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Cracked Aluminum or Just A Cracked Paint?

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Cracked Aluminum or Just A Cracked Paint?

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Old 08-24-13, 08:26 PM
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Cracked Aluminum or Just A Cracked Paint?

I was out of the country for about a month so my bicycle was stored inside my house and away from the elements. My bicycle is relatively brand new and is of good quality (Specialized). No, I do not mistreat my bicycle.

Today, I noticed something that looks like a smooth crack on my Chainstay.
The pictures are a bit blurry, but please help me with your best guess.
Is this cracked aluminum or just a cracked paint?






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Old 08-24-13, 08:43 PM
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If you can't tell with the naked eye, there's no way anyone here could from a blurry picture.

You have two choices.

1- sand or polish through the paint until the scratch either disappears, or you're down to base metal and confirm a crack.
2- ignore it for a while, since even if it is a crack, chainstay cracks aren't likely to cause an injury. If it's a crack it'll get worst over time (or maybe it won't), and you'll know. OTOH, if nothing happen you can keep riding until something does, which may be years.

The other option is to go back to the dealer and ask them to take a look.
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Old 08-24-13, 08:50 PM
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Looks to me like a plastic chain stay protector
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Old 08-24-13, 09:09 PM
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2- ignore it for a while, since even if it is a crack, chainstay cracks aren't likely to cause an injury. If it's a crack it'll get worst over time (or maybe it won't), and you'll know. OTOH, if nothing happen you can keep riding until something does, which may be years.
As I will be busy for a while, I guess this is the best option.
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Old 08-24-13, 09:11 PM
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Originally Posted by longbeachgary
Looks to me like a plastic chain stay protector
I'm with Gary.
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Old 08-24-13, 09:12 PM
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I agree with the clear plastic thing covering the chainstay that has an elevated profile that looks like a long smooth crack.
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Old 08-24-13, 09:15 PM
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If it's an aluminum frame then, yes, you'll get plenty of stress related fractures in the paint that mean nothing--I've got a few going across my downtube. They should be completely smooth to the touch. If they aren't--then maybe it's something else.
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Old 08-24-13, 09:24 PM
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God, I hope the OP didn't post about the edge of the chainstay protector.

Maybe we need to print the following in 1pt type in various places on bikes

if you can read this you're obsessing too much
.
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Old 08-25-13, 04:40 AM
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H, +1 on the plastic chainstay protector, rgds, sreten.
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Old 08-25-13, 07:03 AM
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Originally Posted by longbeachgary
Looks to me like a plastic chain stay protector
+1 That's exactly what I thought too.
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Old 08-25-13, 07:10 AM
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I'm no expert, but that's the first thing I thought.
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Old 08-25-13, 11:04 AM
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Obvious troll.
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Old 08-25-13, 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by AnkleWork
Obvious troll.
Twice on to threads. Do you have a mirror handy?
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Old 08-25-13, 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
Twice on to threads. Do you have a mirror handy?
Maybe. Considering your compulsive responses, you clearly don't have a BS filter.
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Old 08-25-13, 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by AnkleWork
Maybe. Considering your compulsive responses, you clearly don't have a BS filter.
Absolutely right, If I had a decent BS filter I wouldn't be on BF in the first place.
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