I’ve had the bike for about a month, and this appeared recently. I’m not sure whether the frame is cracked or if it’s just the paint. I’ve looked at a few photos with similar cracks, and most people said it was just paint, but I suspect it might be something more serious. I’d like to hear your opinion.
by Acceptable_Pipe_9609
8 Comments
Definitely paint. Possibly from overtightening the seat clamp but could just as easily be from fatigue given the lack of vertical cracks
Probably paint, me personally id remove the paint locally with paint stripper, masking off the other areas to prevent over removal and get eyes on the weld. I had this very same defect on a bottom bracket area, simple enough to respray with a rattle can.
Just for peace of mind!
Looks like paint cracking but the question is what has moved to make the paint crack?
If paint is applied too thick it can crack as it shrinks and dries but it can also crack when there has been some movement of the substrate.
I’m a painter. Look right above the cracks. You’ll see a little bit of paint buildup slightly to the right. That’s where the paint is uneven and slightly thicker than it’s supposed to be. That’s definitely a crack in the paint. You could scrape it off, and check your frame to make sure, then touch up with appropriate auto touch up paint
What’s it look like from the inside? Did you pull the seat?
Paint.
The frame would not crack that way
Given that you’ll be roto rootered by your frame if it fails it’s probably worth scraping some paint off to get a look under it.
That’s a classic place for a frame to crack. Long seatpost and constant weight can cause this. Only way to find out is to remove the paint.