Posted by: Plantains
« on: February 21, 2011, 09:39:29 PM »
Well... having a pristine paintjob on any MTB is pretty much impossible. Powdercoating adds a ton of weight, and could possibly compromise the structural integrity of the frame. The only bikes I would ever powdercoat are ones that come from the factory (read as: leave it the way it is) or a steel bike that is nasty.
Aluminum shouldn't rust at all, and no offense, but the 4500 isn't exactly the most collectible bike Trek has ever made... so it's not worth putting that kind of loot into it just to keep it looking nice.
So yeah... I think it's sort of a waste of money, and might end up trashing the frame completely. That said, the powdercoating guys in GFK do some nice work! But in this instance, you're probably looking at more trouble than it's worth.
Ride it ragged and be proud that you don't keep it in the garage all the time and talk about how nice it is. Show people how nice it is by using it. It was intended to be used that way.