bwj75
new member
Reged: 12/08/04
Posts: 21
Loc: Manchester, Ma
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Hi guys, my Calfee has been repaired and I got the call last night about finish options. After talking it over with Dean, I decided on a nude finish. It was only a few dollars more then getting the Cabernet touched up. I think the nude bikes look great, but did I make the right decision??? Will the bike be as durable??? I need reassurance!!!
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bwj75
new member
Reged: 12/08/04
Posts: 21
Loc: Manchester, Ma
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Looking back to a few months ago, a bunch of you wieghed in with the pros of going nude. Any cons??? Thanks again.
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flythebike
captain
Reged: 08/26/04
Posts: 272
Loc: N. Virginia, USA
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Yeah, it is just "plain" black. It could be argued that it lacks a certain aesthetic value. Although that is subjective depending on your view of the intrinsic beauty of carbon, isn't it? I like the Cabernet Red on my Fly a super-whole-lot, and I'm keeping it that way.
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Jas0n
journeyman
Reged: 01/26/04
Posts: 62
Loc: Westchester, New York
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i had my fly originally clearcoated, but sent it back to dean last spring to have the clearcoast removed. the nude looks great imho. very simple, industrial. there is more maintenance required though. you must apply 303 or any other uv protectant once a month. no biggie though. the big plus that i see is that carbon has much difficulty bonding with paint, and painted carbon bikes tend to not have the most durable paint schemes.
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eat to live, live to ride
if it ain't rainin, it ain't trainin
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flythebike
captain
Reged: 08/26/04
Posts: 272
Loc: N. Virginia, USA
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I've got the paint chips to prove it.
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cinelli
contributor
Reged: 01/17/04
Posts: 109
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Clear coat: pro - decals won't peel and glossy finish.
con - chips easily
Nude finish: pro: no chips, stealth look
con: regular maintenance and decals can peel
Both of my Tetras were clear coated and the finish looks great; just a bit tender if you ride on aggregate surfaces. 
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Insightdriver
captain
Reged: 03/07/04
Posts: 472
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I chose clear coat but my bike just hit the production queu so I could change my mind at this point if I wanted to. I am wondering now if it is the better choice. I see some mighty good looking paint jobs. As far as durability I am not concerned but I live in Sacramento and know I want good UV protection which is well-provided by a clear coat.
I'm interested in reading all kinds of opinions so I hope to see a lot of responses in this thread even if it had been covered a while back.
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mcm
new member
Reged: 12/25/03
Posts: 8
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Can you just use a little of the wife's clear nail polish to fill the chips?
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Insightdriver
captain
Reged: 03/07/04
Posts: 472
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I hear a lot of people do just that, use clear nail polish. Does the job.
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Calfee does not recommend clear polish or touchup clearcoat alone. If the chip can be noticed it won't look better as a chip with some nail polish over it. The chip will not be smooth with the surfaces around it. Calfee has a touch up kit. You need to sand the area to get a smooth surface. Then when you apply the clearcoat it looks right.
My Luna has clearcoat and has been durable. The clearcoat has about 6,000 miles on it and there are just a few insignificant chips. I had cabernet red prior to it and I prefer the clearcoat as the carbon "shows" better. My cabernet red did chip fairly easily but because of that Calfee refinished the bike for me. They felt it wasn't right from the start.
My Kestrel is painted. It is one of the "old" USA made bikes. The paint has chipped. I touch it up but without really going the whole route of sand paper and such it never looks quite right. Large noticible chips are covered with a sticker. Since it will just chip again I don't focus on the chips but rather the overall look of the bike.
I'd hypothesize that clearcoat is somewhat more durable than paint. That has been my experience between the Luna and the Kestrel. In thinking about it once I realized that there are a ton of clearcoat forks and they don't chip much either. I have no complaints whatsoever on my clearcoat's durability.
Last but not least my Fly is nude. The 303 is easy to put on and if anything I probably put too much on. I'm used to cleaning and wiping down my bikes after every ride.
Another two friends have conventional opaque paint schemes. They both look great as well. One just had his repainted the same exact way after 4 years on the road.
Another friend just got the translucent blue. He likes to just sit and admire it as he likes it so much.
Bottom line...whatever you prefer. I like all mine and my friends like theirs. That is the good news...the bad news is you can go nuts deciding.
P.S. In terms of chips any rider that can keep his/her anal OCD tendencies in check (I work at it all the time!) then you can live with chips. 
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Insightdriver
captain
Reged: 03/07/04
Posts: 472
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Thanks Ron.
BTW, it may seem I'm following you around. I am at work, idle and browsing the posts. Biking is on my mind now.
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