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Reporting on ceramic coat for bikes

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Reporting on ceramic coat for bikes

Old 07-27-21, 10:02 AM
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dvai
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Reporting on ceramic coat for bikes

I had asked here a while ago on ceramic coats on bikes. I had experience (good) in cars.

My bike is matte but I ended up coating it. Is a new bike and want to protect the pain.

After 3 months, I can say is worth it. Just as with cars, dirt does not get stuck as much, the coat does not affect the color or texture of the paint.
Will likely protect from swirls when washing (to some degree) but very unlikely to give any protection with chips. So if you ride in gravel, would still recommend paint protection film.
I got a Mr Beasley but Im sure most manufactures with a reputation are ok. If you have a matte bike, make sure to use matte coating though.

Hope this helps.
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Old 07-27-21, 10:11 AM
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Interesting, thanks for the report!

I recently had my new car ceramic coated (at a shop, so it was expensive) but I did the wheels myself with a product that came in a little spray bottle. Of course, immediately I had the desire to use it on my bike also. I'll have to remove the wax that is on it already (unless it has already worn off itself...). Something to try this weekend!
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Old 07-27-21, 12:43 PM
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Cut out the paint middle man. Cerakote ceramic coating for FTW!

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Old 07-27-21, 01:28 PM
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Can you explain what a "ceramic coat" is? I've never heard of it.

Sounds like it's a clear coat with some fancy marketing words thrown in, like "nanoparticles".
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Old 07-27-21, 01:53 PM
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
Can you explain what a "ceramic coat" is? I've never heard of it.

Sounds like it's a clear coat with some fancy marketing words thrown in, like "nanoparticles".
It is literally a ceramic coating. My ti frame and carbon fork, pictured above, are done in Cerakote. Custom blend of Zombie Green and a glossy white to produce a pearl finish. Cerakote also makes clear coatings. Cheaper than paint. Lighter than paint. (No primer required. Spray on a coat and bake it in the oven.) Stronger than paint. Downside is that if you ship it, there is no touch up.

A (of not the) major consumer application is coating/coloring firearms. Check out all their colors. The Robins Egg Blue was adopted as an official color after my frame builder had it mixed for a bike he built for himself.

Cerakote.com - Global Leader in Thin-Film Ceramic Coatings | Cerakote

This guy did the actual application.

Home Page (paintbytodd.com)
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Old 07-27-21, 02:06 PM
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But I still have to wipe my bike down every now and then don't I? My Tarmac still looks good after 16 months and it is just factory finish.

I guess what I'm asking is how much easier is it to wipe off the grime. Or is that not the purpose?
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Old 07-27-21, 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Iride01

I guess what I'm asking is how much easier is it to wipe off the grime. Or is that not the purpose?
If I understand it correctly, it is a lot like a good car wax.... Rain or water beads up and rolls right off, taking the dust with it. A car with a good coat of wax stays cleaner longer and is easier to clean.... And even more so with a ceramic coating which is even slicker and lasts longer.
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Old 07-27-21, 08:16 PM
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There are different types. The ones that last longer and give more protection are sold only to installers as if you ess up the installation, is difficult to repair it and is much harder to apply

The "consumer" ones are easier to apply but usually last 2-3 years. At least in cars.

Bikes is a bit different as they are usually not exposed to as many elements as cars so a consumer product like opti gloss would work fine and likely last for a long time, especially if you just ride on roads and don't leave the bike outside.

Before applying, you MUST remove all oils, wax, etc. You need a paint cleaner for that. Is not enough to wash with regular bike soap. The coat will not bond to the pain if you don't prep it correctly.
In glossy paints, especially older ones, would recommend clay and potentially buff scratches off before coating it. Matte pain, you can't polish. So just try to decontaminate the pain as much as you can and make sure you use a matte coat. Thats why is ideal to do it when the bike is new.
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Old 07-27-21, 08:18 PM
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I used the matte version of this
https://www.drbeasleys.com/nano-resin.html

You can find more info there. I have no commercial interest with that specific brand. They happen to have matte coats.
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Old 07-27-21, 09:55 PM
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Hmm, what happens if you put matt over gloss...?

And if it needs baking, can it be used on carbon?
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Old 07-28-21, 06:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Kimmo
Hmm, what happens if you put matt over gloss...?

And if it needs baking, can it be used on carbon?
The baking required Cerakote was confusingly entered into the discussion upthread, and is a different type of ceramic than the OP is talking about. Generally speaking, Cerakote is a ceramic finish, whereas the OP is talking about a ceramic coating (designed to go over a finish).

Ceramic coatings do not need baked.

Applying a non-matte coating over a matte finish will level the finish somewhat and make it more reflective, not necessarily glossy (since the ceramic is so thin), but more satin. Do multiple coats, though, and it’ll get glossy.

Relatedly, I’ve used Gyeon Can Coat ceramic coating on one of my painted bikes, and while it’s great, it’s more a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist than anything else. Add in the cost, and it’s pretty stupid. I do my cars in ceramic coatings, so I have leftovers for the bikes making cost a non-issue, but as the OP said, bikes just don’t see the same type of exposure as cars, so it’s largely unnecessary.
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Old 07-28-21, 07:34 AM
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Originally Posted by chaadster
The baking required Cerakote was confusingly entered into the discussion upthread, and is a different type of ceramic than the OP is talking about. Generally speaking, Cerakote is a ceramic finish, whereas the OP is talking about a ceramic coating (designed to go over a finish).

Ceramic coatings do not need baked.

Applying a non-matte coating over a matte finish will level the finish somewhat and make it more reflective, not necessarily glossy (since the ceramic is so thin), but more satin. Do multiple coats, though, and it’ll get glossy.

Relatedly, I’ve used Gyeon Can Coat ceramic coating on one of my painted bikes, and while it’s great, it’s more a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist than anything else. Add in the cost, and it’s pretty stupid. I do my cars in ceramic coatings, so I have leftovers for the bikes making cost a non-issue, but as the OP said, bikes just don’t see the same type of exposure as cars, so it’s largely unnecessary.
Thanks for the clarification. I always refer to Cerakote as a "coating" because of the "kote," among other things.

In any event, in case anyone is considering Cerakote for a custom frame, Enve will still honor its fork warranty on carbon forks after the application of a Cerakote finish as long as you don't bake the thing at unnecessarily high temperature. At least that was the case 5 years ago.
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Old 07-28-21, 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
Can you explain what a "ceramic coat" is? I've never heard of it.

Sounds like it's a clear coat with some fancy marketing words thrown in, like "nanoparticles".

It is really an alternative to wax in what it actually achieves i.e. UV protection, slightly easier cleaning etc. The main difference is that it is semi-permanent and can last for several years. It does NOT protect against stone chips, scratches, or even swirls to any significant degree. I had one of our cars professionally ceramic coated from new and it was okay, but nothing special. Saved waxing it for a couple of years, but I wouldn't bother again.

There are now some decent DIY ceramic sprays available - Turtle Wax have a ceramic spray and their latest and greatest includes "graphene", so must be cool! I've been using it on my wife's new car and it seems to work very well. Haven't tried it on my bikes as I don't really see much point, but now I've seen this thread I might squirt some on my road bike frame next time I clean it up.
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Old 08-09-21, 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
There are now some decent DIY ceramic sprays available - Turtle Wax have a ceramic spray and their latest and greatest includes "graphene", so must be cool! I've been using it on my wife's new car and it seems to work very well. Haven't tried it on my bikes as I don't really see much point, but now I've seen this thread I might squirt some on my road bike frame next time I clean it up.
I wound up using a product called Mother's CMX ceramic spray on my bike (I had bought it to use on the wheels of my new car). I cleaned my chain and cassette and chainrings, and then went the extra mile and cleaned everything else as well. Perfect time to try the ceramic spray. I will report back if I notice anything interesting. Cleanest my Bianchi has been since new.
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