As usual there is wealth of knowledge in the comments so definitely scroll through if you are thinking of doing something similar. Many mentioned that Ceramic coating needs a long time to cure. two weeks or so! So be mindful of that. I did my first “grab test” the day after, and the water test was a week after application 🤦♂️ Also mentioned is that ceramic coating doesn’t like the minerals in regular “tap” water so that would explain the spots I got after air drying post-coating. So a proper towel wipe after cleaning is definitely the way to go (unless you wanna go crazy and use distilled water) Btw, The mini “air blower” is from a Japanese budget tool brand/store called “Astro product”. It most likely a Chinese OEM thing so might find it under other names. A proper air compressor will be a much better tool I will say, that’s not an option for my living situation though.
The beauty of Ti is that you can have the finish redone over and over (even a different type or design) relatively easy and inexpensive compared to changing a paintjob. You can also easily prep your frame yourself for blasting. I had a combination of polished and brushed Ti done on my last Ti bike, after the original finish was damaged/worn.
Okay so this is SUPER fgn geeky but recently I wanted to sandblast some plain shiny aluminium specialized bottle cages (they just looked cheap and crappy) and the sandblast place advised against it for exactly this reason and that I should instead ‘bead blast’ them. Uses a bigger particulate and the finish is a kind satin matte. Looks AWESOME and no fingerprints or staining of any sort! Would love to do a bike
I feel your pain😢. It would be well worth checking out some of the car detailing TH-cam channels to get a feel for the best way with this sort of stuff; it has existed for years in the automotive world and is becoming mainstream now with bikes. Couple of thoughts: 1. use a polish of some description before you apply that ceramic coating. Your frame builder can help and the Japanese market has a great history in this space. That will get you to a better base position before the coating goes on. 2. “Less is more” with ceramic coatings. From what you’ve said and watching the video, you may have too much product on there. Again, a base of polish gives you a good sealed surface that will take the coating better so that you can avoid unnecessary build up. 3. If you watch the car detailers, you’ll see them using small applicator pads to apply coatings. That will also work better on smaller areas like bike frames and then just save the cloth for the tricky areas. 4. Do not use dish soap or similar on the coating - it will strip it very quickly 😮. Buy a low ph car wash soap that will work with the coating rather than removing it. They’re more expensive but you need very little in the bucket to do a great job so it’s a low cost over time. This is all another rabbit hole to disappear into - enjoy!!
Brushed Ti I do my bikes with a very fine grade Scotch Brite and in Japan リンレイ家具 wax spray. Basically Pledge but cheaper. Does not need any pressure and the finish is fine. Glad you weighed the frame after application but next time weigh the bottle before and after and you can calculate something maybe interesting. オス👍
This is why I had my custom Ti frame bead blasted. I just scotch brite(very hard to pronounce) it when needed. Little tip, the middle of original is pronounced as though it has a D in it, think or-ridge-inal. I think your English pronounciation is very good, like most Swedes but better than my Danish friends!
If its anything like the coatings used in automotive, you might want to check how to wash / clean the frame from now on. Otherwise you might end up washing off the coating rather fast.
“Astro products”… but it’s the house brand of a cheap tool chain here in Japan. Probably a Chinese OEM product so you might find it under another brand name elsewhere. A proper air compressor is still better though.
Pledge is excellent for painted frames. It provides a glossy finish which sheds water and dirt. It is similar to applying a paste wax on a car and buffing it. I apply it at the beginning of each season.
Ive just accepted that certain parts of my frame are going to get rubbed. I kind of like it, just a sign of being used, having the top tube paint and saddle rails rubbed off from my legs.
I have purchased the bike specific ceramic coating from GTechniq in the UK, for a new frame I’m building. There are only a handful of ‘proper’ ceramic coating manufacturers around. They require skill to apply - if GTechniq is applied wrongly to a car for example, you have to wet sand it off. I wouldn’t bother with the cheao stuff online - it’s more of a ceramic wax. Does anyone know how to removed very stubborn sealant from a frame as gently as possible?
Is the bare carbon protected from UV at all ? Just stripping paint of a Cannondale Evo to leave bare carbon and still trying to decide if it needs a coating to protect it or not
I own a Moots with the same finish. Go buy the following: - Silca Cleaning wipes - Pledge Wipes ( yellow ) First use the silca wipe to remove all dust, grease or just anything. Then use the pledge wipes and finally wipe it down with a clean cloth. That will bring the finish back to factory condition. That is actually how Moots clean their own bikes before shipping to customers. Hope that helps
Not sure raw titanium is for a cleaning maniak as you 😂, maybe you should clear powdercoat it! I see my titanium frame as a raw denim. Every mark on it makes it unique and tells a story. The frame marks from bike bags reminds me of a bike packing trip. On the top tube you can see a polish overtime from knees touching, same with quality jeans you buy it for life and it's marked from you using it overtime ;)
Jesus. i thought i had OCD. Guess I'm just scratching the surface. Washing a bke 4 times or more. No thanks. Stripping it down to the frame to wash. No thanks. Get a gloss finish bike and you'd suffer less my friend.
I've waxed my non-matte bicycles that have paint. For the matte, Gtechniq cermic coat (GT-BBC) gave me a good result, but the frame became darker and subtly shiny without the impression wax would give. Pinnacle Black Label Ceramic Matte Coating is about that level without the shine.
For any matte frame, I would buy a car specific matte ceramic coating (there’s 2 on the market atm). Gtechniq adds gloss. I’ve used gyeon Q2 matte evo with fantastic results - you could coat ~ 15 frames with a bottle.
There's a TH-camr, bikefarmer, who likes to use Dawn Powerwash to clean his bikes, and it's waterless. Remember, Dawn is used to clean oil off of mammals affected by oil spills.
Not sure what Equilibrium are doing to the frames but it must be something funky. I’ve got multiple bead blasted ti frames and don’t have this problem at all…
Thanks for your videos, you're doin it and documenting it well! ( instead of me over thinking stuffs for later and never making it happen) @@ridesofjapan. ( btw I just discovered that steam cleaner works super well on grease and wax, i do not use chemicals to clean my bike anymore)
As usual there is wealth of knowledge in the comments so definitely scroll through if you are thinking of doing something similar.
Many mentioned that Ceramic coating needs a long time to cure. two weeks or so! So be mindful of that. I did my first “grab test” the day after, and the water test was a week after application 🤦♂️
Also mentioned is that ceramic coating doesn’t like the minerals in regular “tap” water so that would explain the spots I got after air drying post-coating. So a proper towel wipe after cleaning is definitely the way to go (unless you wanna go crazy and use distilled water)
Btw, The mini “air blower” is from a Japanese budget tool brand/store called “Astro product”. It most likely a Chinese OEM thing so might find it under other names. A proper air compressor will be a much better tool I will say, that’s not an option for my living situation though.
The beauty of Ti is that you can have the finish redone over and over (even a different type or design) relatively easy and inexpensive compared to changing a paintjob. You can also easily prep your frame yourself for blasting. I had a combination of polished and brushed Ti done on my last Ti bike, after the original finish was damaged/worn.
Try ‘’Pledge”, it’s an Wood surface cleaner/polish in a spray can. Works wonders on My Ti bikes
Seriously? That's a great tip. I'm going to remember that.
@@DrJRMCFC Yes sir, I actually got the tip from Lynskey bikes in Tennessee.
For cleaning or protecting from sweat and smudges. I find WD40 cleans up my frame nicely
Pledge is the best bike polish. Have used it for years.
@@bubby372 and adds a lemony fresh sent
Okay so this is SUPER fgn geeky but recently I wanted to sandblast some plain shiny aluminium specialized bottle cages (they just looked cheap and crappy) and the sandblast place advised against it for exactly this reason and that I should instead ‘bead blast’ them. Uses a bigger particulate and the finish is a kind satin matte. Looks AWESOME and no fingerprints or staining of any sort! Would love to do a bike
I feel your pain😢. It would be well worth checking out some of the car detailing TH-cam channels to get a feel for the best way with this sort of stuff; it has existed for years in the automotive world and is becoming mainstream now with bikes. Couple of thoughts: 1. use a polish of some description before you apply that ceramic coating. Your frame builder can help and the Japanese market has a great history in this space. That will get you to a better base position before the coating goes on. 2. “Less is more” with ceramic coatings. From what you’ve said and watching the video, you may have too much product on there. Again, a base of polish gives you a good sealed surface that will take the coating better so that you can avoid unnecessary build up. 3. If you watch the car detailers, you’ll see them using small applicator pads to apply coatings. That will also work better on smaller areas like bike frames and then just save the cloth for the tricky areas. 4. Do not use dish soap or similar on the coating - it will strip it very quickly 😮. Buy a low ph car wash soap that will work with the coating rather than removing it. They’re more expensive but you need very little in the bucket to do a great job so it’s a low cost over time.
This is all another rabbit hole to disappear into - enjoy!!
Sounds like RainX here in North America... Thanks for the great videos and information!
Lemon Pledge cleans and shines titanium frames
And makes it smells good too.
"No, no"
I ceramic coated both my bikes and so far so good, and agreed the best drying is a cloth
LOVE the sound and visual effects 😂
I coated my bike with “dontgiveashittus”, but that is a separate mental disorder.
Brushed Ti I do my bikes with a very fine grade Scotch Brite and in Japan リンレイ家具 wax spray. Basically Pledge but cheaper. Does not need any pressure and the finish is fine. Glad you weighed the frame after application but next time weigh the bottle before and after and you can calculate something maybe interesting. オス👍
This is why I had my custom Ti frame bead blasted. I just scotch brite(very hard to pronounce) it when needed. Little tip, the middle of original is pronounced as though it has a D in it, think or-ridge-inal. I think your English pronounciation is very good, like most Swedes but better than my Danish friends!
Ceramic coatings do tend to have issues with the minerals in tap water when you leave it to dry by itself .
Good to know cheers!
If its anything like the coatings used in automotive, you might want to check how to wash / clean the frame from now on. Otherwise you might end up washing off the coating rather fast.
Hi great content as always what is the brand and model of your mini air blower. Thanks
“Astro products”… but it’s the house brand of a cheap tool chain here in Japan. Probably a Chinese OEM product so you might find it under another brand name elsewhere. A proper air compressor is still better though.
You could try to use distilled water as a final rinse, no mineral deposits left behind.
I used to use Pledge on my bike, but then found graphene. Don't know about Ti, but fantastic on paint.
Pledge is excellent for painted frames. It provides a glossy finish which sheds water and dirt. It is similar to applying a paste wax on a car and buffing it. I apply it at the beginning of each season.
Where can I buy that sweatshirt?
Also interested!
teamdreambicyclingteam.com/
I might have a different surface than yours but for my Haley Ti bike, WD40 does wonders to clean it up. Doesn't provide any frame protection though
Ive just accepted that certain parts of my frame are going to get rubbed. I kind of like it, just a sign of being used, having the top tube paint and saddle rails rubbed off from my legs.
Thank you for solving real 1st world problems!
They weigh in at the end, you are a funny man :)
RoJ is my favorite completely loony tunes bike rider in Japan.
🥴
What’s that green sweater you’re wearing in this vid?
what's the air blower at 5:25? is it powerful and would it aid in blowing down bike components so they are a little cleaner?
It enough to blow off water after cleaning. It’s not powerful enough to replace a proper air compressor though.
I have purchased the bike specific ceramic coating from GTechniq in the UK, for a new frame I’m building.
There are only a handful of ‘proper’ ceramic coating manufacturers around. They require skill to apply - if GTechniq is applied wrongly to a car for example, you have to wet sand it off.
I wouldn’t bother with the cheao stuff online - it’s more of a ceramic wax.
Does anyone know how to removed very stubborn sealant from a frame as gently as possible?
Silca do a tubeless sealant remover, which is pretty good, but a bit expensive
Wonderful video - and obviously this is as nerdy as it can get ❤
Are there trainings to get to appreciate Wabi Sabi more? 😊
Also, unless you're washing your bike with distilled water, you're going to have a bit of mineral residue, so always towel dry.
A Titanium frame could never look like absolute trash😅,awesome video.P.S Nice scale.💯👌🏻✌🏻🚴♀️
Folks, which 3M Scotch-Brite you are using? Fine or Super Fine or Medium?
This bike is beautiful except for the headset/stem 😢 have you thought about the new Darimo integrated aero bar?
Is the bare carbon protected from UV at all ?
Just stripping paint of a Cannondale Evo to leave bare carbon and still trying to decide if it needs a coating to protect it or not
Sup bro! Have you tried the chain waxing? i love it!
what is your opinion?
My Ti bike has a bead blasted finish and I regret not getting it with a brushed finish instead. It would have been way easier to keep it looking good.
I own a Moots with the same finish. Go buy the following:
- Silca Cleaning wipes
- Pledge Wipes ( yellow )
First use the silca wipe to remove all dust, grease or just anything. Then use the pledge wipes and finally wipe it down with a clean cloth.
That will bring the finish back to factory condition. That is actually how Moots clean their own bikes before shipping to customers.
Hope that helps
@@thedronescene7474 I was already curious about the Silca wipes. Thanks for the tip.
@@RicardoRocha-lg1xo Anytime
so what antiseize did you end up using if you're not using the copper based kind?
Ceramic grease has been my alternative
You definitely have some major issues but I love it.
Why is the frame stripped again?
How many grams did the ceramic coating add to the frame? :)
10:15 mark of the video
That effect the next day. Nano- or ceramic coating would need a about week to fully cure. You'd not layer the same day.
Not sure raw titanium is for a cleaning maniak as you 😂, maybe you should clear powdercoat it!
I see my titanium frame as a raw denim. Every mark on it makes it unique and tells a story. The frame marks from bike bags reminds me of a bike packing trip. On the top tube you can see a polish overtime from knees touching, same with quality jeans you buy it for life and it's marked from you using it overtime ;)
Jesus. i thought i had OCD. Guess I'm just scratching the surface. Washing a bke 4 times or more. No thanks. Stripping it down to the frame to wash. No thanks. Get a gloss finish bike and you'd suffer less my friend.
God love him, he needs help.
Wouldn’t isopropyl alcohol work on titanium?
Although IPA and n-heptane are a good combination for clean surfaces, it's no treatment to prevent those smudges from sticking in the first place.
So how much where are you going to save that added weight?
To clarify, is the alcohol for cleaning or probably for drinking away your sorrows?
Yeah, but It only numbs the pain ;)
Would applying PPF all over the bike work better than ceramic coating in the long run? Honest question.
EDIT: Weight not being ones obsession..
What are you people recommending for a matte black frame?
I've waxed my non-matte bicycles that have paint. For the matte, Gtechniq cermic coat (GT-BBC) gave me a good result, but the frame became darker and subtly shiny without the impression wax would give. Pinnacle Black Label Ceramic Matte Coating is about that level without the shine.
For any matte frame, I would buy a car specific matte ceramic coating (there’s 2 on the market atm). Gtechniq adds gloss. I’ve used gyeon Q2 matte evo with fantastic results - you could coat ~ 15 frames with a bottle.
I use motorcycle specific matte paint cleaner.
There's a TH-camr, bikefarmer, who likes to use Dawn Powerwash to clean his bikes, and it's waterless. Remember, Dawn is used to clean oil off of mammals affected by oil spills.
Powewash is just dawn with alcohol in it. You still need to rinse the soap off unless you want a sudsy ride next time it rains
sigh, it's going to be _that_ much harder to get the KOMs with the extra 1.1g coating... ;-)
Just saw your instagram post... aaww maaann...😭
+1.1g 😍
9:35 "Naked" 😆
Just saw your instagram... ouch. That's gonna bug ya....
You live and you learn :)
Good job but 1.1 grams man I'd revert that coating.
Babe wake up ridesofjapan has posted
Not sure what Equilibrium are doing to the frames but it must be something funky. I’ve got multiple bead blasted ti frames and don’t have this problem at all…
🎉🎉🎉
Oh no I just saw that you dropped the frame and scratched it 😢
Ceramic coating?
I guess glass is a ceramic.
The OCD is strong with this one! 😝
😬
Scotch Brite (note stupid marketing spelling of the word bright).
Laughing out loud at the weigh-in. Can you cope with the added gram? I suppose that helps justify whatever new parts you have coming...
I find so funny that the titanium frame marketed as the material that will last forever is the most difficult to be kept in pristine conditions
it's the surface treatment that's the issue, not the material itself, innit.
Whats in your sweat!!!! ?????? Hell its Acid Man....'ol
The fact that frame didn't come with that coating to start with is criminal.
Ok, you do need therapy...I know because I am as bad as you are when it comes to obsessively cleaning my bikes
The cleaning IS the therapy 😅
this is ceramic coating, just let it cure 2 weeks without make it wet.
for water repealing full effect.
Good to know, cheers!
(The water test was a week after the coating was applied 🤦♂️)
Thanks for your videos, you're doin it and documenting it well! ( instead of me over thinking stuffs for later and never making it happen) @@ridesofjapan. ( btw I just discovered that steam cleaner works super well on grease and wax, i do not use chemicals to clean my bike anymore)
You have a serious mental health problem. But there is help for you.
Not worth the hassle. Plus the frame is an anchor. Very beautiful though.