Frame - To protect, or not to protect?

Johnny Napalm

In general, I tend to have a chainstay guard and a few patches for cable rub on my bikes. I've never used heli-tap on the downtube etc., which is more than apparent when you look at my frames.

I like the fact that bikes get their battle-scars, and I've never wrapped any of bikes in cotton wool, because as far as I'm concerned, a mtb by it's very nature is designed to get some abuse every now and then.

That said, my new frame is a steel frame, so I wondering if it would be wise to protect the downtube in this instance?

-liam-

You'd be advised to get some helitape and protect it where ever you can such as areas prone to cable rub AND stone chips. Its a steel frame. It will rust unlike Aluminium.

Johnny Napalm

Yeah, I thought as much.

Cheers, Amigo!

-liam-

There is a chap in the classified selling helitape, cheap as chips at the moment.

bluechair84

knackers the second hand value of the bike too should you ever fancy a change

Johnny Napalm

Tape it is then!

Cheers, guys!

Northwind

Perhaps this is weird, but I don't like chainslap marks, transport marks and cable rub on a bike, it looks terrible, but rock strikes and crashes are absolutely fine. So I religiously tape up some parts and I'll even carefully polish out some marks but when they've been earned, they look good to me.

joshtp

Northwind wrote:

Perhaps this is weird, but I don't like chainslap marks, transport marks and cable rub on a bike, it looks terrible, but rock strikes and crashes are absolutely fine. So I religiously tape up some parts and I'll even carefully polish out some marks but when they've been earned, they look good to me.

too true... places on my frame where the paint is manky becouse of cable rub anoy me... but my old frame (now hanging on my wall to serve as a memorial to the many thousands of off road miles it covered, taking me to amazing places, and providing grins for the few years it was in sevice...) has a big, very noticably dent/bend/scratch all in one thing on the RH seatstay from when i hit a tree on Darkside at Afan. While i was still using it that pretty major scar was my fave feature of the frame... i showed it proudly to all who passed by saying "that were wen i hit a tree at great speed, it bent me frame, but i walked away unharmed"

Johnny Napalm

With the new-build being a steel frame, I figured I ought to be a little more vigilant, with regards to the downtube!

I do know what you mean though about non-ride related damage. Battle-scars are exactly that, and my Marin is full of them, but I too hate damaging a frame/bike if it's not through riding...it just doesn't feel right.

I have, however, caused the first paint damage myself, on the new frame, when tightening the brake caliper bolts! Two areas are now visible where the paint has cracked and flaked due to my carelessness! :oops: