I’ve seen one or two bikes on ebay that say they were heli-taped professionally – as it can be such a faff, does anyone know who offers this service? Just got a new carbon bike that I want to cover.

No, but I always imagine you’d need to be this guy to get it all perfect. If you find one post feedback. What is the frame, its something I’ve love to know the secrets of.

I’m guessing they just mean they got a LBS to do it?

Or a hairdresser…

Professional help-taper is it a protected title?

maybe a vinyl wrap company could do it (different type of material but similar process).

Or someone who works in a helicopter factory.

There was a guy doing it recently, frameworks was the name IIRC. Don’t think he’s doing it any more though.

I did it myself using a kit from InvisiFrame but I believe places like The Trailhead in Shrewsbury and Blazing Bikes offer them ready-applied (by Lee from Invisiframe) to new bikes for £80.

MMD Works did my frames (he’s opposite my workshop) does full car vinyl wraps as well and is doing a number of the team frames this year too.

http://www.mmdworks.com/

Another vote for Invisiframe.Highly recommended.

InvisiFrame is great stuff. Available as a kit to DIY for around £50 iirc or £80 fitted.
Bearing in mind they can have up to 30 pieces I think the extra £30 is money well spent!
Comes in either matt or gloss finish too depending on your bikes finish.

The Trailhead in Shrewsbury are the boys to speak to, but then I would say that…

Professional help-taper is it a protected title?

Oh yes, they have an institute as well.

Gaffer Tape can only be applied by a “Gaffer”.
For Duck Tape you need a specially trained mallard.

+1 for invisiframe
Just fitted a kit this weekend, fantastic quality and well made.

Leisure Lakes in Bury “ask for nick” mine has just gone in to be done £70 including forks and cranks. In Matt finish. he does it in his own time but you pay the store 🙂 I will let you know thursday what the quality is like when i pick it up

Further to the InvisiFrame recommendations – one of the reasons I chose them was for the matt option. I’d tried some standard gloss Moto sheet stuff, and aside from the hassle of trying to cut it to shape, the gloss just looked crappy on a matt/satin paintjob.

Bonus was the squeegee and instructions that came with the kit. If you do it yourself, follow the instructions – they work.

Top tip would be to get a box of alcohol wipes for a couple of quid from ebay – quick and mess free way of cleaning/prepping the frame before applying each piece.

why do people tape their whole bikes? cable scuff bits i can understand – but the whole bike?

£80 for tape?

Argos can do a full respray for £110, and there’s plenty of lesser known powder coaters that can do it for half that much.

FFS!
🙂

Depends on what type of riding you do.

Full wrap for custom team graphics makes sense.

Part clear wrap for general riding and playing with chairlifts.

Full superduty wrap if racing DH using the UK tractor trailer uplift vehicles.

People like to argue the toss over wrap or not, it’s very possible to have more damage done to a bike in a single uplift than several crashes, depends if you want any resell value at the end of the season….peel off the tape, bike looks new ready to sell, unless you had your rotors bent, or the hanger, or the hoses ripped out, or brake levers bent, or forks scored so badly you need new legs/CSU, but tape wouldn’t help any of that anyway 🙂

I always do my own, just under downtube, chainstays for chain slap and heel rub, and the cable areas.

I borrow a “round cornerer” off a printer friend, it’s like a small die-cutter/guillotine that puts a perfect 5mm radius on all corners.

Spend a bit of time, alco-wipes to prep and hairdryer for any tight bits and it’s perfect.

Can’t believe anyone would pay 80 quid for what is essentially a very therapeutic job for a quiet evening…

£70 including forks and cranks.

some folk have the time, and some have the money…

But for me, its this:

Can’t believe anyone would pay 80 quid for what is essentially a very therapeutic job for a quiet evening…

Yep. A tenner’s worth of tape of the ‘Bay, a bottle of IPA and a hairdryer…. faffer’s paradise. 😀