Sealant/Wax for matte finish?

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gceniza
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:43 pm

by gceniza

Does anyone here have any recommendations for sealing/protecting the matte finish on a bike frame? I am getting a new matte BoB frame this week. I detail my cars as my other hobby ... On my other gloss painted bikes, I protect the paint using a german acrylic sealant once or twice a year ... Klasse (lasts a long, long time) and then layer over the top with P21s after I wash them. I have never owned or worked on matte paint neither on cars nor bikes. Thanks.

kode54
Posts: 3740
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 9:39 pm

by kode54

Dr, Beasely makes a matte paint sealant used for cars.

i've used the cleaner and that works well. the sealant is priced pretty high...but i think its applied sparingly. doesn't fill up the matte pores and leaves a matte finish.

https://www.detailersdomain.com/search? ... pe=product

<edit: added link>
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youngs_modulus
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:03 am
Location: Portland, OR USA

by youngs_modulus

Given your detailing hobby, it makes sense that you're asking this question. However, you may be overthinking it. But first, a question:

You're referring to a "matte BoB frame." Are you buying a Pinarello Dogma? If not, what frame is it? And if so, what the heck does "BoB" mean in Pinarello-speak? I can't find it defined anywhere.

Bicycle paint doesn't need to be sealed or protected beyond the stock clearcoat (whether matte or glossy). The paint isn't porous; even if it were, the clearcoat would seal the pores.

While bicycle paints are similar or identical to automotive paints (DuPont Imron used to be very popular), they're not subject to the environmental extremes that cars deal with. Bicycles are typically exposed to much less sun, much less salt and much less water than the average car. In other words, bicycle paint is put under many fewer demands than automotive paint. There are exceptions, but most high-end bikes are ridden under conditions only slightly worse than a "garage queen" car. You could try to "seal" your matte finish, but you'd be wasting your time. It's not porous and there's nothing to seal it against.

Carbon frames are (in theory) susceptible to UV damage, but this is well known and understood by manufacturers; it's not an issue in practice. Because quality carbon frames are sold with a UV-blocking clearcoat, frames with UV damage are as rare as hen's teeth. I'm not saying they don't exist, but I've certainly never seen one. Bikes that live on team car roofs for hundreds of days a year might conceivably have an issue, but in that case, the frame is only used for a year at most.

Contrary to what the previous poster wrote, matte bicycle finishes are not any more porous than glossy ones. Some early automotive matte paints were porous, and some may still be. But many matte bikes are painted with glossy paint and finished with a matte clearcoat. To the best of my knowledge, even the ones that are painted with matte paint are finished with a matte clearcoat.

This site has decent information: http://kanebikes.com/2013/04/matte-vs-glossy-finish/

Kane offers to "turn your glossy frame into a matte one." While that can be done several ways, I'd be willing to bet that Kane's process includes a matte clearcoat.

Applying your detailing hobby to your cycling hobby sounds like harmless fun to me, but since you've never dealt with matte paint/clearcoat before, you should be aware that anything you apply on top of your frame's matte clearcoat could change its appearance. I use Pedro's Bike Lust (a silicone fluid) on my glossy bikes and a wet cloth on my matte ones. Sometimes I'll use rubbing alcohol on either to remove a bug splat, for instance. But anything beyond that is unnecessary, IMHO.

gceniza
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:43 pm

by gceniza

youngs_modulus wrote:You're referring to a "matte BoB frame." Are you buying a Pinarello Dogma? If not, what frame is it? And if so, what the heck does "BoB" mean in Pinarello-speak? I can't find it defined anywhere.

Bicycle paint doesn't need to be sealed or protected beyond the stock clearcoat (whether matte or glossy). The paint isn't porous; even if it were, the clearcoat would seal the pores.



Thanks for your thorough response ... truly appreciate that. I realize I could be overthinking this ... But, the frame is kinda expensive ... Black-on-Black (BoB) Dogma F10. It is a mix of gloss black paint on matte black. The thing I was most worried about is fading and potentially oxidation on the matte paint. With cars, especially black, this is a notorious issue. If untreated, it will always happen in the climate I live in ... Georgia.

AJS914
Posts: 5392
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

I wipe down my bikes with Meguire's quick detailer. It seems to leave the frame looking factory fresh and doesn't attract dirt or dust.

youngs_modulus
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:03 am
Location: Portland, OR USA

by youngs_modulus

I'm glad you found my reply helpful.

The frame *is* expensive, yes, but you can be confident that the matte finish will last just fine under normal use, especially if that normal use is mostly just riding the bike. If you're spending 10 hours a week/40 weeks a year on that bike, it sees 400 hours If you're driving to races in the summer with the bike on your roof 20 weekends a year, that's maybe 200 additional hours of intense sun exposure annually. So a bike that's ridden lots and driven to lots of races every season will see about 600 hours of intense sunshine annually.

Compare that with a matte-finished car that's kept in a garage but driven to work five days a week, where it's parked outside 50 weeks a year. That car is exposed to ~2500 hours of intense sunlight every year, or about five times as much as a bike that gets a ton of use. If a car with matte paint would fade noticeably after three years of garaged daily driving, your bike paint job would last fifteen years before fading the same amount. And it helps that your black carbon frame is painted black. There's no lighter-colored material underneath to accentuate any fading.

Realistically, if you're riding your bike that much, crashes and clumsy teammates will have scratched the hell out of it long before the paint fades. One other tidbit: while even a high-quality car respray is way less durable than the factory paint, the same is not true for bikes. Aftermarket bike painters typically produce work of much higher quality than OEMs. In fact, small custom builders essentially use "aftermarket" painters as their OEM painters. Some shops specialize in carbon; about $600 gets you a very high-quality single-color respray for a carbon frame. Replicating the BoB finish would be more expensive, but by the time you need to repaint that bike, you'll probably want a change of pace anyway.

Back in the '70s and '80s, Italian bikes in particular were notorious for awful, chip-prone paint jobs. To solve this problem, Ten Speed Drive Imports began importing high-quality Italian frames (Cinelli and Tommaso, among others) and painting them in the US. Jim Allen painted many of those frames, going on to co-found CyclArt, which was once the absolute best bike paint shop in the country (and it's still first-tier, as far as I know).


Enjoy your new bike!

gceniza
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:43 pm

by gceniza

Thanks ... you just explained why my late 80s era Basso Gap frame (Columbus SL) has always been a chip magnet ... beautiful ride otherwise.

kode54
Posts: 3740
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 9:39 pm

by kode54

3 of my bikes are BoB. i tend to get grease marks and spots from my water bottle along with sweat spots. i use a bike wash to spray and wipe and the matte finish has stay true all along so far. where i am having issues with the paint is where my thighs may rub against the TT and it 'polishes' the matte paint making it glossy. i suppose i could put clear film in those areas...but i don't bother...and just ride it for what its worth. there's only so much i can do with so much time in the day where i would rather ride than obsess about cleaning it to its original state. i've only used Dr Beasley's cleaner since i had it around. works as promised. never used the sealant.
- Factor Ostro VAM Disc
- Factor LS Disc
- Specialized Aethos Disc
- Sturdy Ti Allroad Disc
- Guru Praemio R Disc

probertsqbe
Posts: 166
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2013 1:27 pm

by probertsqbe

I own a Canyon SLX Ultimate which is a Matt finish. It shows up all grease marks and any drips from my water bottles. Ive previously dabbled in car detailing on my own cars so own a variety of car waxes and sealants. Having done some research on www.detailingworld.com it was clear to me that waxes will add a glossy finish. I tried this on a very small section of my frame and noted a gloss finish. I wanted a product that maintained the matte finish. I've recently purchased the Matte Detailer from https://www.crankalicious.com/collectio ... boniferous. It's a great product, easy to apply and maintains the original Matt look. Interestingly this seems to be a spin off of Dodo Juice ( a well known car care products company). I have no association with this company so this is just my personal opinion.

gceniza
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:43 pm

by gceniza

probertsqbe wrote:I own a Canyon SLX Ultimate which is a Matt finish. It shows up all grease marks and any drips from my water bottles. Ive previously dabbled in car detailing on my own cars so own a variety of car waxes and sealants. Having done some research on http://www.detailingworld.com it was clear to me that waxes will add a glossy finish. I tried this on a very small section of my frame and noted a gloss finish. I wanted a product that maintained the matte finish. I've recently purchased the Matte Detailer from https://www.crankalicious.com/collectio ... boniferous. It's a great product, easy to apply and maintains the original Matt look. Interestingly this seems to be a spin off of Dodo Juice ( a well known car care products company). I have no association with this company so this is just my personal opinion.


Thanks for that link ... this Matte Detailer seems very reasonable considering it is the same company that makes Dodo Supernatural (which is very expensive). Will give it a try.

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4ibanez
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by 4ibanez

After my last decent clean, I used some Chemical Guys matte detailer. It apparently provides UV protection too.

TimW
Posts: 536
Joined: Sat May 09, 2009 1:52 pm
Location: England, UK

by TimW

I own a matte black Colnago C59. Still Matte after 7 years. Never polished or treated. Just washed with regular soap and water occasionally and more often than not just use a baby wipe or two.

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ironman1
Posts: 215
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 5:51 pm

by ironman1

I have a Calfee Dragonfly in nude, No finish what so ever and a V1r in matte. After a thorough cleaning I apply Boeshield 303 protectant. It will protect against UV rays if your concerned ( I am Not) but also helps repel dirt and dust.

oreoboreo
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Location: Aloha, Oregon/ Poipu, Kauai Hawaii

by oreoboreo

Year ago I use to detail cars and still like a smart looking bike all the time. I have 2 bikes that are mat black finish and found something that really helps. After cleaning i use Lemon Pledge ( US brand) , a furniture polish that helps to keep it clean and smells great as a added bonus.

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