Should I use frame protectors?

How do you guys protect your bike frame from rock chips, debris, and scratches?

Has anyone actually tried using 3M clear bra or some cheaper alternative to wrap the whole damn thing?

Does anyone know where I can grab that thick protective film for the chainstay? Mine's pretty beat up from slamming over some bumps, and I really want to swap it out. Those pre-made guards you find online look so tacky.

I just stumbled upon this kind of sticker

on my own neoprene bike protection

As for protecting against U-locks, I use two smaller, less transparent stickers, though I find myself swapping them out constantly... even if it hasn't really made much of a difference—the U-lock still managed to gouge right through that section....

Just spotted this at Dick's Sporting Goods:

Those are the ones I use to protect my U-lock, and frankly, nothing seems to work 😢 it’s just too thin...

I think there’s some kind of helicopter tape out there that’s supposedly unbeatable if you actually get the real deal instead of some cheap knockoff, though I haven't had a chance to try it myself yet. I probably have some links bookmarked somewhere, but I'm just on my phone right now.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-Clear-H...-/261160499946
What about this one?

Head down to the local wrap shop where they do car wraps 🤷

🙄

Exactly.
They really ought to offer a heat-shrink wrap without adhesive—just something you set with a heat gun. That stuff is incredibly stretchy, too—you can pull off some serious magic with it.

A buddy of mine who works as an auto mechanic actually hooked me up with a scrap piece of it once.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_od...+tape&_sacat=0

There are tons of different types out there. Has anyone actually used these before? I'm wondering what happens when you try to peel them off after a few years—especially those helicopter decals that act like stickers. Do they actually come off clean, or am I going to be scrubbing sticky residue off my car forever?

Of course, every seller claims there won't be any traces left behind once you peel them off. Who knows if that's actually true? That's why I'm asking here.

Plus, they aren't exactly cheap. Is there a budget-friendly version that won't break the bank?

Even 3M doesn't offer an adhesive side on some of these, yet the prices are still ridiculous.

3M isn't overpriced for nothing. I picked up one of their reflective tapes once—they offer a 10-year warranty against fading and loss of reflectivity. That’s specifically for the retroreflective stuff, though. How does that compare to standard vinyl sheets? 🤷

Nicole James3 said:I am curious to know how you all protect your bike frames from stone chips, debris, and general scratches.

Does anyone here have actual experience using 3M clear protective film—or perhaps a more budget-friendly alternative—to wrap an entire bicycle?

If you check out REI, they carry a specific protection kit designed for the downtube to prevent rock chips. It is certainly not cheap, but the material is several millimeters thick, and since it is manufactured by 3M, one can assume there is at least some level of quality assurance involved.

Wrap up that old airport and hit the road 😁

I haven't had my hands on them myself, but I've seen these mentioned quite a bit on international forums lately.

The "catch" is that they have a fixed shipping weight of 2 pounds, so it’d probably be way smarter to grab two or three packages at once and split the cost among a few friends.
I mean, two pounds doesn't sound like much, but we all know how those shipping costs can sneak up on you, right? 🙂

Here's another one for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi3hJYmtKR4

It’s pretty obvious this hasn't really caught on here, at least not for bikes, since nobody seems to have any real experience with it.

Bryan Evans77 said:You could wrap an old inner tube around it to give it that healthy, rustic look and ride 😁

That is certainly true, and honestly, it can look quite sophisticated if you hand the task over to someone with actual taste, though attempting it on the downtube is a different matter entirely. I suppose you could try, but... 🤷

Those with a matte black frame can actually turn a disadvantage into something quite functional:

http://goo.gl/yGVpQL

As for the quality of 3M tape, there’s really no debating it. I was messing around with some reflective 3M tape recently, and you can truly feel the difference in quality compared to the cheap stuff...😉

I've got the yellow one, but now I'm looking at picking up red and white 😁