Just bought a 2014 Tarmac (brand new from lbs) and after a week the clear coat is pealing off. I hope this is not a common issue and is under warranty. I read good things about the Tarmac but this is not the quality I expected.
New Tarmac and clear is pealing off after a week.
FeltF75rider
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Just bought a 2014 Tarmac (brand new from lbs) and after a week the clear coat is pealing off. I hope this is not a common issue and is under warranty. I read good things about the Tarmac but this is not the quality I expected.
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Pictures?
If the frame is new you have a one year warranty on paint and Specialized will definitely fix this for you.
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580 Posts
I cant seem to lacate my camera but as soon as I do I will upload a pic. I am really liking the bike though. Its nothing like my Felt F2 but once I get better wheels and the new brakes on its going to be a real nice addition.
I will take it to the shop and get some input but hoping its not a common problem that gets worse.
I will take it to the shop and get some input but hoping its not a common problem that gets worse.
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Quite a common issue,mine started doing so after a couple of months. Nothing to cry about but there's some tiny clear bubbles popping up on the chainstay. My fault maybe ? Maybe I wash the bike too often ? I use very specific bike detergents so it shouldn't be the case..whatever.
Your LBS should cover it under warranty. Specialized paint SUCKS !! Bikes with chipped paint out of the box,clear finish peeling off..not good.
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More common than is necessary for sure. This has been brought up here before from this company and this problem. If you were out of the country you'd have a really hard time getting a warranty replacement. And if you managed to get it you'd have to take whatever was available and probably pay to have things swapped over.
Clearcoat bubbling/peeling the owner's fault? No. Just no. The paint seems to be one of the corners they cut on their bikes. Looking at an S-Works here sitting next to a Cervelo and a Pinarello the paint is a joke even without flaws. Lifeless black paint covering everything, crappy graphics stuck over the lifeless frame and thick glossy clear over it all. Bleh, junk. At least the Cervelo, which is also fully painted, uses high quality beautiful paint that shimmers with pearl in the sun. They also paint on their graphics instead of using cheap stickers.
Be prepared to have it called your fault, but be sure that it isn't. Demand a replacement and do not accept a lesser frame or a color you do not like. Demand they replace it with something you want and try to have them not charge you because of it to swap things.
Clearcoat bubbling/peeling the owner's fault? No. Just no. The paint seems to be one of the corners they cut on their bikes. Looking at an S-Works here sitting next to a Cervelo and a Pinarello the paint is a joke even without flaws. Lifeless black paint covering everything, crappy graphics stuck over the lifeless frame and thick glossy clear over it all. Bleh, junk. At least the Cervelo, which is also fully painted, uses high quality beautiful paint that shimmers with pearl in the sun. They also paint on their graphics instead of using cheap stickers.
Be prepared to have it called your fault, but be sure that it isn't. Demand a replacement and do not accept a lesser frame or a color you do not like. Demand they replace it with something you want and try to have them not charge you because of it to swap things.
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580 Posts
Best I could do and it is much larger than when I first noticed it. Just below the cable going in. My only conern is it will migrate out from there and up the seat stays and across the chain stays.
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I've never read/heard anyone say that a Tarmac is lifeless [until now].
How many beers have you had? Pissed at the world? Wrong side of the bed? What gives?
As for Specialized putting cheap paint on [so they can give you a new frame later under warranty and to have bad press] is certainly not a cheap way to run a business. With the money Specialized makes, I'm certain that is not what they expected when they put the paint on the frame. I would suspect, they have that issue resolved now.
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Well deal with it. The paint on this bike is anything but inspiring. It's just flat colored paint without any pearl or flake or anything. And it's black. I would have much rather they left the paint off and gone with nude carbon like many high end brands do. But that would take much more care in the manufacturing process. Or seeing how they went the cheap route with just covering everything in paint, I would have preferred some high quality paint that looked good in the sun. That wasn't an option though.
It's my bike, I own it and ride it, but I don't think the paint looks good. It would probably look better sanded down.
Go to a Cervelo dealer and walk an R5 out in the sun. Then go walk a Tarmac out in the sun. Then come talk to me.
It's my bike, I own it and ride it, but I don't think the paint looks good. It would probably look better sanded down.
Go to a Cervelo dealer and walk an R5 out in the sun. Then go walk a Tarmac out in the sun. Then come talk to me.
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3,149 Posts
Is this true, one year on the paint and life on the frame?? is this a built in get out of jail free on the lifetime warranty for Spesh [and others]. Bad paint not fixed my approved painter, your frame cracked you are out?? See how you think when you are on the planet for too many decades?
And BTW, after week return and stop the CC payment end of story!
And BTW, after week return and stop the CC payment end of story!
MMsRepBike is known for making stuff up wholesale, so don't take it too seriously.
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580 Posts
Paid in cash, so o CC to stop payment. Taking bike to shop in a little bit to see what the deal is.
And for what its worth MMsRepBike is spot on with the asthetics Specialized puts into their bikes. Certainly not World Class.
And for what its worth MMsRepBike is spot on with the asthetics Specialized puts into their bikes. Certainly not World Class.
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3,149 Posts
Man, stop riding it and bring it back clean and spotless!!
Get a Pay Pal debit card folks! Cash gives them all the leverage and you gave up a lot of that using cash, all of it? Pay Pal DBCard protection is better than a lot of banks debit card FWIW. [Not counting a BOA Debit Card I have to say given personal experience.]
I know, just sold off a 7-8 month old Roubaix to go in a different direction which I have A LOT more long term confidence in overall. By different I mean more in the direction the Disc Roubaix went, over my road bikes FWIW.
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924 Posts
Man that is just barely visible,my paint pops on my 2015 Sworks are a lot more visible but I could not be bothered,it's my last Specialized and I'm trying to get rid of it. Either way see what your LBS says because yes,there's a good chance it will spread around. I once was upgraded to an Epic Marathon frame from a defective paint Expert one no question asked,but I had a solid relationship with the LBS. Keep us posted about it :thumbsup:
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Yeah, best possible outcome on the latter point to the OP!
I sold both a disc and non disk older Roubaix. So probably or more than probably Spesh off my radar permanently.
Will I be selling my long loved Steel Stump Jumper with the SID and XT on it? Cold dead hands and prying come to mind.
Even though it is Smithsonian material.The sin I ask for forgiveness for is selling an 84 Coloago SLX Victory I have had since 1993 to pay for 2/3 of the SL4 Roubaix CC bill/payment. [Happy Wife, happy life and like that]... But I have a few old lugged beauts. But it can be considered sacrilege selling off a Italian hand made lugged bike for a plastic bike, there is shame there.
And look how long it took for me to off the plastic disc bike. 7 months or so.Not plastic basing, I call the Madone and Addict LTD still out in the garage plastic, always have and always will.
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In that picture its pretty small but its even bigger now and this bike was brought home on July 28 and its getting bigger. I rode it after taking that picture and its heading up the seat stays and accross the chainstay. Anyway its at the LBS and the Rep will look at it.
I paid cash but that hardley takes away my leverage. There is absolutely no sign of the bike being struck there or any scratches of any kind, it just flakes off like a bad case of dandruf. The mechanic at the shop noticed some other wierd imperfections around the BB as well. I am quite happy with all aspects of the bike but seriously 11 days of ownership and this. I get the impression some people on here would let it go. If nothing happens to fix it (what I believe will happen) it only proves to me that all the years of hating the big S were not in vain.just looking for a stance behind their product. Had this been any thing other than poor craftsmanship this would be a non issue.
I paid cash but that hardley takes away my leverage. There is absolutely no sign of the bike being struck there or any scratches of any kind, it just flakes off like a bad case of dandruf. The mechanic at the shop noticed some other wierd imperfections around the BB as well. I am quite happy with all aspects of the bike but seriously 11 days of ownership and this. I get the impression some people on here would let it go. If nothing happens to fix it (what I believe will happen) it only proves to me that all the years of hating the big S were not in vain.just looking for a stance behind their product. Had this been any thing other than poor craftsmanship this would be a non issue.
Seriously? I doubt it.
Anyone that has 2000 posts in just over a year has a lot to say about nothing. It's just one more post to raise his count.
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Yeah... I'm lying about paint on my bike... come on.. lol.
As if it's even a fact that would be disputable... it's not. And it's a personal preference anyway, just an opinion, so how can that be a lie? vertr is a fanboy, just look at the post history.
Even though I don't like the paint on the Tarmac it's holding up fine after 4 years, so there's that. Still doesn't change my opinion about it.
As if it's even a fact that would be disputable... it's not. And it's a personal preference anyway, just an opinion, so how can that be a lie? vertr is a fanboy, just look at the post history.
Even though I don't like the paint on the Tarmac it's holding up fine after 4 years, so there's that. Still doesn't change my opinion about it.
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Well, now its up to Specialized. Pictures and statment of damage with no signs of impact were sent off to the rep. The manager commented that he had never seen anything like this and has sold Specialized for many years. We shall see.
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