Anodized vs. powder coated: How to tell the difference?

[Jeff Barber]

Anyone know of a good way to tell if a bike frame is powder coated or anodized? To me they both look and feel roughly the same, but I’m guessing there is a way to tell…

[Aaron Chamberlain ✓ supporter]

If it looks like it has a thick candy shell, that’s powder coat. It’s usually glossy and smooth.

With anodizing, you can often still see and feel the texture of the metal.

[Jeff Barber]

Is powder coating always glossy and smooth? For some reason I was thinking it could also be applied matte…

[Aaron Chamberlain ✓ supporter]

It can be matte. Maybe the easiest way is to look at the welds or around areas where there is no powder coating/anodizing/paint (BB, headtube, etc.). If you can’t easily distinguish the welds, or if it’s apparent that the color is adding any thickness to the metal, it’s likely powder coated.

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