My local bike shop commented that my road bike’s headset was loose when I visited. I tightened it up once home and then remembered something about “rings of doom" in this exact scenario. I see a ring formed around where the top headset bearing sits.
There is also some declamation for the outer layer from the top. Not sure if normal.
Is this a case of:
a) Present it to a human that knows carbon bike parts
Bin it and start shopping for replacements (while avoiding escalating into buying a new bike)
or
iii) Put it back together and resume life as before
Less so (but not undermining the Ring Of Death), is that section of what looks like abraded carbon fibre just above the ring, on the left of the steerer tube. That looks worrisome.
I’m also curious how (if at all related), a loose headset bearing could cause the delamination at the top of the steerer tube. I’m with @RichGearing that that’s definitely a Stop Riding condition.
Did the shop disassemble it to check? Or was it you after getting home and thinking about it? I think the PSA to anyone, especially a shop is to use any issue/work around a carbon headset as an opportunity to check the steerer and bearings.
