I did use a clear varnish on top of the bamboo. The bamboo was also heat treated first. Funny enough I used a turkey deep fryer (minus the pot) as my mean of getting a flame on the bamboo. After a few trials the heat treatment went well. I ride this thing every now and again around town, and it is as rigid as it was the day I finished it. And by the way, I weigh about 200 lbs, so it is going through its paces.