professional helitaping

dusk

I have a new bike coming and having previously had a go at helitaping my old bike it was a right PITA and so I would rather see if I can get it done properly.

So do places offer this service and if so how much should I be expecting to pay?

Also I'm located in North Beds so if anyone knows a place nearby then let me know

Chunkers1980

I get doing cable and crank rub and jam areas but fail to see the point of the lot. It a mountain bike and looks better having been ridden in my book.

cooldad

Seriously?
Ride, crash, scratch - no need to worry anymore.

craigw99

+ potato

DodgeT

Sure your LBS would be able to do this. One local to me (but nowhere near you...) charges around the £50 mark for all the main parts / big tubes etc.
It is very easy to do yourself, as long as you have a couple of hours free.

I'm a fan of helitaping (main wear points) as I don't tend to keep my bikes for long, so makes for better re-sale value when you come to pass it on IMO.

dusk

None of my previous bikes have had it from new and they quickly look rubbish so I figure now I'm spending £k's on a new bike it's worth doing.

I'll have to see what my lbs say and maybe just give it a go myself.

ilovedirt

Heli taping is a pretty good idea, especially on downhill bikes as they cost more than most and get battered more than post, particularly on uplifts. The odd scratch here and there is alright, but uplift scars can look nasty. Pretty goo idea if you want your bike to look nice or may sell it on (you'll get a lot more back for a bike that's still in good nick).

cooldad

We will just have to agree to disagree, IMO it's like your granny leaving the plastic stuff on her new couch.
(Your granny meaning one's granny, not your granny.)

ilovedirt

if your grans sofas cost two grand and were potentially going to be sold on after a year or two yeah.

cooldad

Just say no.

dusk

cooldad wrote:

We will just have to agree to disagree, IMO it's like your granny leaving the plastic stuff on her new couch.
(Your granny meaning one's granny, not your granny.)

but a sofa can be re upholstered and cleaned, surely it's more like having scotchguard on a sofa, looks and feels the same but has extra stain protection

Chunkers1980

So can a frame though. Stripped and sprayed.

Woodmonkey

Wrap it in bubble wrap!

paul.skibum

£50 to get helitaped or 100-130 for powder coat a few years down the line.

Chunkers1980

But tape doesn't mean perfection a few year down the line

cooldad

And it will still be an outdated second hand bike. Just a pretty one.

milfredo

At most stick some patches on to avoid the worst cable rub and just ride the bike. Taping up a complete MTB is just a waste of time and the helitape will just allow dirt to gather around it instead (also read resent posts on people ripping off lacquer removing the stuff).

Helitaping a MTB is akin to putting a tactile, expensive mobile phone into a shit (any) case.

Preserve it for what reason - resale? Silly reason to buy it in the first place.

DodgeT

If you want to tape it, do it, if you you dont, then don't. It's personal choice, not something you need approval for.
Done right and using correct stuff, gives a very good finish. Done wrong using cheap cr4p, can end up looking nasty and being more hassle than its worth.

This could be added to the spd / flats , tubes / no tubes series of debates...

milfredo

But if you do it you are a silly 'nana.

bennett_346

I'm not sure second hand buyers really care about scratches :?

For all it gets thrown around i think helitape is way overused.

ilovedirt

If you're into your racing or whatever, it's not a silly thing at all. I gather most people on here don't race. Say you buy a 2012 Demo frame and heli tape it well yourself, it'll cost you £20 or so and a few hours to do. You sell it on a year or two down the road in really good nick so you can buy the latest frame, you'll get a good few hundred quid more for it than if it was battered to high hell, especially when you consider that a good respray will cost you about £200 for a decent job that's not just a flat colour; then it starts to make sense. I don't heli tape my bikes (apart from odd spots), but I can see why people do. For something that costs you £20, it saves a lot in the long run if you like buying brand new.

Woodmonkey

helitape will last two years, i put some inside the drum of our washing machine where some plonker left some tools in his work trousers creating a sharp edge which tore the mrs best clothes :oops: stuck some tape on as a temporary solution, that was just before last christmas, it's still there and our machine is on at least once a day if not more. thats over 300 wash cycles including boil washes, trainers and more tools(i don't learn) it's impressive stuff.