Why's everyone against polished frames??

[type49]

Just reading about the best ways to strip/polish alloy frames & seems at least 50% are against it. - Not really against the look itself, more the aggro in keeping it shiney. Why is it such hard work?? In the 90s, it was common for all the sports motorbike owners to polish their frames/swingarms etc etc. Yes, it took ages to get a good result, but always stayed shiney for a good 6+ months, ready for a lavish-up again in the winter.
So basically, are bicycle frames of a different/worse quality than motorbikes :?

 

[rider]

I think that it's really about personal preference and experience.
If frame finish look bad enough to strip, then polishing makes sense.
I think it's rather difficult to make it look good on welds,some frames have grinded (flushed) welds for that reason.
Go for it, then You can report what durability You got with what type of polish.

 

[drystonepaul]

I don't necessarily think that anyone is against it really.
There have been loads of polished Zaskars over the past few years which have become almost as ubiquitous as white Konas so I guess sometimes it can seem a bit of a cliche.

I reckon it depends on the bike and the quality of the finish.

In terms of keeping a polished frame looking good, there are plenty of synthetic waxes and polishes which limit the need to constantly keep buffing them up.

 

[REKIBorter]

Parkpre owners love a polished frame, they have no other choice. They can be a hassle to restore but the rewards are amazing.

 

[speedplay]

I've no issues with a well polished frame
And as for people saying its hastle to keep it shiny, I spend less time cleaning this than I do my painted bikes!

 

[Chr1st0phe]

+1 I had a frame Cannondale Delta V1000 original polished and I never encounter problems.

 

[MiniNinjaRob]

I love a polished bike if it was originally polished, or something like a Cannondale which always looks polished. My RM i did not polish as I thought it would look cheap, the industrial semi-brushed look was standard and looked better IMHO.

Some frames can look cheap and tacky if over polished IMHO. A Zaskar always looks fab when given a high polish.

 

[hamster]

A sports bike is a big difference to an MTB that gets covered in mud!

More time polishing = less time riding.

It's up to you how to spend your leisure time...

 

[velomaniac]

Polished aluminium frames are kind of like raw carbon frames in that when its the new material you want to show it off to say look what i got.
Retrobikes about riding oldschool today, preserving the past etc so maybe some are against destroying an old paintscheme if you polish it or some didn't like the look in the first place.
Personally i like a polished frame if that was how it was first marketed but find I dont like retro polished frames if this was not how they first appeared. However nothing wrong with customising your bikes appearance, its you who lives with the look. if you cant live with other peoples opinion of the look then dont do it but if you can then do it.
There is no right or wrong decision.

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

errr....error. I think if you search through five or six years worth of the bike post threads you will find a very high total of polished aluminum frames that members have polished, built and posted. Remember people that are negative tend to speak their mind more than those that are positive.