal is surgically clean before applying anything. if there is any residual oil, cutting fluid, etc on the metal, the paint or primer just wont stick/adhere to tightly, and you get that situation. Another possibility is that the paint was not cured properly.

in any event, you are in a tough spot, because that's only going to get worse.

don't leave bare metal unattended for long. once rust starts, you've got a lot of chasing to do to keep after it.

[fellowsun]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Who made the frame? Same guy painted it?

Painted by ColorWorks. He does alot of painting for various OR frame builders.

[Clean39T]

You paid a crap-ton for that custom frame and it was sold as coming with "wet paint and spray-on decals" - so, you deserve a quality paint job, which is definitely not what you got there.. IMHO, the builder should be having you drop it off at his shop, stripping the components, sending the frameset in for a do-over, and re-assemblying it for you after a proper curing period with a "sorry for the mishap" demeanor... Mistakes happen. It's what comes next that matters - and that separates good business from mediocre.

[Spoker]

I know it's not pretty , but this makes me realize the value of anodized aluminum or Ti for bikes that leave the pavement, or just have a rough life.

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

You paid a crap-ton for that custom frame and it was sold as coming with "wet paint and spray-on decals" - so, you deserve a quality paint job, which is definitely not what you got there.. IMHO, the builder should be having you drop it off at his shop, stripping the components, sending the frameset in for a do-over, and re-assemblying it for you after a proper curing period with a "sorry for the mishap" demeanor... Mistakes happen. It's what comes next that matters - and that separates good business from mediocre.

I am going to agree with this. You purchased your grail bike and this "flaw" would not be considered acceptable by any reputable builder. I'm going to guess that the touch-up paint sent was a reaction to not fully understanding the gravity of the issue. Be straightforward and honest with the builder and I'm sure he'll make it right. If you're handy and enjoy the process, as I do, disassemble and re-assemble yourself to save him some grief and show some good will.

Good luck. You have an awesome rig, don't allow this short term downer to tarnish your opinion of a beautiful bike.

[weisan]

Originally Posted by donevwil

I'm going to guess that the touch-up paint sent was a reaction to not fully understanding the gravity of the issue. Be straightforward and honest with the builder and I'm sure he'll make it right.

That's how I feel too.