Did I ruin my carbon fiber frame?
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Agreed. Then again, some folks will spend $10k on a bicycle, and I would pass zero judgement.
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PPF patch for scuff protection and less rock-ape wheel swapping should do the trick here. Damage looks cosmetic.
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Looks superficial... It can handle worse than that. I'd spray paint the thing with the right color and put a PPF to try to protect it for future friction.
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pre-damage?
could the damage have been there before you took ownership? possible during shipment from a distributor to the bike shop? appears not to have been caused by the tire/wheel.
#33
my nice bike is at home
I would put a couple of thin coats of epoxy resin over it then touch up w/ paint, and forgettaboutit.
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#34
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I have the same exact marks on my frame (CAAD13). I concluded it was caused by installing/uninstalling the rear wheel. The rotor edges are sharp, and it rubs there occasionally if I'm not careful (read: in a rush). This is not a problem structurally, just aesthetically.
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I suggest looking at the pics again. The scrape is not immediately adjacent to the brake rotor, or any other part of the wheel that could rub the frame. Additionally, if the rotor is rubbing the frame, even under high-power conditions, that sounds to me like something is drastically wrong. Is this an issue you have had?
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I had a similar problem on my bike and I put a patch over it with a small piece of fiberglass cloth imbedded in epoxy. It has held up well and protects this area from further damage. I probably wouldn’t sell the frame though with this damage.
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Fiberglass is easily damaged. If you want to make such a patch use Kevlar. Bullet proof. Will be just as ugly as fiberglass.
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I would do nothing to the bike. Something like that is obviously a sign of either using tires too wide for the bike or wheels that are too flexy.
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Meh. The scrape isn't structural. IMO...Smear some epoxy on it, cover it with a clear tape/protector, or leave it alone.
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My first post in the thread was to just put some PPF on it and ride it. That would prevent further abrasion. I stand by that.
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#43
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Agreed.
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I am 99% sure this is a result of many "rock-ape" rear wheel swaps. It seems weird, but I don't have any other explanation. It's a CX bike that has a lot of tire clearance and extra room around the rear triangle (it can fit up to 45mm, but I usually run 28-33mm on it), so there's room for the wheel to move forward (before threading in the thru axle) and in that case the rotor will contact the inside of the stay in this location. I'm guessing most road disc frames with tighter clearance wouldn't have enough room for this to be possible.
The resale/depreciation hit is a valid point. If I were buying a used carbon frame, a nasty scuff like this would be a red flag. That said, this is a bike that has been ridden and raced hard for several years in some pretty extreme conditions, so this isn't the only visual blemish. I have no immediate plans to sell and don't know where this bike will end up in the future, but my expectations for resale value are already fairly low.
The resale/depreciation hit is a valid point. If I were buying a used carbon frame, a nasty scuff like this would be a red flag. That said, this is a bike that has been ridden and raced hard for several years in some pretty extreme conditions, so this isn't the only visual blemish. I have no immediate plans to sell and don't know where this bike will end up in the future, but my expectations for resale value are already fairly low.
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I have the same exact marks on my frame (CAAD13). I concluded it was caused by installing/uninstalling the rear wheel. The rotor edges are sharp, and it rubs there occasionally if I'm not careful (read: in a rush). This is not a problem structurally, just aesthetically.
I'm also running a 160mm rear rotor and wondering if switching to 140mm would help avoid this.
#47
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Interesting you mention that, I forgot my wife's CAAD13 also had these same marks at delivery. Like a creaking BB, possible it's just a classic cannondale tolerance thing. It's not unreasonable to think 140mm wouldn't help the situation, but I personally won't scale down my 160's for the sake of some minor cosmetic damage.
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Interesting you mention that, I forgot my wife's CAAD13 also had these same marks at delivery. Like a creaking BB, possible it's just a classic cannondale tolerance thing. It's not unreasonable to think 140mm wouldn't help the situation, but I personally won't scale down my 160's for the sake of some minor cosmetic damage.
Why would a 140mm rotor help the situation? Do rock apes like those less?

#49
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140 = smaller diameter, therefore greater clearance to that portion of the chainstay when removing/installing the wheel is my guess. Can't say for certain whether this would actually benefit in practice but it makes sense, in my head.
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Mine started creaking at 36,000km. It wasn't bad at first, but now at 42,000 I think it's due for a change...
140 = smaller diameter, therefore greater clearance to that portion of the chainstay when removing/installing the wheel is my guess. Can't say for certain whether this would actually benefit in practice but it makes sense, in my head.
140 = smaller diameter, therefore greater clearance to that portion of the chainstay when removing/installing the wheel is my guess. Can't say for certain whether this would actually benefit in practice but it makes sense, in my head.
Smaller diameter sounds good in theory. But with respect to the entire wheel size, it sounds like a big nothingburger.