Helicopter tape?

bigpikle

Got my new steel bike and have been advised to get helicopter tape to protect the frame - anyone do this? Its not cheap stuff on the bay, but if it stops scratches and marks for a few years would be worth it. Any drawbacks/issues?

Seems like its about £10/m depending on width. Any cheaper sources?

reba6768

Roll of clear tape from Wickes. Been using it for a while and is plenty tough enough and is only a couple of quid or so.

alfablue

Bike Tape, £6.95/m - good company.

hopper1

Clear Fablon...

bigpikle

cheers guys - time for some googling on those options

Monty Dog

I've done it with a couple of frames - a Ritchey Breakaway because it gets stuffed in a case and more recently a restored Gios to protect the respray. It is pretty fiddly to fit and best done on a stripped-down frame on a clean surface. The tape isn't that flexible, so I would avoid compound curves or you could end up with ripples. The edge of the tape tends to pick up dirt and doesn't clean as well - less suited to light colours. Easiest is to stick to the toptube, downtube, stays and outer face of fork - everything else is to fiddly and hard to make look as good.

maddog 2

I've used this stuff before now. Not cheap and there's probably cheaper out there but good stuff

http://www.justridingalong.com/shop.php?product=73

I've done two carbon frames with it, and it's virtually invisible to the eye. I've also done my mtb but that lasted about a year before it began to peel off.

Tom Butcher

I used the JustRidingAlong stuff too on my carbon frame when I bought it - there may be cheaper stuff just as good but after 4 years it is still perfect and pretty much invisible unless you really look for it.