Stone protection on MC frames?

[big stinkie]

I need your suggestions.

Painted my bike last winter using PPG basecoat and clear. I have to ride on 1.25 miles of gravel road from my home to get to pavement, and the front/bottom part of my frame became "sand blasted" all the way to the metal from the gravel that was kicked up.

This winter I'm going to repaint the whole thing (just for fun!) and I plan on a black frame. I'm going to do the bc/cc thing, and thought about spraying something over the bc/cc, such as undercoating for automobile wheel wells to coat the bottom of the frame and the first 5 or 6 inches up the tubes on the front. Figured that would eliminate/minumize the damage from the rocks, and wouldn't be too nasty looking. A majority of it would be hidden from sight. (I'd rather have a nice shiny finish there, but looks like I have to choose between rusty frame or undercoat. At least undercoat is black!) If it did etch its way to the metal again, I could easily scratch it up a bit and hit it with another layer of undercoat.

Whadya think? Any other suggestions, hints or tips?

 

[TAZ]

I would suggest having the frame powdercoated black. This is much more durable then paint.

 

[TWISTED]

The undercoating will hold up better than paint. You might want to be careful when recoating it after it gets chipped because it buids up quick. The only way to keep it from chipping at all would be to make some sort of a shield for it, probably too much work unless it is going to be a show bike.

I talked to a guy that I painted a show bike for and he puts water pipe insulation around the frame where it is prone ti chipping when he rides long distances. It can be picked up cheap at hardware stores and slides on and off pretty easy.

 

[ezrider]

I agree with Scott, powdercoating is the way to go, it is much more durable then paint. I am having my bike trailer repowdercoated just as soon as i weld it back up. the colors are almost endless i was even showed Flake in the powdercoating

 

[big stinkie]

Bunch of good ideas. Thanks!

Powder coating didn't even cross my mind. (But when you are an old fart like me, you forget lots of things!) I think I'll go that route and powder coat it. Might use the pipe protection when doing some long distance stuff, too.

Again, thanks!

 

[tooter]

TRY LOOKING IN TO JET HOT COATING THEY HAVE A EXCELLENT FINISH AND IS MORE DURABLE THEN POWER COATING