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Prophet2 Jr has a new bike on order. So with fresh new shiny frame soon to hit the trails what is the best heli tape out there to protect the frame?
Cheers
Genuine 3M stuff seems to be good
The stuff from bike tart seems to be pretty good and is easy to use
3M Ventureshield is the best stuff I believe. Same as wot Invisiframe use.
I'll be using Clear Gorilla Tape on my next bike,heard it was much easier to apply than helitape.
Be careful using Gorilla tape, well actually be careful when removing it or adjusting it when applying as it might take damaged/weak lacquer or paint off. Helitape is designed to come off quite easily (we use an adhesion promoter when we want it to stay on under extreme conditions). But that said, I would always keep a hair drier handy when removing any tape from a bike frame to soften the adhesive.
proper 3M is the best I've used, thick but sticks well and conforms to curves nicely. I've bought some other tapes off ebay but they are stiffer and don't stick well to curves on tubes.
I used the 3m tape bought on e bay on my Commencal as they are prone to chipping but after a couple of rides the edges started collecting dirt,looked terrible.Maybe it was my application or a fake 3m but i wasn't impressed,think i'll give Gorilla a try next time,i'm not planning on taking it off. ๐
The edges will always attract dirt. It's an edge.
But a lot of it could be down to how you cut it (good quality sharp scissors or a scalpel on a cutting mat works best IMO). Avoid sharp corners, always radius them. Make sure the frame is very clean (wipe with IPA), don't handle the adhesive side too much or faff too much with a piece of tape. Make sure you have plenty and throw it away if you mess up. Don't overlap tape as you will get dirt up inside etc.
^all good points ^ cheers
Im going to try Gorilla tape ๐