Lizard Skins Frame Protector

The Lizard Skins frame protector is a clear protective strip of vinyl with a strong adhesive backing, designed to protect chainstays and other tubing from chain slap or damage from stones and the like. It's neat, unobtrusive and seems relatively effective. My gripe is value. This small size on test is £9; the large is £14.99.

• Pros: Discreet and relatively effective
• Cons: Very expensive compared with alternatives

It's very straightforward to fit. Treat grotty bikes to a wash first or wipe the chainstay to remove wax, oil, or anything else that might interfere with adhesion. Once dry, offer the frame protector to the desired tubing but don't remove the adhesive backing just yet – you want to mould it to the approximate shape, so it sits flush and even.

Once moulded, peel off the backing and smooth into position. An old, clean sock or flannel is perfect for this. Lizard Skins doesn't cite a curing time. I deliberately left ours overnight.

My Univega has a powder coated cream finish without a lacquer topcoat. This helps with adhesion, and means the protector is very difficult to spot – if that's important to you.

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Does it work? Well, thus far it's done exactly what it promises, protecting my beloved livery from the occasional chain derailment/slap. Predictably, the odd bit of lube fling and similar road/trail grime has highlighted the protector's outline, but this is easily dismissed with washing. Crucially, oily contaminant and other petrochemical/solvents haven't induced any lifting/peeling.

Though seemingly durable in the short term, whether it matches the Viking 3m polyurethane protective tape remains to be seen. What I do know is that the Viking 3m (pictured below) can be cut to custom shapes, is better value in terms of length, and is also thicker. Four years after application it remains unaffected by winter, frequent cleaning, solvents and so on.

Lizard Skins' neoprene chainstay protector is also going very strong almost 10 years on. While it collects grit (so needs removing and washing periodically), it is portable between bikes and reusable following resprays. Deviating from direct, fairer comparisons, perhaps, many of us make our own chainstay protectors from tightly bound sections of scrap inner tube.

Credit where it's due, the Lizard Skins frame protector does what it promises on the packaging and is better than some OEM factory fitted types. However, it's poor value when compared with 'helicopter' tapes, which are available in reels for similar money.

Verdict

Does what it promises on the packaging, but it's an expensive way to go about it