PeteHski

This^

My wife's matt finish bike has loads of black smudge marks that don't wipe off with a damp cloth (that's the limit of my frame cleaning regime). Same smudges on my gloss frames wipe off instantly first time with zero effort. They look like new with virtually no cleaning effort. I also spray my frames with Muc-off Bike Protect (which I always seem to get free in promotions for some reason - never actually bought a can of it ever!) which works really well on gloss frames. But just looks a mess if you spray it on matt frames.

So it's a no-brainer for me to choose gloss paint. I can't imagine owning a car with matt paint, that must be a nightmare to maintain!

indyfabz

Just like people clean their cars to “get them to shine.” Do you also find that funny?

GlennR

I think you should ride at night.

Problem solved

noimagination

I'm an old fart, so my bike ideal has always been shiny, with plenty of chrome. I get that others have a different aesthetic sense, and that's fine - it would be pretty boring if we all liked the same thing. I can (sometimes) appreciate a matte (or even, shudder, an unpainted) frame, even if it isn't my cup of tea.

Reflector Guy

And sometimes even a glossy car has matte finishes in places such as the trim around the windows on the doors.

I have a nice shiny black car and it really shines when I wash it.... Then I forget and accidently touch the matte black trim when I shut the door. Instant fingerprints!

Flip Flop Rider

hands down gloss

WhyFi

I'm too busy riding my bike to be concerned with perfection, so my bar is considerably lower - I clean my bike enough to make it not look like ass. That's tougher to do with a matte finish frame.

Troul 

if you drive thru an automatic car wash after your ride, you clean not only your bicycle, but also yourself.

-follow me for more life tips.

Altair 4

I voted glossy, but the quality of glossy paint varies widely, at least over time. My oldest bike still looks good, cleans up easily and the only bad spots on the paint are from a bike carrier that I used back at the end of the last ice age. My Cannondale Black Lightning is glossy but it chips if you look at it too hard. It is the most fragile paint I've ever seen. The new Trek and Novara have good paint. Once or twice a year, I give'em a good cleaning and a coat of car polish and wax. They look like new (for at least a little while).

PeteHski

fify

TakingMyTime

The voting seems to be overwhelmingly Gloss.

As I said in my OP I'm in the market for a new ride and finding something that I'd want and having a gloss finish is making the search that much more harder. The quest continues.

WhyFi

Because of the colorways being offered or because of availability? If it's availability, that should tell you something.

indyfabz

Go custom, young man.

TakingMyTime

Basically this next purchase is probably going to be the last "new" bike that I ever get. I'm getting up in the years (67) and want this to be my "forever" bike. That's why I'm being picky.. For example, a couple of the models I'm looking at the Pinarello Prince and Paris tick most of my boxes. But after extensive searching I cannot find the size and color available anywhere (by "anywhere" I mean I called every Pinarello dealer on the West Coast), nothing. I'm also drawn to some of the upper tier Treks but the colorways that are offered are not catching my eye. .Fortunately I have plenty of time and I'll keep searching. I did see a couple of Orbea's that looked interesting.

3alarmer 

...you funny, sir.

PeteHski

If a Pinarello, Trek and Orbea can all tick most of your boxes, then so should a lot of other bikes too. Paint finish would be pretty low on my priority checklist - at least in terms of gloss vs matt. Obviously wouldn't want a colour scheme I hated.

livedarklions

Gloss Matte-Satin is my male stripper name.

frogman

Go gloss, get a color that pleases you. It will always make you happy.

For myself I do not like flat or matte black frames / rims. Thats just me..........

wolfchild

What I find funny is people who drive through a car wash while it's raining or snowing outside ....as soon as they leave the car wash their vehicle gets all messed up all over again.

indyfabz

That wasn't the question, but thanks for playing.

Virtus

Based off of the options I went gloss but would've preferred an option for 'it doesn't matter as long as it's red' ha

livedarklions

Maybe a little.

Troul 

have to wash off the red gunk & buff out the scratches, otherwise, those pesky red & blue flashing lights start chasing you.

devianb

Frame color gloss, parts and components satin or matte.