Durability of top coat?

[RS VR6]

I've got about 5 to 6 rides on my frame...and I've started to notice some small stone chips. Mostly on the chainstay area behind the bottom bracket. They are on the top and bottom of the chainstay. The finish on the frame don't seem to be too durable? I've been cutting up stickers I have laying around to cover up that area. This is only about a handful of rides in on a new frame. I hate to see what it would look like with no frame protection of any kind after a few months. I've also used some "Shimano" stickers I have to temporarily cover the bottom of the downtube of the frame. I can hear the rocks hitting the downtube when I'm hauling down hill.

Are you matte finish guy noticing lots of stone chips on the frame?

Are painted frames or gloss finishes more durable?

[carbonazza]

I've got about 10 months with a matte UD finish frame.
It is full of scars of any sizes and there is no tube spared.
I don't see them anymore.

Unless you cover the whole frame with tape I'm afraid it can't be avoided.
On my previous painted bike, scratches are less visible, but they are definitely there too.

[ottoreni]

Helicopter Tape is what I plan to use on areas that might have frequent hits from rocks, pebbles and other trail debris.

[t51rmkiv]

I used this stuff on my Scalpel and it protected the downtube, lower BB, and and all other areas that I thought would be prone to damage. When I sold the bike, it literally had no knicks or marks when I removed it for sale of the bike. Keep in mind that I rode the bike rocky areas all the time. I know use this for all my bikes.
http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Universal-Guard-Paint-Protection/dp/B003EP52BU/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1431796842&sr=8-7&keywords=3m+clear+protective+film

[RS VR6]

Thanks for the replies. I the first ones hurt the worst...after a few...you stop caring.

I'll check out the tape from Amazon. I'll probaby tape up the back of the bottom bracket and downtube.

[325racer]

I think I just ticked over 400 miles during my race tonight.

I have 3k gloss, the most expensive paint job on a chiner, didn't do any tape, except cable wear points.

So far, I only have 3 chips that I notice.  One from a pretty good crash riding off a boulder, its very small on the left seat stay.  The other two came from a fist sized rock kicked up by one of the super fast guys at a race.  It bounced off the down tube and made  two chips.

[Vipassana]

My bike was sprayed with a matte clear and it has held up really well.  I protected all of the high-impact areas with helicopter tape including the bottom of the down tube, inside of the rear wheel stays, crack arms, etc.  The only chips/scratches/damage I have are the result of massive rock impacts that cut through the tape or hit an obscure area.  I have a few scratches/scuffs here and there from branches or similar.

My rims on the other hand are very chipped up.  They are also matte UD finish.  These chips came from being on the rack behind my car on long road trips.  There are also a fair amount of rock strikes leaving nasty white scrapes.  But they are still true and strong.