My mate has a Spesh Allez with CF fork from 2010.
He’s noticed under the crown what looks to be a split on the paint.
Any thoughts? It looks a little lumpy under there.

I’ve suggested he get it down to the LBS he got it from, unless he fancies dental implants.

chip the paint off a bit and see what’s underneath?

He’s not keen to do that just yet. Certainly not until the LBS have seen it.

I’m gonna say it’s paint flexing where alu/carbon meet, but I’m struggling a little to orientate that photo!

THAT’S A CRACK IN THE PAINT CAUSED BY A WHOLE HEAP OF CORROSION UNDERNEATH IT (ALU CROWN?)

Damn CL.

Has he ridden several winters with no mudguards?

looks like classic corrosion under the paint.. but you say it’s a “CF fork”.. so that would be strange

A ’10 Allez will have an alu crown – looks that way from the hole in it too.

I’d be taking it to the lbs and looking at prices for new forks. Or does specialized warranty cover corrosion?

As z1ppy says, it looks like aluminium oxide has taken up more space than the metal and is forcing the paint off, causing a witness crack.

The paint on older bikes is thick and brittle and witness cracks are common, usually where there is flexion between alloy and carbon parts. I rode my Roubaix for a couple of years with three witness cracks, including one down the fork crown and it was fine. Sold it with clear pics and a full description and as far as I know it’s still going. I believe this is why manufacturers have gone over to thinner paint finishes.

Al crown with CF legs makes sense regarding corrosion then. And would explain the lumpiness under the paint.
I guess its the corrosion that has caused the paint to crack.
Thanks Al and everyone else.