I have a Cannodale Carbon mountain bike frame I am going to respray, can anybody recommend a suitable primer?

Thanks.

carbon fiber construction is basically the same as fiberglass mat.carbon fibers held together by resin. the difference is the strength and weight of the fibers being held together by the resin.
any primer that works on fiberglass will work on carbon fiber.
JUST DON'T BREATH THE CARBON FIBER DUST. it can be hazardous to your health. vacuum the powder up, don't blow it away.
the outer surfaces are resin so a light sand will not be a hazard problem.

There should be no carbon fiber dust.

The only dust should be from sanding resin.

If the part is sanded to the point where carbon fibers are being turned into dust then the part is ruined.


-Tim-

The best primer is one that is compatible with the carbon composite material of the bike as well as the paint that will be used. Hit google to find out about this.

Thanks. Will a fiberglass primer do any damage to the carbon layer if I accidentally sand through the gel coat? I’ve been told it’s very easy to sand through it and as the paint layer is black it may be even easier.

On any carbon frame, you shouldn't need to be sanding with any aggressive papers-- you're only trying to put a tooth in the surface for the primer to adhere to. I can't see using anything rougher than 400 grit wet, really. So long as the surface was free of defects, I might just do 400 only and then a good clean/prep.

As someone else mentioned, you're really painting epoxy, and most any primers and paints will bond. I'm guessing this is a rattlecan job, as if this were an HVLP job you'd be using a catalyzed urethane or polyester primer, and appropriate top coat. So grab some Rustoleum.