I never did anything to protect it since I have an aluminum wet weather bike, but I may reconsider. I ended up using it as my main commuter because I liked the ride so much (on the flats), so it never had enough down time for me to properly disassemble again for a thorough protective coating.

I have been thinking about following Randy Jawa's paint-by-brush method on a frame, and it might be this one. The copper finish is too trashed to make it look pretty, but the rough patina still works for me. I don't know. Right now, the best protection this finish has from my meddling is the other two bikes with which I'm fiddling...