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Ive got a 2017 Camber Carbon Comp 29er with a matte black finish. I liked how it looked till i got it home and noticed all the carbon layup showing up through the paint. Over it at this point but was not exited about it when i noticed it. Might get it painted in a couple years.
Lets talk though, do you like that look(heard some do), do you have matte finished bikes that dont show the carbon layup?
How do you clean it? Ive noticed on the back of the seat tube after wiping dry with a microfiber it left a bit of a (metallic-y) sheen to it.
Currently I use the carwash to clean it when its overly dirty. I set it to spot free rinse (lower pressure) then soak with soap, then spot free again to rinse. Leaves it pretty clean and i dont have to dry the matte when i get home beacause its been air dried at that point, the “spot free” leaving it clean of any sort of water spots.
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Not a fan of the matte paint on my bike. It’s tough to clean because it’s rough, and not only that, mine seems to have faded over time. What started out as black matte over carbon fiber, looks brownish and dull, especially in the sun. The bike is 6 years old so it’s not like this happened all at once, but it does seem the sun and mud have affected it over the years.
What do you mean by using the car wash to clean it? Are you taking it to one of those self-serve, high pressure wash stations?
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I really like matte painted frames. I like the faded patina they develop and prefer bikes to look kind of beat up. I do not sweat scratches, chips nor dings much. My cleaning method is consistent regardless of bike. Bike gets clamped in a stand and take the wheels off. Wet everything lightly followed by a spritz of generic MX wash (used to be Suzuki wash, but most cycle shops have jugs of the generic for less). Muc-off drive train cleaner on the chain/pulley wheels/chainring if it was a particularly nasty ride. Soft scrub brush the frame where mud is stuck and a aggressive brush on the tires. Rinse off then two-hand towel dry everything. SC-1 whole frame wait 10 minutes and wipe off excess. Re lube chain the next day. This takes about 15-20 minutes, doesn’t beat up anything, is simple and works great.
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I’ve got a 2016 trek superfly 9.6, carbon frame and matte paint. I think the matte finish looks okay, but a glossy finish in a nice color looks better to me. As far as cleaning goes, all I ever do is hose it off; the only thing I pay special attention to is the drivetrain. A dirty frame doesn’t affect the bikes performance. I never noticed any fading or patina, but most of my riding is in forested areas and the bike is never left outside. It could be that yours has an especially thin finish or mine has an especially thick one.
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What do you mean by using the car wash to clean it? Are you taking it to one of those self-serve, high pressure wash stations?
Yeah, I use the “Spot Free Rinse” setting though, and even squeezing the trigger it comes out at a much lower pressure. It doesn’t wash out grease, I’ve pulled things apart and checked before out of curiosity.
Dr sweets , my bike would definitely be a candidate for sun fading as I always transport it on the back of my civic, Ill have to look up pictures of the fading and patina, I’m curious. I’d be apprehensive to use brushes on it because even a microfiber cloth leaves a strange shiny-ness so I’ve stopped using anything to wipe it. But Ill have to grab some wash from the local LBS, I’ve only ever used auto soap. Id be curious to see if it works any better.
Head Over Handlebars , I definitely prefer a gloss too, wish I could’ve gotten black and green! I wanted the 2018 Cavendish Green model but the price on the 2017 was right and I got 600$ store credit because it was black Friday. The finish is quite thin for Specialized matte paint, Ive heard its because of the weight and to display the layup. I could care less about either of those things.
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My frame is matte black aluminum, but I use very low water pressure, a sponge or rag, and Dawn dish detergent to clean the bike if it is really dirty. After washing, the bike is thoroughly dried with an old towel (don’t tell my wife) and any lubrication that needs to be done is taken care of, I wipe the frame down with a silicone gun and reel cloth. This seems to “feed” the matte paint and dries to a semi gloss look. It doesn’t finger print or seem to attract any more dust than usual. Don’t let the silicone cloth touch your brake discs!
BTW, I use 10w30 synthetic motor oil in a small applicator bottle for chain lube. Works great and an $8 quart will last forever.
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