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Bike Frame (and fork) Protection?

by Huckfinn
Tue, Apr 16, 2019 13:16
16

Hi,

Can anyone advise on a good (value for money) film for protecting an mtb, including Rockshox fork?

Someone told me about helicopter tape. You can find tons of them on ebay but are they the solution and do they peel the paint off if removed?

 

Thanks for any feedback!

H.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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16 comments

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matthewn5 | 5 years ago
0 likes

+1 for helicopter tape. If you ever need to get it off, warm it slightly with a hair dryer. Comes off easily without residue. Marvellous stuff.

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Mikehudson | 5 years ago
0 likes

I find electricians insulation tape does a good job. Cheap as chips,flexible and comes in a wide range of colours. 

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Mikehudson | 5 years ago
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I find electricians insulation tape does a good job. Cheap as chips,flexible and comes in a wide range of colours. 

Avatar
Mikehudson | 5 years ago
0 likes

I find electricians insulation tape does a good job. Cheap as chips,flexible and comes in a wide range of colours. 

Avatar
Mikehudson | 5 years ago
0 likes

I find electricians insulation tape does a good job. Cheap as chips,flexible and comes in a wide range of colours. 

Avatar
Mikehudson | 5 years ago
0 likes

I find electricians insulation tape does a good job. Cheap as chips,flexible and comes in a wide range of colours. 

Avatar
Huckfinn | 5 years ago
0 likes

You're right infact.

Just trying to help protect my wife's new carbon mtb from, let's say, light bumps when a "baaw" is not done properly or the accidental dropping of the bike... nothing major really. At the moment I cut strips of inner tubes and wrapped some frame parts with (invisible) sticky velcros. Interesting Mad Maxish kind of look but ....can be improved :--))

We do quite a look of touring (recently the island of Corsica) and it's incredible how many people think they can just pick up your bike and move it "out of the way" or simply bump into it and so on!

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nniff | 5 years ago
1 like

realistically, what is it that you are trying to achieve?  Protecting against the predictable is one thing (cable rub, chain slap),  smothering a bike in plastic is something else.  It's not a good aesthetic really.  

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StraelGuy | 5 years ago
0 likes

It sticks like shit to a barn door so no worries there.

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Huckfinn | 5 years ago
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Thanks for all the feedback!

So copter tape seems fine. Does it stay in place over time (no races on the mtb, only for rifing around and have fun...

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StraelGuy | 5 years ago
1 like

I'm with the forum squirrel expert on this one, helicopter tape. You don't have to buy small bits either. If you look around you can find it in widths up to several inches.

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jacknorell replied to StraelGuy | 5 years ago
1 like
StraelGuy wrote:

I'm with the forum squirrel expert on this one, helicopter tape. You don't have to buy small bits either. If you look around you can find it in widths up to several inches.

You can find it up to 500mm wide on eBay from experience!

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hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
1 like

I've used helicopter tape (from eBay or Amazon) to protect the frame from cables or velcro straps rubbing. Works a treat and is easy to apply though it helps to have sharp fingernails to remove the backing tape and it peels off easily too without damaging paint (in my experience anyway).

I don't think it'd be a good choice for protecting large areas (like shocks) as you'd end up with lots of joins between the bits of tape.

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janusz0 replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
0 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

I've used helicopter tape (from eBay or Amazon) to protect the frame from cables or velcro straps rubbing. Works a treat and is easy to apply though it helps to have sharp fingernails to remove the backing tape and it peels off easily too without damaging paint (in my experience anyway).

I don't think it'd be a good choice for protecting large areas (like shocks) as you'd end up with lots of joins between the bits of tape.

For cables, these are (expensively) good: https://road.cc/content/review/161017-fibrax-spiral-frame-protectors  They come in various colours, including a comradely red, and I think they look cool, but YMMV.  Their only downside is that they do creep along the cable, so you need to re-align them occasionally.  (Perhaps a smear of silicone sealant would keep them in place?)

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hawkinspeter replied to janusz0 | 5 years ago
0 likes

janusz0 wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

I've used helicopter tape (from eBay or Amazon) to protect the frame from cables or velcro straps rubbing. Works a treat and is easy to apply though it helps to have sharp fingernails to remove the backing tape and it peels off easily too without damaging paint (in my experience anyway).

I don't think it'd be a good choice for protecting large areas (like shocks) as you'd end up with lots of joins between the bits of tape.

For cables, these are (expensively) good: https://road.cc/content/review/161017-fibrax-spiral-frame-protectors  They come in various colours, including a comradely red, and I think they look cool, but YMMV.  Their only downside is that they do creep along the cable, so you need to re-align them occasionally.  (Perhaps a smear of silicone sealant would keep them in place?)

I've used a cheap silicone version of those (from fleaBay of course) but as you say, they need attention every now and again.

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janusz0 | 5 years ago
0 likes

If helicopter tape protects the paint that protects the naked frame, what are you going to protect the helicopter tape with?  Paint can always be stripped and reapplied.

The most important part to protect on your MTB is the fork sliders, followed by all the other bearing surfaces.  Beyond buying fork sliders with "diamond like carbon" coating, there's not much you can do other than clean it regularly and service the bearings and seals frequently.  You can put gaiters on motorcycle forks, not sure if you can still get proper gaiters for MTB forks, although there is a kludge from Lizard Skins.

 

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