Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

Is it abnormal to fret about a small scratch on a nice bike?

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

Is it abnormal to fret about a small scratch on a nice bike?

Old 12-01-22, 07:48 PM
  #1  
AJW2W11E
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 252
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 110 Times in 50 Posts
Is it abnormal to fret about a small scratch on a nice bike?

I have a Specialized Diverge Comp, the best bike I may ever have. I took her for a ride in the snow and ice she was so stable.
The other day I came back from a ride and I saw this paint scratch, maybe from a tree branch?
I realize this is maybe childish, but does anyone know where I can find touch up paint in the red Specialized is using on its 2019 plus models? It's more of an orange red.
Thank you in Advance.
AJW2W11E is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 07:51 PM
  #2  
rsbob 
Grupetto Bob
 
rsbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,067

Bikes: Bikey McBike Face

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2512 Post(s)
Liked 5,430 Times in 2,827 Posts
Go to a hobby store or find nail polish.

And it’s not abnormal if its on someone else’s bike.
__________________
Road 🚴🏾‍♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾‍♂️







rsbob is offline  
Likes For rsbob:
Old 12-01-22, 07:58 PM
  #3  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,768
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
That's not a scratch; it's patina. If you ride your bike, it will look like it. You'll get used to it. But as rsbob says, nail polish is the easiest solution.

My newest bike has a rather unusual color that would be hard to match, and so I fill in those nicks with the clear polish that my wife always has around. And I only do that because the frame is steel and I don't want it to rust.
Koyote is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 08:06 PM
  #4  
Polaris OBark
ignominious poltroon
 
Polaris OBark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 3,927
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2185 Post(s)
Liked 3,337 Times in 1,742 Posts
Time for a new bike!
Polaris OBark is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 08:07 PM
  #5  
Camilo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,760
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1107 Post(s)
Liked 1,197 Times in 758 Posts
Buy some oranges and some red or some orange/red little bottles of Testor's or similar at a hobby or craft store (I get mine at Michaels), and a little pack of cheap fine tip art brushes. Try a couple of different mixes to get something that's close enough. Use the 6 foot/2 meter rule - if it's not visible at 6 feet (better yet, 3 meters/9 feet), it's irrelevant. You will not notice it once you get over it, and anyone else will never notice it.

Even if you dabbed pure red on that little nick, it would be unnoticeable at anything more than up close.

But the best thing to do is get a chain stay protector in a color you like - black probably and just cover the entire chain stay because you'll get more nicks there. IF you're not familiar, just do a web search for options. Most are just very tough stick on tape type stuff. All my bikes have them, some clear, some black.

FWIW, I challenge anyone who has owned and ridden a bike for any meaningful amount of time and mileage not to have blemishes like this. It's not even a scar, it's a blemish.

Last edited by Camilo; 12-01-22 at 08:11 PM.
Camilo is offline  
Likes For Camilo:
Old 12-01-22, 08:09 PM
  #6  
krakhaus 
Full Member
 
krakhaus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Palm Springs, California
Posts: 465
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 460 Times in 176 Posts
Just take your bike into Sally Beauty Supply. They have like 500 colors of nail polish.
krakhaus is offline  
Likes For krakhaus:
Old 12-01-22, 08:20 PM
  #7  
Chuck M 
Happy With My Bikes
 
Chuck M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 2,185

Bikes: Hi-Ten bike boomers, a Trek Domane and some projects

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 868 Post(s)
Liked 2,278 Times in 1,100 Posts
I'd be willing to bet nobody else even notices like you do. Don't let it bother you either.
__________________
"It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels." -- Heinz Stücke

Chuck M is offline  
Likes For Chuck M:
Old 12-01-22, 08:21 PM
  #8  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,768
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
Originally Posted by Camilo
FWIW, I challenge anyone who has owned and ridden a bike for any meaningful amount of time and mileage not to have blemishes like this. It's not even a scar, it's a blemish.
Yep. My gravel bike is built on a custom frame, and the shop sent the frame back a couple times to have the builder redo the paint -- it wasn't up to their standards. I think about that each time another rock gets kicked up and dings the frame.
Koyote is offline  
Likes For Koyote:
Old 12-01-22, 08:26 PM
  #9  
Camilo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,760
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1107 Post(s)
Liked 1,197 Times in 758 Posts
Minor blemishes like the OP don't bother me one whit, even if they happen on the first ride. Not to say I like large blemishes, especially if they're where I have to look at them. But a chain stay blemish would not bother me. BUT....
I got a titanium gravel bike so there's no worries about stuff like this My previous "gravel" bike (re-worked cross bike) was very battle scarred and it was just fine. They should look like that after a while.
Camilo is offline  
Likes For Camilo:
Old 12-01-22, 09:04 PM
  #10  
indyfabz
Senior Member
 
indyfabz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,059
Mentioned: 210 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 15,299 Times in 7,231 Posts
I’d be more concerned about the dork disc, at least if you want to be considered a serious cyclist.
indyfabz is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 09:59 PM
  #11  
rsbob 
Grupetto Bob
 
rsbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,067

Bikes: Bikey McBike Face

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2512 Post(s)
Liked 5,430 Times in 2,827 Posts
Chances are good it will happen again if not several times due to chain slap. What you really need is a ‘chain stay protector’ like this or similar https://www.amazon.com/Chainstay-Pro...g%2C174&sr=1-8
__________________
Road 🚴🏾‍♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾‍♂️







rsbob is offline  
Likes For rsbob:
Old 12-01-22, 10:24 PM
  #12  
jon c. 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 4,812
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1591 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,015 Times in 570 Posts
Obsessing about a scratch on any new item is perfectly normal.
jon c. is offline  
Likes For jon c.:
Old 12-01-22, 10:37 PM
  #13  
FBinNY 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,545

Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter

Mentioned: 139 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5703 Post(s)
Liked 2,432 Times in 1,345 Posts
Originally Posted by jon c.
Obsessing about a scratch on any new item is perfectly normal.
Yes, it's fairly normal, but while knowing that may be reassuring to the OP it doesn't solve his question.

He can seek a touch-up approach (I've always had good luck with nail polish) or he can try to adjust his outlook. One person's scratch or dent is another's fond memory of a great day or hard riding.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site

An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.

Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.

“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN

WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FBinNY is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 10:47 PM
  #14  
MattyWillPDX
Newbie
 
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 10
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
I get miffed about it too. I was watching a bike video on YouTube the other night and it had a guy showing his Rivendell. The thing was so banged up it was kinda beautiful. If it were my bike I'd rub it with a diaper, but there's something nice about a tool well used. Someone Else's!!
MattyWillPDX is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 11:18 PM
  #15  
veganbikes
Clark W. Griswold
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,280

Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4253 Post(s)
Liked 3,866 Times in 2,579 Posts
Originally Posted by MattyWillPDX
If it were my bike I'd rub it with a diaper, but there's something nice about a tool well used. Someone Else's!!
Make sure it isn't used...LOL


I think most of my bikes have some sort of scratching as long as no damage to the integrity of the frame not an issue. On a lower cost bike it is less of a fret but really if you are worried about paint issues get a titanium bike and you can just use a scrubbing pad to remove imperfections and it won't rust or anything so it is perfect for that. That is why I built my mountain bikes out of titanium, I can beat them up and they still look good and if I do get rough with it I can get it back to looking really good easily.
veganbikes is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 11:21 PM
  #16  
Kevinti
Newbie
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Oahu, Hawaii
Posts: 63

Bikes: Time VXS Translink, State Bicycle Black Label V2 Single, Electra Beach Cruiser, Santana Tandem

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Liked 22 Times in 16 Posts
That's what cool stickers are for.
Kevinti is offline  
Likes For Kevinti:
Old 12-02-22, 06:50 AM
  #17  
Reflector Guy
Senior Member
 
Reflector Guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,340

Bikes: Bianchi Infinito XE, Via Nirone 7, GT Aggressor Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 599 Post(s)
Liked 1,270 Times in 588 Posts
Originally Posted by indyfabz
I’d be more concerned about the dork disc, at least if you want to be considered a serious cyclist.
I do like his reflector though.
Reflector Guy is offline  
Likes For Reflector Guy:
Old 12-02-22, 07:40 AM
  #18  
Steel Charlie
Senior Member
 
Steel Charlie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 355 Post(s)
Liked 489 Times in 261 Posts
I have a bike that has been restored to like new. I have never ridden it for fear of scratching it.

I remember trying to get a Gios Torino with undamaged paint from the distributor in the mid 80's. Right out of the foam pack they all had paint dings. I gave up after the third one.
Steel Charlie is offline  
Old 12-02-22, 07:42 AM
  #19  
jaxgtr
Senior Member
 
jaxgtr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 6,830

Bikes: Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS, Trek CheckPoint SL7, Trek Emonda ALR, Trek FX 5 Sport

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 751 Post(s)
Liked 1,666 Times in 980 Posts
Originally Posted by AJW2W11E
I have a Specialized Diverge Comp, the best bike I may ever have. I took her for a ride in the snow and ice she was so stable.
The other day I came back from a ride and I saw this paint scratch, maybe from a tree branch?
I realize this is maybe childish, but does anyone know where I can find touch up paint in the red Specialized is using on its 2019 plus models? It's more of an orange red.
Thank you in Advance.
I had a Project 1 Domane and on my 3rd or 4th ride, I got pushed off the road by a car that got a little close and I hit a patch of rocks and such on the road and one shot out from under my front tire and almost put me on the ground, but I was able to maintain. When I got home, I was checking the bike and noticed a small chip in the paint. Was I happy, nope, but, if you ride your bike, this is going to happen. I contacted Trek, got some touch up paint.

It happens. Just like it does on cars. Its a badge showing you are using your bike, not just putting it in a frame observing it like a painting in the Louvre.
__________________
Brian | 2023 Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS | 2023 Trek CheckPoint SL 7 AXS | 2016 Trek Emonda ALR | 2022 Trek FX Sport 5
Originally Posted by AEO
you should learn to embrace change, and mock it's failings every step of the way.



jaxgtr is offline  
Likes For jaxgtr:
Old 12-02-22, 07:51 AM
  #20  
RH Clark
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Liked 449 Times in 246 Posts
I would only obsess if it was on carbon. I would drive myself crazy wondering if there was more damage than I could see, which is why I don't own carbon bikes.
RH Clark is offline  
Old 12-02-22, 08:21 AM
  #21  
pdlamb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,847

Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2578 Post(s)
Liked 1,901 Times in 1,193 Posts
Perfectly normal.

FWIW, when I saw dings like that on my previous new bike I tried to find matching paint to cover up the dings. It matched almost perfectly in the store, but stuck out like a sore thumb (to me) on the bike out in the sun. So when my newest bike got a scratch, I took a deep breath and forgot about it. This bike is still a lot of fun to ride, and I'm looking forward to many more great rides -- and that's more important than gazing at the thing!
pdlamb is offline  
Old 12-02-22, 08:29 AM
  #22  
indyfabz
Senior Member
 
indyfabz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,059
Mentioned: 210 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 15,299 Times in 7,231 Posts
Originally Posted by AJW2W11E
I realize this is maybe childish....
Maybe. Maybe not.

What would help is a photo of the entire bike to put the subject blemish in context.
indyfabz is offline  
Old 12-02-22, 08:40 AM
  #23  
Reflector Guy
Senior Member
 
Reflector Guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,340

Bikes: Bianchi Infinito XE, Via Nirone 7, GT Aggressor Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 599 Post(s)
Liked 1,270 Times in 588 Posts
I bought my new bike (my Infinito) used, so it came with a small spot of touch-up paint on the chainstay. Totally wrong shade of green! I really should try to get the right color for it because it is pretty jarring. Fortunately it's vary small!
Reflector Guy is offline  
Old 12-02-22, 08:52 AM
  #24  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,768
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
Originally Posted by RH Clark
I would only obsess if it was on carbon. I would drive myself crazy wondering if there was more damage than I could see, which is why I don't own carbon bikes.
Good call. We've already got way too many of those posts on bf.
Koyote is offline  
Old 12-02-22, 08:54 AM
  #25  
Inusuit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: SE Wyoming
Posts: 607

Bikes: 1995 Specialized Rockhopper,1989 Specialized Rock Combo, 2013 Specialized Tarmac Elite

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 213 Post(s)
Liked 588 Times in 278 Posts
If it were my bike, I would install a chain stay protector. If I use my bikes, they are going to accumulate evidence of that use whether riding or loading in and out of a vehicle. I have used nail polish for touch up on my Rockhopper and it passes the 6-foot test. White paint pen on my Specialized Tarmac. While I understand not wanting to damage a perfectly restored bike, I think it is a shame that something is too nice to be used but only admired. Different strokes for different folks.
Inusuit is offline  
Likes For Inusuit:

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.