Beating a dead horse - are matte finishes here to stay?
 

Maybe it’s because as a kid I remember a new bike being associated with “shiny,” but it feels like going on a decade and I still haven’t fallen in love with the matte finish trend. At least, I thought it was a trend. Bike shopping again and for 2021 I see lots of matte finishes once more. Taste is subjective, so I don’t knock anyone’s matte bike, or them for liking it. I’ve seen some I thought looked nice, but am I just a dinosaur for loving a clean glossy finish? (And don’t even get me started on gloss metallic!). So are matte finishes here to stay?
(And yes, the thread title should say "finishes," not "finished.")

Yes.

No

No, eventually all the matte black carbon frames with matte grey logos on the down tube will crack and be replaced by the next finish trend. I predict iridescent purple with metallic reflective logos.

Nope. After owning one, people will learn what a (relative) pain in the ass they are to keep clean and the demand will go down. My previous bike (Domane SL5) was matte and I wouldn't get a matte finish again (unless every other spec on the bike was exactly what I wanted and I was getting a screaming deal).

Love matt finish 4ever matt
 

Matte finishes aren't new and aren't going anywhere. I bought my first matte finish bike in 1994.

Entropy will define the ultimate finish.

I'm sure they'll stick around, but there are still some nice glossy/metallic paintjobs out there. Giant has some great colors, love my gloss metallic orange, which will be replaced soon with gloss metallic rosewood. :thumb:

Indeed, probably even worse than glossy black. It's like having a black car; it shows every speck of dust.

I learned my lesson: My new bike on order, when it eventually arrives, is Celeste green.

The easiest bike I ever had cleaning wise was just like the easiest car - gloss gray/silver metallic. Hides it all. Only have one matte bike in the family. Matte black. Looked good new, but seems to stain/splotch so easily (my wife’s bike). I clean it, but some spots still have not come out.

Mine always had those splotches - it was like a grease stain in the middle of a favorite t-shirt. It annoyed me until I resigned myself to living with it (until I sold the bike).

I tried to tell myself that the matte finish wasn't that bad, but the first time I washed my current bike (glossy silver/red) was the last nail in the coffin - wet it, wipe it, done. No special cleaning solutions, no elbow grease, no fuss, no wasted time.

I'm generally a function over form guy but when I was looking at bikes last year, about the only absolute requirement I had was that it not be matte. As mentioned, it's a pain to keep clean and to me it just looks cheap.

Maybe someone will be able to measure that here is a microscopically small amount of drag due to the matte finish and no one will want it anymore.

lol!

It depends

Unfortunately they are actually more aero.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...816d33358.jpeg

I like my Acid Red Supersix. I doubt matte black ever gets compliments!

Can you have your staff polish it for you?

I love my glossy red Battaglin, glossy blue Ritchey, and matte electric blue Canyon. I don't find that the matte blue is any harder to keep clean. I do find the matte black stripe on the top of the top tube shows all the dried-up sweat spots, but I betcha a glossy black would do the same.

They were here in various forms for quite a while. Maybe more popular than ever at this current time.

Sort of the same thing as chrome, gold finish or oil-rubbed bronze bathroom fixtures. Then someone throws brushed nickle into the mix. They all have different moments of popularity.

I’m pretty mixed up, my bikes are shiny.

Matte should go the way of the dinosaur says the guy who owns two matte bikes currently. When I had my custom handmade bike painted, it certainly wasn't matte.

Matte looks like it received only the primer coat. :D

My metallic grey Fuji was so easy to keep "clean"! I used to get complimented for its cleanliness when I'd ridden my training loop on freshly rained roads. Very practical for a barely sponsored full-time racer riding for a club his was proud to represent.

My Trek is shiny red, needs a quick wipe clean after every ride and I like its appearance a lot. My Wilier is not matte, is appears that way however because it has no paint at all. It is easy to clean too. The bikes contrast nicely - flashy, shiny and understated, bare, polished (not shiny) carbon.