Maintenance of Painted Surfaces
Your bike is painted with the same high quality PPG paint that is used in the
painting of the most luxurious automobiles. Unlike cars, bicycles take a lot
of abuse from being leaned up against parking meters and, in the case of mountain
and cyclocross bikes, running into rocks, stumps and brush. Even though the
paint is dry to the touch, it takes about six weeks to fully harden. The bike
is more vulnerable to chips and scratches during this period so we suggest you
be particularly careful during the first month or so of your ownership. After
this curing period, you can protect the finish with the application of liquid
or paste wax.
IF does not sell touch up paint. If you do damage the paint, you can obtain
touch up paint from any auto supply store which carries PPG. Alternatively,
you can use Testors Dope available in most hobby shops or nail polish, available
at most drug and department stores. Before applying any touch up paint, be sure
to clean the affected area with denatured alcohol to remove any oil or wax so
that the touch up paint will adhere properly. Light scratches can often be removed
by the use of a light grade of automobile rubbing compound available in all
auto parts stores. Use it sparingly as you will be rubbing a portion of the
painted surface away. Once the scratch is removed, you can restore the polish
by the application of wax.
Maintenance of the Seat Tube on IF Steel Frames
As the steel alloys used in the making of high end bikes have improved in strength,
fabricators have reduced the wall thickness of the tubes in order to save weight.
This makes the tubes vulnerable to rust as there is less material to withstand
the corrosion. All of the tubes in IF frames are sealed with the exception of
the seat tube. We treat the inside of the seat tube with, "J. P. Weigle's
FRAME SAVER", prior to shipping the frame to you. This is not a permanent
method of corrosion prevention, however, and it should be renewed periodically.
Moisture can and does get into the seat tube of our frames during normal riding
or the transportation on car racks. This has produced two kinds of preventable
problems.
- Surface corrosion between the seat tube and the seat post can "freeze"
the seat post in the seat tube, making removal of the seat post difficult
and making proper maintenance impossible. In a few cases, damage has been
done to the seat tube in the process of trying to extricate the seat post.
- In an extreme case, where the seat tube was exposed repeatedly to water
and not properly maintained, the seat tube corroded to the point that it acquired
pin holes through the metal.
Required Maintenance
Each time the frame has been exposed to wet conditions, or at least every 3
months, the following procedure should be followed for IF steel frames:
- Remove the seat post and leave the bicycle upside down over night so that
the seat tube can drain and dry. This is best done in a warm and dry environment.
Bikes which are routinely hung by their front wheel for storage have the fewest
incidents of rust.
- Before reinserting the seat post, spray a generous amount of, "J. P.
Weigle's FRAME SAVER" or its equivalent into the seat tube. Cover the
opening and agitate the frame to insure that the Frame Saver covers all of
the inside of the seat tube.
- Apply a light layer of grease to the seat post before you install it in
the frame.
- Bikes which are routinely hung on a wall hook by the front wheel tend not
to have seat tube rust problems as the water has an opportunity to run out
while the bike is not being used.
NOTE: Do not use a product such as WD-40 as this will wash away the
Frame Saver and make your frame even more vulnerable to rust in the future.
Frame saver is available at most bike shops or may be obtained from IF or directly
from J.P. Weigle's Frame Saver at 860-873-1671.
WARNING: Seat tubes which have serious rust problems because of a lack
of proper maintenance will not be covered under our warranty