{"id":63866,"date":"2024-05-30T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/259d5b4b-4968-4e47-ad63-e20279fc78c0"},"modified":"2024-05-30T13:25:27","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T11:25:27","slug":"what-is-cerakote-how-is-it-used-in-cycling-and-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/what-is-cerakote-how-is-it-used-in-cycling-and-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Cerakote, how is it used in cycling and why is everyone talking about it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally developed for the firearms industry, we take a closer look at Cerakote’s ceramic coating technology <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 30 May 2024 at 11:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

The paint finish on your bike and components plays an important role, both aesthetically and in protecting the material underneath.<\/p>

In recent years, we’ve seen the emergence of a new contender to traditional finishing methods, with an increasing number of bikes and accessories using Cerakote coatings.<\/p>

Originally developed for the firearms industry, Cerakote is a ceramic coating that is claimed to offer increased durability and impact protection versus traditional finishes such as painting, anodising or powder coating.<\/p>

Cerakote has gone from being a niche option to a talking point in the cycling industry, with BlackHeart\u2019s frames, Push Industries’ forks and Silca\u2019s bottle cages all sporting Cerakote finishes at Sea Otter<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>

But what is Cerakote, how does it work and what are its claimed benefits versus traditional finishing methods?<\/p>

What is Cerakote?<\/h2>
A lot of small US-based bike builders have started to use Cerakote coatings. – Scott Windsor \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Cerakote is a leading brand in ceramic film coating and describes its products as ceramic-based finishes that can be applied to metals, plastics, polymers and wood. The finish is claimed to \u201cenhance a number of physical performance properties, including abrasion\/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength and hardness\u201d.<\/p>
The coating is applied via a spray gun in a single coat. The base of the paint is a solvent that carries ceramic particles onto the component being sprayed.<\/p>
This solvent evaporates, leaving behind a 25-micron thin ceramic coating.<\/p>
$\"Kogel$
Dangerholm used Cerakote-coated jockey wheels on his latest Scott Spark RC custom build. – Scott<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Matt Howe, the owner of Cerakote Up North, a Cerakote-certified applicator, says that \u201cbecause the coating is so thin, you can spray threads and bearing housings without causing harm to the tolerances\u201d.<\/p>
Depending on the application, the treated area is either air-cured or oven-baked. This ensures the particles adhere to the product and give full coverage.<\/p>
Cerakote offers two main products relevant to the cycling industry.\u00a0<\/p>
Howe says: \u201cH-series Cerakote is best for mountain bike applications as it is more resilient than C-series, but it requires oven curing at around 130\u00baC for an hour.\u201d<\/p>
What are the benefits of Cerakote?<\/h2>
$\"Blackheart$
Because the finish is so thin, stencils can be painted on top of the frame without standing proud. – George Scott \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Cerakote can be applied to most frame and component materials<\/a> used in the cycling industry, including aluminium, steel and carbon fibre.<\/p>
Cerakote says this is one of its key advantages over anodisation, which can only typically be used on titanium or aluminium alloys.<\/p>
Because no primer is needed for the coating to be applied, Cerakote finishes are often lighter than powder coating. According to Howe, a typical powder coat finish is more than twice the thickness of Cerakote.<\/p>
$\"Push$
Hard-punished components such as forks can benefit from Cerakote coatings. – Scott Windsor \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Cerakote is also said to increase wear resistance and impact strength. This means your frame and components should look newer for longer and be able to withstand a greater beating.<\/p>
\u201cIt\u2019s not a protective bubble by any means, but the coating will flex with dents rather than cracking and any chips won\u2019t spread as they would with a powder coat,\u201d says Howe.<\/p>
Cerakote is also available in more than 200 colours, including pearlescent and metallic options.<\/p>
Due to the nature of its application, stencils and patterns can also be added to the paint, allowing for individual touches and flamboyant designs.<\/p>
$\"Push$
Stanchion guards on Push Industries’ Nine.One fork use Cerakote to fend off scrapes. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The end result is akin to a matt finish<\/a> but forgoes some of the drawbacks of vinyl wraps.<\/p>
Compared to aftermarket anodisation, Cerakote is also said to be less expensive and offers more customisation.<\/p>
Which cycling brands use Cerakote?<\/h2>
$\"Blackheart$
BlackHeart uses Cerakote coatings on a variety of its bikes. – George Scott \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
We saw plenty of Cerakote-coated products at Sea Otter, spanning all cycling disciplines.<\/p>
BlackHeart’s Road AL bike was sporting a Cerakote coating on its double-butted 7005 aluminium frame. This combined the use of stencilling for the brand’s logo on the down tube.<\/p>
This means you don\u2019t have to worry about vinyl stickers peeling away from the frame over time.<\/p>
$\"Digit$
Colour-matched forks feel very nostalgic. – Jack Luke \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Digit\u2019s incredibly integrated Ring trail bike was also finished in a Cerakote coating, with even the fork lowers and crown custom-painted to match the rest of the bike.<\/p>
Digit has used graphics masked into the finish, leaving the raw alloy frame beneath visible.<\/p>
$\"Push$
Push Industries’ Nine.One is available with two secondary colours \u2013 black or gold. – Scott Windsor \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Elsewhere, we saw Push Industries using the coating on its Nine.One upside-down fork<\/a> on the crown and uppers (or lowers depending on how you look at it).<\/p>
Cerakote Up North has used the coating on various projects including Neko Mulally\u2019s Frameworks downhill bikes and 5Dev titanium cranks.<\/p>
Will we see more Cerakote coatings?<\/h2>
While we\u2019re yet to see a mainstream manufacturer use the finish on its production bikes, it seems more and more bijoux brands are using the ceramic coating.<\/p>
We\u2019ll have to wait and see if the claimed durability and ease of application results in it trickling down to a wider range of consumer bikes.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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