When I last bought a bike I used something that wasn’t branded ‘Invisiframe’.
Big top tube wrap was ok but seat stays got crap underneath and never looked that great, and it peeled on the edges on the cranks arms.
As all cables are internal on new bike I want to wrap right around the downtube too…is one type better than another or is it all just in the application?
Pretty sure the frame is a matt finish so might look shite wherever I put it…any tips?

I tried the Invisiframe kit for the first time on my Occam. It’s very well made and I got it almost perfect. Looks like I need to double up on the chainstays though as my foot angle is marking them up a bit and I’m not sure how long the tape will last.

Hi Colin – didn’t go for the Occam in the end. Picking up a Whyte T130RS on Sun. A mate got a bit of new bike envy so ended up getting the Occam on a whim 😯 – it is a lovely looking thing though.

T130 was also on my list
🙂

I still recommend the Invisiframe kit though – assume they have one for the Whyte?

I just got some All Mountain Style guards to put on my down tube and chain stays:

https://www.allmountainstyle.com/pages/ams-honeycomb-frame-guards

Looks nice so far, but not ‘tested’ it yet. The pre cut strips don’t cover the whole frame, just key parts.

Just had a look at the bike-specific kits….£71!
They have taken time and effort to design them so they fit the bikes properly but even so it’s a shitload of money for a few pieces of clear vinyl. I bought a roll of stuff last time but then had to measure tubes and cut with scalpel – TBH it was a PITA. Has anyone used these kits…worth the outlay?

Best thing to do would be to search the forum for Invisiframe, there’s quite a lot of discussion on them already. They’re a good product, whether they are worth the money is entirely subjective.

Just get out n ride the bloody thing. Helitape wont make a blind bit of difference in your first wipeout anyway, and by the time you decide to sell it’ll be obsolete anyway!!!

I’m going round in circles here trying to work out what to use!
Not going down the Invisiframe route as seems crazy covering the entire bike in it.
I def want a matte finish, non-yellowing, tough but way to apply material. Want to do top of top tube, down tube, chain and seat stays, BB area, head tube and back of seat tube…how much should I get? Is anything other than 3M rubbish?
Anyone used the Rhino matte stuff from Paragon? Used Tesa tape before which is shiny and to be fair still looks ok but only comes in narrow strips. JRA gets thumbs up but don’t think it comes matte…gotta stop pissing about and get some ordered and on the bike before it’s virgin ride this weekend!

I got some ‘Teck Wrap’ from paragon and it seems ok, easy to apply with the soapy water method. To work out how much you need just measure the length of all the bits you want to wrap, add it up and add some for error.
Worth getting the wider tape as it’s more versatile, you can always cut it down

Bump for the morning bods…

A mate has invisiframe on his bike. Seems to be holding up very well. He installed it himself – easy enough, looks…well…invisible, unless you look up close. However the jaws of his Thule 591’s wore through pretty much immediately, so if you’re using frame clamped cycle racks then on the contact point i’d wrap a few layers or use something a bit more sturdy. But for the usual light bumps and scrapes and stones thrown up from the tyres that bikes inevitably pick up it is standing up well.

It’s only tape at the end of the day so isn’t going to resist impacts and heavy bashes, but for light scrapes and scuffs it seems to do the job.

just drop it off at Shackwrap…

Invisiframe on two bikes here, great stuff. I’ve Viking taped the down tube and rock guarded it as well on my Enduro.

I found the Rhino matte tape harder to work with that invisiframe / 3M tape. Seemed harder to get it to stick using the wet method, possibly due to the matte frame finish. Also less easy to work around compound curves.

One bike I bought bits myself and stuck them on. They do the job but look crap as the edges were not nearly as neat as the invisiframe stuff. For my new bike I got the guys at Bird to send the frame to Invisiframe to cover it before they built the bike. Although expensive, it looks really neat and none is peeling off after 4 months of riding. Yes it is expensive but I am glad I got it done and they have done a way better job than I could have been bothered to do myself.

Just ride the bloody thing!

The only thing I protect is the chainstay and cable/hose rub points.

Bike look better with a bit of wear in my opinion.

Not going down the Invisiframe route as seems crazy covering the entire bike in it.

Want to do top of top tube, down tube, chain and seat stays, BB area, head tube and back of seat tube

Exactly what else does an Invisiframe kit cover over and above what you want, because what you want sounds very much like an Invisiframe kit?

Either you buy some vinyl rolls and spend a lot of time and trouble measuring and cutting it as you did previously, which was, in your words, a PITA and the results of which you were not very satisfied with, or you buy an Invisframe kit if they make one for your frame, accepting that care is still needed when applying to get a good result.

Whether you buy rolls of tape or an Invisiframe kit, matt finishes vary and so your frame and the vinyl are unlikely to be a perfect match, if that matters to you.

Invisframe for me, have had numerous bikes that look extremely tired/worn out after 3 years, though still ride fine, last one was invisiframed & two years later looks great. Though a few edges needed trimming where mud has seeped under, I’m more than happy to have paid invisframe to cover it.

Just picked up mine, looks good, matt generic invisi frame kit as there isn’t a custom one for my frame. Frame is kinda matt/semi metallic.

Can see it under flash, but hard to see otherwise unless you look really close.

D&D cycles Invisiframed my Shan. It’s in the application I think. Looks great. A couple of tiny edges getting dirty in the difficult junction areas but overall it’s lush.

If you’re really bothered about it looking mint I’d get the kit fitted.

Quick replies please:

Need some isopropyl alcohol today…where on high street can I get it? I’m in a small town so limited options.
Will surgical spirit do the same thing?
Is baby lotion or shampoo essential?
Tonight’s task in fitting to frame.
Cheers

Need some isopropyl alcohol today…where on high street can I get it? I’m in a small town so limited options.

Invisiframe recommend Autoglym Tar Remover instead, which you can get from the likes of Halfords.

surgical spirit leaves an oily residue from what I recall. I just used some very dilute swarfega degreaser and some fresh, non-towelling microfibre cloths.
Baby lotion and baby shampoo are not the same thing 🙂 The shampoo just helps the water cling to the surfaces so it gives you more time for placement.

Rascal – you didn’t say if you bought an invisiframe kit or not but if you did then allow several hours / evenings to do it. It’s not a job to rush.

I tend to use bits of an invisiframe kit, mainly the TT/DT – it’s a lot cheaper when you buy single parts.

I find it isn’t tough enough/sticky enough on areas of high wear, like chain & seat stays – luckily I have a satin carbon frame so use a satin carbon vinyl wrap for those which blends in. It’s much tougher.

Plus I find all the tiny little bits pointless. Did it once, never again.

Ended up buying a 2×1′ sheet of matte film from Nick at Shackwrap in Bury. £32 posted with next day delivery.
Made some templates of all the areas I wanted to cover then diligently cut them out with scalpel, ruler and various sized coins! Applied yesterday morning using the spray/baby shampoo/squeegee method. Took a while but I’ve done a really neat job even if I do say so myself – you can barely see where I’ve out them on. Have to see how it stands up over time with multiple shifty rides and washer etc but happy I went down this route at this stage anyway 🙂