I'm thinking of having my frame painted matte white

[cosmonaut]

Is this a terrible idea?
Talk me into or out of it.
I've only seen white frames in glossy finish, so it's hard to visualize how this would turn out.

[Wilkinson4]

Note sure about a matte white but Split's Hunter bike in the Custom bikes section and his inspiration have made me contemplate a matte finish on my Strong Monster Cross. Maybe a Matte White with some Orange accents?

http://www.kirkframeworks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/kirk_cross1.jpg

mIKE

[eddief]

I am thinking a ton o dirt and every fingerprint all the time. But clean, I bet it looks cool. Hang it up and don't ride it.

Is this a terrible idea?
Talk me into or out of it.
I've only seen white frames in glossy finish, so it's hard to visualize how this would turn out.

[false_Aest]

there's a superfly in a LBS near here. No one has ridden it but the matte white paint is dirty from people touching the frame.


doesn't bother me.


bother you?

[Keith A]

I am thinking a ton o dirt and every fingerprint all the time. But clean, I bet it looks cool. Hang it up and don't ride it.A friend of mine has a Trek that has some matte white on the frameset and I too noticed that the dirt tends to stick on there more than if it was a gloss finish.

[monkeybanana86]

My opinion: I think white bikes look really cool but personally I don't like them too naked (like no decals (looks unfinished)) nor with white tires + white accessories because they remind me too much of ghost bikes.

Here's a cool one I've always liked (sorry I don't have any input about matte or glassy)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3irPFGAdvwc/TfTs1q-a-sI/AAAAAAAACpQ/j7weitbcH28/s640/pegoretti.jpg

[esldude]

I think pearl white frames look great.

I think gloss white frames look good especially with some tasteful striping here and there.

Matte white??? Not sure I get that. I get matte gray or especially matte black, but not white. It is still a light color and to me it needs some gloss. But if you like it, it is your bike.

[Louis]

I'd go with a pearl white. There are many cool, cool variations.

[Rueda Tropical]

I think it will look good for about 15 minutes after paint dries. Maintenance nightmare.

[Peter P.]

Paint it any color you want; you'll have to live with the little idiosyncracies of matte finishes.

My Rock Lobster is painted matte olive drab. The only downfall is overspray from lubes such as WD-40 leave a subtle stain (not a permanent stain, just something you have to wipe to smooth the finish).

Otherwise, it's no big deal.

[charliedid]

Is this a terrible idea?
Talk me into or out of it.
I've only seen white frames in glossy finish, so it's hard to visualize how this would turn out.

Your bike will appear to be made of chalk...

[Ti Designs]

hang it up and don't ride it.

-1

[phcollard]

I think it will look good for about 15 minutes after paint dries. Maintenance nightmare.

What Rueda said. You'll never be able to get it totally clean. And if you do it will get dirty just by looking at it. Don't do it. On the other hand gloss white is absolutely classy.

[fuzzalow]

Here's a cool one I've always liked (sorry I don't have any input about matte or glassy)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3irPFGAdvwc/TfTs1q-a-sI/AAAAAAAACpQ/j7weitbcH28/s640/pegoretti.jpg

That bike is a Pegoretti which can certainly pass the qualifications for cool. Unless it is a replica, which can be cool as an homage to the original. Or it is a copy, which might confer hack status to its fabricator. Good artists borrow, great artists steal.

Back to the OP, matte white, or any matte finish, is a dirt & grease roach motel - it gets on and never comes out.

[FlashUNC]

Seems a bit of an odd color choice to me?


http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/races09/tdf09/tdf09st13ed-white.jpg

[echelon_john]

matte white=beautiful palette for sharpie customization. i'm seeing an homage to Raymond Pettibon...

http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=55099

[David Kirk]

Matte paint is harder to keep clean but not as bad as it might seem. I have a cross bike that is matte light gray and mud and dirt washes off like 'normal' but greasy stuff is harder. I've found that if you have a greasy fingerprint or schmear a bit if simple green and a brush will lift it right out and off.

I don't recommend matte paint to most but I do have a good number of folks that opt for it with the understanding that it takes a different type of care because nothing looks cooler.

Dave

[rain dogs]

...lubes such as WD-40


:eek:

[sworcester]

You could use House of Kolor pearl white and have them put a matte clear coat over it. It is really stain and chemical resistant. They use it on motorcycle gas tanks

[Keith A]

I have to add that I love the pearl white on my compact CSi :)

[KidWok]

Seems a bit of an odd color choice to me?


http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/races09/tdf09/tdf09st13ed-white.jpg

Pretty sad that it took me a second to figure out why Matt White's pic was posted...

I just tried to do this with a bike I'm building up, but the shop I'm using only does glossy.

Tai

[echelon_john]

Glossy is Matt's sister. I hear she's taken quite a shine to me...

[1centaur]

... and when the bit of grime that bugs you does not come off through normal cleaning, you'll start thinking about removal products and whether they will also remove a bit of paint...


Matte (stain hiding color/pattern) would be better.

[monkeybanana86]

That bike is a Pegoretti which can certainly pass the qualifications for cool. Unless it is a replica, which can be cool as an homage to the original. Or it is a copy, which might confer hack status to its fabricator. Good artists borrow, great artists steal.

Back to the OP, matte white, or any matte finish, is a dirt & grease roach motel - it gets on and never comes out.

haha I'm still trying to work through the old thread. not all pegs are created equal though imo.

[ultraman6970]

White?? good color... be sure to pick the right white.

[cnighbor1]

could work
if you want matt you can do it yourself
it is not that hard to get a matt sprayed on finish using spray cans

[ATB24]

I saw a matte white bike once, one of the sexiest colors on a bike imo, it was a kuota, i tried finding a pic online, might be this one, but not sure

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/457971_3470833286540_1142364385_3531447_618266786_ o.jpg

[54ny77]

saw one of those new specialized tarmac or vengewhaatevers in matte white.

greasy paw prints all over the thing.

with matte white finish, i'd say you and a bottle of simple green would become fast friends if you're remotely compulsive about having a clean bike.

i have two glossy white bikes, 1 of them ridden often, and it's a royal p.i.t.a. to keep clean.

white bike: never again.

[that guy]

I had a matte white 'cross bike. It got filthy. And looked awesome that way.

[tv_vt]

Matt White - duh! Great pun. Glad someone's awake today. Why didn't I think of that? (Oh yeah, see previous sentence...)

Matte white color? Right, mate, it will be matte white when delivered to you. A week later, it will be matte white with lots of other colors all over the place.

You could end up calling it the 'blotter' bike.

Actually, maybe that could work.

[split]

+1 +1

Dirt cleans right off like any other finish. It might depend on the matte clear coat but I haven't noticed any finger prints on my bike. Any grease comes off with Simple Green and it looks good as new.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8423/7743426746_4a15aa8b75_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lincolnwong/7743426746/)

[cosmonaut]

I suspected that matte finish on white paint would lead to smudginess. Not sure I'm bold enough to give it a go at this point, but the example posted in the post above looks killer.

[Louis]

I'll say it again,

PEARL WHITE

[jhamlin38]

Sometimes something new, like matte (black or charcoal) on a vehicle is cool. Sometimes something is cool, but not cool. Meaning, you like what you see, and think it looks good. But you wouldn't own it, or buy it yourself.
I have matte black on a Fondriest steel frame. It looks awesome, and cleaning it doesn't bug me. I'm not constantly trying to "save" every minute of everyday to do something else. If cleaning it takes a bit more time, I'll just enjoy it a bit longer.
I think Matte white would look awesome on steel, or ti, or a moderate diameter tubing, but not good on a massive diameter tubed frame.
There was a "trend" in my industry with "honed" white, or matte white fixtures. yes, plumbing fixtures. They looked awesome, and I thought our competitor NAILED it with the next great thing.
It's all been discontinued, and barely sold. BUT, that's for bathroom sinks.
In Pasadena, I'm always seeing a Matte charcoal M3, and a Matte Black 6 series Beemers.
they could not be cooler.
go for it man.

[Nelson99]

Matte black, matte grey, ok. Matte white, no way.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

What Rueda said. You'll never be able to get it totally clean. And if you do it will get dirty just by looking at it. Don't do it. On the other hand gloss white is absolutely classy.

This. Think white bar tape.

[KidWok]

Glossy is Matt's sister. I hear she's taken quite a shine to me...

Just 'cus my shop only does glossy...apparently doesn't mean that glossy only does my shop. :banana:

Tai

[Charles M]

matte finish done right does not collect more dirt... is not harder to clean does not show more smudges.

poorly done dry eggshell finish is terrible to maintain but a quality matte clear is pretty much the same difficulty as most other finishes...

[split]

matte finish done right does not collect more dirt... is not harder to clean does not show more smudges.

poorly done dry eggshell finish is terrible to maintain but a quality matte clear is pretty much the same difficulty as most other finishes...

What he said (PERIOD).

[tuscanyswe]

Cant c why any colour that has been clearcoated would be more difficult to clean tbh. Doesent make sense.