Have a road bike arriving with a LUDICROUSLY expensive paint job.

I’ll definitely need to put something on the chain stay. I’m in two minds about doing the top tube/seat stays etc. The whole bike has been build with exceptional attention to detail and exceptionally clean lines. I suppose the helicopter tape will ruin that aesthetic slightly?

Should I tape other bits of the bike or just accept that is it s a bicycle and it will get scratched and scuffed with time?

Tape it wear it will obviously rub, and enjoy the patina of age and use elsewhere 🙂

just accept that is it s a bicycle and it will get scratched and scuffed with time?

I quite like the general patina of bikes as they get used.

The chips on the downtube from a screaming gravel decent.
The top tube scuffs from cafe stops.
The seatpost scuffed up from saddle bags on adventures.
The clamp marks form the car rack on the way to Scotland for the weekend.
The bubbling of paint on the back of the headtube where the road salt get’s to it.

I’d do the chainstay though, and maybe any other areas you know you rub excessively (my heels get the stays on both sides).

But then my bikes are usually steel, and a powdercoat (if necessary) is cheaper than helitape!

[edit – the big potato said exactly the same 30s sooner]

If you have paid a lot for a nice paint job I would send it off to invisiframe prior to being built to have the frame and forks covered.
they hold the file used to create the kit and that way you can get replacements when they look tired.

just accept that is it s a bicycle and it will get scratched and scuffed with time?

Bikes are designed to be ridden … get over it!!

However it’s worth heli tape on a few areas like

The seatpost scuffed up from saddle bags on adventures.

or wherever you attach anything (eg framebag, lights)

The clamp marks form the car rack on the way to Scotland for the weekend

sighs and shakes head … now that’s just careless. A bit of cut up Karrimat works a treat!!