Frame protection "Please help"

[Josh Baptie]

Hi All

So i have a new bike arriving this friday and its cost me a few ronds. I would like to put some frame protection on it before it sees its first bit of dirt.
I have been looking around and can find a couple of "kits" available which are ridiculously priced.
Ive been seeing many articles and videos about using 3M protective tape (Polyurethane/Helitape) however trying to find this stuff is proving harder than winning the lotto.
Does anyone know where i could buy such tape here in Cape Town? (Walk in and purchase, no 5-7 days delivery)
Or if anyone has other recommendations on what to use and where to get it. I see alot of people saying Gorilla tape works well and then i also see an equal amount of peeps saying stay away from it?

Any advise would be super appreciated

[Steady Spin]

I've used the thick clear Gorilla tape in the past and it sticks like **** to a blanket. Quite thick and should protect really well. 

Not sure if it is suited to the soapy water spray application but worth a shot. 

I ended up using Armor Ride (https://armour-ride.com/) on a new frame recently and while their service isn't too great, and the kit isn't perfect, it did work really well. Holding up very well over the past 4 months. 

It is best to apply any protection to a frame before the build but it isn't always possible so you are in for a bit of fiddling to get it installed. Worth paying your local shop to do it if you don't have a lot of patience. 

[Dexter-morgan]

Google any one that does "wrap my rides" they will be able to supply the Clear Vinyl. I have to do my Trek as well, a bit too late though, I already got some scratches on it.

[Meezo]

maizey plastics in paarden eiland

[Josh Baptie]

11 minutes ago, Steady Spin said:

I've used the thick clear Gorilla tape in the past and it sticks like **** to a blanket. Quite thick and should protect really well. 

Not sure if it is suited to the soapy water spray application but worth a shot. 

I ended up using Armor Ride (https://armour-ride.com/) on a new frame recently and while their service isn't too great, and the kit isn't perfect, it did work really well. Holding up very well over the past 4 months. 

It is best to apply any protection to a frame before the build but it isn't always possible so you are in for a bit of fiddling to get it installed. Worth paying your local shop to do it if you don't have a lot of patience. 

Thanks

So i saw CWC does Armour ride but when checking out the product breakdown it doesnt include down tube protection?? Im not sure if this is a listing error but basically thats the most important part im looking to protect

[Steady Spin]

Go to their website directly and look at the various kits.

[DieMelkman]

I fitted Armour Ride a few weeks ago - not that difficult, just take your time and focus.
CWC has a few options depending on the finish you are looking for (matte, gloss, fancy design etc)

 

If you are willing to wait, you can order a kit designed for your bike specifically as well from https://armour-ride.com/

Edited July 12, 2022 by DieMelkman
Added link

[trailchef7@gmail.com]

Bike-addict has kits as well, which strangely cheeper than buying directly from Amour-Ride.  

[Josh Baptie]

20 minutes ago, Meezo said:

maizey plastics in paarden eiland

Just contacted them. Are you aware of any specific product/material to request?
They just advised a "Stone chip protection" material that they have

[Josh Baptie]

9 minutes ago, DieMelkman said:

I fitted Armour Ride a few weeks ago - not that difficult, just take your time and focus.
CWC has a few options depending on the finish you are looking for (matte, gloss, fancy design etc)

 

If you are willing to wait, you can order a kit designed for your bike specifically as well from https://armour-ride.com/

The options at CWC are limited and dont have down tube protection (blows my mind) besides the essentials kit that only comes in a matt finish. I think i will go with the custom armour ride option later on but for now just need to get something on the frame before the weekend.

[wa88]

I was recently in a similar situation with my dual suspension. Comparing costs of the DIY kits, as well as effort it would take me, I decided to go the VPS route at a shop that normally wraps cars.

They quoted R 1200 for the whole frame. When I picked up the frame 3 days later, they let me know they weren't able to wrap the fork or shock, and I was only charged R 900 iirc, which I think is a bargain.

It was expertly done, you have to look very closely to notice the joints. I haven't had any major scratches yet, but it looks durable. Highly recommend going this route.

[Eddy Gordo]

8 hours ago, Josh Baptie said:

Hi All

So i have a new bike arriving this friday and its cost me a few ronds. I would like to put some frame protection on it before it sees its first bit of dirt.
I have been looking around and can find a couple of "kits" available which are ridiculously priced.
Ive been seeing many articles and videos about using 3M protective tape (Polyurethane/Helitape) however trying to find this stuff is proving harder than winning the lotto.
Does anyone know where i could buy such tape here in Cape Town? (Walk in and purchase, no 5-7 days delivery)
Or if anyone has other recommendations on what to use and where to get it. I see alot of people saying Gorilla tape works well and then i also see an equal amount of peeps saying stay away from it?

Any advise would be super appreciated

If you not going for invisiframe(international) then I recommend getting the full bikeshield kit. I believe most bike shops have. Give Stoke a shout, I got one from them once. Then your other option is all mountain shield.AMS a very hard almost plastic like honeycomb bike shield but not as complete like bikeshield. Bikeshield is a bit softer though, but still thick.

I have tried some other local stuff. I wont buy them again. The 3 above is about the best available in terms of protection and how well the glue sticks and keeps it stuck to the frame.

[figjam_sa]

I only know the Armour Ride, it is expensive, but I will do it again in a heartbeat. Got great service as well. Go for the full custom one. Most shops only have the essential kit. 

 

 

[Grease_Monkey]

Stay away from the clear gorilla tape. It shows thumb prints, has a zig zag edge on the sides that shows on the bike. And although it sticks very well, it does mean potential damage to the frame when you remove it. 

Personally I think the kits with a pattern on are tacky - I have yet to see a bike with it applied that didn't look like a primary school kid's art project. 
 

I have had good luck with Armour Ride's full kits on 2 bikes now. Very expensive, but does keep your frame looking new. That would be the way to go if you use protection. 

I have also used AMS on 3 frames, and my experience is that AMS is just expensive decoration - I managed to damage all 3 of those frames in areas the AMS does not cover. Sure, where it covers it is going to protect your bike, but again, IMO it makes it look tacky and doesn't protect the whole frame. 

 

All that said, my latest bike has nothing on it. I've sort of come to the point where an mtb frame is an mtb frame, and it is going to be damaged. I am just going to have it resprayed in a years time by Jared at BMC if I still have the bike in a year's time.

[Josh Baptie]

Thanks for all the advice.
Will probably be going with Armor ride in the future or perhaps the Bike Shield mentioned above.
Unfortunately none are an option right now, bike is being collected Friday and shredding commences Saturday so I'm going to go with a quick temporary/ish solution just to ensure my heart doesn't break on day one.

I'm going to be picking up a clear "stone chip resistant" vinyl from Maizeys which is 250 microns thick (0.25mm) which comes in a big sheet for only 380 odd rand.

Is there a specific reason people don't go this route of just cutting their own vinyl ? is it just the ease of an already cut kit? Just curious as a single sheet of the vinyl would be able to accommodate a few bikes at the cost of less than half the kit for one bike.

[Murrob]

Bike shield for the win, easy to apply and remove when you need to, and thick enough that it really does protect and nicely mouldable with a bit of heat from a hairdryer. Used it to enhance protection and cover the typical areas that get whacked, rubbed, scratched. Rather get the big sheet if you can find it and spend a bit of time cutting sizes and fitting rather than the precut kits.