I'm looking at a vintage Lemond, and the backside of the fork has a strange texture. The paint color is consistent throughout. I suspect it's rust or some kind of repair, but am not sure why the previous owner would not just replace the fork. What do you think?
by herzberz
3 Comments
Looks like someone painted over rust or it’s rusting from the inside.
I believe that is a carbon fork with an aluminum crown/steerer tube. There’s likely some corrosion going on under the paint causing this. It’s not horribly uncommon. That leads me to say there is a possibility that the bond between the crown and legs is starting to become worrisome. The previous owner may not have noticed, or just didn’t care. You can removed some of the paint to verify that this is occurring, and I would say considering a replacement fork is a good idea. You don’t want those legs to give way while riding.
That’s Lemond lead pellets. Probably worth a fortune.