One thing I would add from my mechanic experience checking over bikes is that it's worth checking out the fork. That kind of paint damage is almost always from a front-on collision, and sometimes it's the fork that takes the worst of it. Make sure that it isn't bent back towards the frame and doesn't exhibit buckling.


I agree in this case (pending inspection of the fork), but I wouldn't put "NO worries" out in the wild ;-) Sure, it doesn't fail without warning as often as other materials, but paint damage like that is sometimes the warning you get. Someone brought in a bike recently that had been in a head-on six months back, which they'd chosen to keep riding despite some buckling (it's steel, right?)... and the down-tube separated without warning all the way through. It'd take a lot to make me worry on lower end steel bikes with thick tubing, but due diligence is always a good idea.