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Not sure I fancy spending £150 on Invisiframe when new bike turns up as it's alloy not carbon . So what's the go to to date frame protection or is it still 3M Copter tape ? Ride Wrap sell by the sheet but that looks more of a faff .
Not sure I fancy spending £150 on Invisiframe
£76 last time I bought a kit. I've done a couple of frames now and it's not hard to fit with a bit of patience if you follow the instructions
pothead yeah that was the price of the shop footed it , not sure I've got the patience 🙄
but you'd still have to fit (or pay to fit) the 3m tape though.
Bear Back just going to do the usual areas cable , foot rub etc like I've always done.
Assuming you've been wet fitting in the past, the process is just the same.
Totally accept full invisi jobs not for everyone, but may as well buy a roll of tape and "extend" the sized of the pieces you'd normally do.
I tried a generic kit once as there was no pattern for a small alloy Spark, aside from the nice wide parts and perfect radiused corners, I still had cutting/shaping to do all the same.
Worth noting, invis use xpel film which imo is better than ridewraps film and thinner than regular heli/3m roll tape. No doubt you can but small rolls of xpel off amazon/ebay/other
Bear Back , all I've done is buy 3M tape cut to size , peel off the backing and fit . 3M seems to be a minefield right now 🙄The tape you suggest is designed for cars so I guess will be more than up to the bike job .
Was always sceptical about invisiframe but the shop offered free fitting when bought with new bikes, so I went for it. It really is a lot better than anything I’ve managed myself in the past. The shapes of the individual pieces are so complicated I could never have done it with a sheet/ roll of tape. If you can’t stomach the price, then Ridewrap do custom cuts in a variety of coverage packages. I’d be going for one of them over tape.
I find that the biggest hassle of DIY is cutting the tape to fit your bike, the fitting is relatively quick in comparison. On that basis I'd be inclined to buy the proper kit but DIY install.
Why is everyone insisting that you buy Invisiframe and fit it yourself, **** that for a game of soldiers.
You don't need the actual 3M stuff, this is what I've used the last couple of times and it's been really good...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114859977683
And I use authentic 3M 2228 mastic tape for higher protection areas such as chainstay and lower downtube.
My newest secondhand frame had an AMS universal frame guard kit already fitted in high-risk areas. It's significantly better than heli-tape and something I'd consider in future as well.
Liek this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Mountain-Style-AMSFG2CLSV-Honeycomb/dp/B00PWUPP1W/
RideWrap / Invisiframe worth the cash IMHO.
the Dyedbro stuff is cheaper, thicker and sticky. It's semi-pre-cut.
Nowt, personally I cant see the point. It's not like it makes the bike/frame impervious to damage. Just something else for the cycling industry to sell us.
Would that All Mountain Style stuff be any use for just the critical areas? Not tried it yet but thinking of using on a new alloy bike coming soon (hopefully). It seemed a bit thicker than 3m sheets I have used but maybe still pricy?
on a new bike then yes. its worth every penny.
after youve ridden it (round the block) then no.
If you just can't bear to have a single scratch on your mountain(!) bike, the likes of the RideWrap kits are great. I have the basic kit on my hardtail and it is 'better' than more generic tape (a bit more supple and easier to install).
But for the other bike that I currently own, I just cut up random bits of tape that I had either lying around or in the workshop and functionally it does exactly the same job.
I do wonder if the trend for treating one's MTB like a new born baby will pass. Years ago, a scratched bike showed people that you actually rode it 😀
Tend to agree Walleater especially on an alloy frame hence why I just want to do the vulnerable areas .
I'm still happy with my copter tape jobs.
I have had thick 3m stuff. When I lent the last of that to a mate he got me some thinner stuff in return.
The thin stuff wore through in 200 gritty bike packing miles.
The 3m stuff only ripped in a crash that gave me concussion. 4 years on and it looks a wee bit tatty at some of the edges. The rest is fine.
I'll be buying thick 3m stuff. Its a lot less than £70 or £150 for a frame.
I think I spent 2h fitting it on my last bike.