I’ve got it in white, large, am 6ft 1″. The paint is fine, I’ve had far worse with anodized finishes, in the end white is easy to touch up though. Bit of T-Cut and polish will see off any small scratches. I think people were refering to how dirt gets worked into the fine scratches, but like I say, ignore that.
Oh, by the way, I think the new colour schemes are ghastly, don’t know who picked them, especically when so many other manufacturers find such interesting hues and that.
Dunno about the Monarch shock. I’d phone Pace and talk to them, see if they reckon its as good on the bike. The white one with the DT has had some good ‘few hundred quid off’ deals lately too if you’re lucky enough to get one in your size.