Originally Posted by
Dec1st
While I'm asking impossible questions, anyone know why the paint washes off when I clean it with dish soap or rub it with a piece of towel? I've never heard of a bicycle with water soluble paint. Some of it is flaking off due to rust, but the blue color wipes off a fair bit without any effort. Those highlights in the picture aren't because it's shiny, that's where the colour is coming off....
Very weird.
Paint Oxydation ("Chalking"). Basically your paint is drying out and turning into powder from age and exposure to UV light so it "melts" when you soak and scrub it. Scrub hard enough and you migh take it off all together and see the metal underneath.....
Be gentle with the old bike and gie it less baths if possible.
Chombi