Do I Have To Register A Cat I Bought Which Was Pre Chipped
Soooooo… you just bought a new bike. It wasn't cheap. And it looks sugariness as! Just a month of shuttles and aggressive trail riding will make whatever bike look as if it'd been flogged with a chain. Applying some protection to that new ride will help proceed it looking shiny and new a lot longer than just plain old paint. Maybe it's a vanity thing, but when some people are forking out anywhere from $7k to $10k for a complete bike these days, investing in some kind of protective tape or motion picture to continue information technology looking fresh just seems like mutual sense.
Only this past year, RC wondered, "Why don't bicycle companies do this for you? In some places on the frame they already do: most frames, particularly carbon ones, have a TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane) baby-sit to protect the lesser bracket surface area from trail debris and on the drivetrain stays to protect from chain slap. Some frames fifty-fifty have an additional TPU guard on the down tube for shuttle protection. But why don't they do something better than pigment to protect a frame head to toe? The simple answer is mo' coin: the materials cost of a good protective picture show isn't huge, but it has to be applied by mitt, and that'due south both time consuming and labor intensive to practice correct. And while bike companies could easily do this, that cost would ultimately take to be passed onto the consumer, making an already pricey investment even more than expensive.
That brings us full circle to the DIY approach to protecting your investment. There are a number of readily available films and tapes that tin be purchased to protect your bicycle. All are fabricated of either Polyurethane or PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride - often just referred to equally "vinyl"). Polyurethane tends to be more rubberband and abrasion resistant than straight up vinyl, but vinyl can have plasticizers added to it to increase elasticity and abrasion resistance. These films come in various thicknesses, defined as "mils" which are thousands of an inch, or microns, which are micrometers. A thickness of 1 mil equals i/1000 of an inch or 25.4 microns. I thing to notation: none of these tapes were specifically tested in this review for abrasion resistance, only rather for ease of application and my own ii cents on personal feel from using them over the years. Here, we'll outline 7 protective motion picture options—at least one selection should be readily bachelor to you via the interwebs or your local bike shop. Keep in mind, though, that tapes and films aren't armor plate: they won't prevent dents in an blend frame, etc. They are just an abrasion guard for your frame. Additionally, I limited this review to tapes I could readily become my mitts on; there are other options available, like Frameskin and Shack Wrap, that I was unable to hands get my hands on.
 | From my feel, aught will trounce on a frame more than than shuttling. Smart money to protect your frame is applying tape to the underside of the down tube where a frame will residual on a tailgate pad (a dirty pad will chew through your paint in next to no time on a bumpy shuttle, even if your bike is cinched downward against the pad), and along the meridian tube (in that location's cipher worse than getting to the meridian of a rough shuttle route just to find that your neighbor's brake levers have gouged the crap out of your new bike). |
Racer Tape
• Clear
• MSRP: $35 USD for a 30' 10 2" roll
• findtape.com
Racer record is the original DIY protective tape. Originally designed as a protective film for helicopter blades, it'south a polyurethane motion picture available past the roll in various widths. I become the outdoor grade version, and then it won't get yellowish over time. It's extremely tough—yous WILL need scissors or a pocketknife to cut it. The standard thickness is 8 mil—8 thousandths of an inch (203 Microns). It's also prissy and pliable, making the application fairly easy. Removal is besides easy—no messy chemicals or having to scrape it off; it pulls off easily and in a single piece one time y'all go a fingernail under information technology.
My personal experience with racer record is that it's reasonably easy to apply to everything except inwardly curving tubing, like the head tube/down tube juncture and the curved portion of the seat mast/gusset, or those curved areas between the chain and seat stays. To become it to attach in places similar that without trapping air bubbles or having the tape agglomeration upwards and not stick cleanly means busting out a heat gun (a blow dryer will work adequately in a pinch) or making articulation slits in the record to permit information technology to mold better to those curves. Sometimes I needed to practise both. If y'all do become a bubble, it's not the stop of the world; a careful pin prick volition allow you lot to printing it apartment.
Racer tape comes in a xiv mil (355 Microns) thickness, too, but it's more difficult to use to tight spots without a rut gun and would really but be useful on parts of the frame that are typically already protected at the factory level: the bottom bracket and bulldoze railroad train side of the rear swing arm. And make certain you go the OG version—Outdoor Grade; it volition resist yellowing from UV low-cal much longer than non-OG surface films.
All Mountain Style Honeycomb Frame Guards
• Clear, Colored, and Printed
• MSRP: $26 - $68 USD depending on size and graphics
• world wide web.allmountainstyle.com
All Mountain Manner is the brain child of ii enthusiasts from Barcelona, Spain: Xavi Navarro and Carles Carrera. They started All Mountain Style Frame Guards out of simple need: there was zip with any "style" available for bicycle frame protection—merely dull, clear, helicopter-type tapes. Carles' groundwork in MX turned up a few colored options and from there All Mount Mode was born.
The AMS honeycomb frame guards come up as a kit, with ten strips of thick, semi rigid PVC for your frame. And past thick, I mean 380 microns—nearly 15 mils. Each kit has a long strip for the down tube area, 4 pieces for the stays, a rectangular piece for cable rub, and chevrons that will extend the long strip'southward coverage into more than difficult to cover articulated areas. It's rated as outdoor grade then it won't fade or xanthous in the sun. And perhaps best of all, AMS has a variety of cool graphic options in addition to your basic clear (skulls, bears, maori, etc), likewise as a few solid colors, too (yellow, black, reddish, etc.); sixteen flavors in all.
Due to the thicker, more than rigid nature of the Honeycomb Guards vs racer tape, they keep hands—no rut gun needed at all—and resist bubbling during application far better than whatever of the other tapes reviewed hither. But that more than rigid nature also makes it harder to utilize to inwardly curved areas of the frame, which is where the chevrons come in handy: they tin easily placed on those tricky portions of the frame. AMS tape removal is too relatively easy; just like racer tape, information technology peels off in a single piece without putting upwardly an epic battle.
D'oh! The only downside to AMS tape is that the chevrons don't provide seamless protection for the frame; a rock managed to thread this gap between the chevrons and the main piece of tape. AMS as well makes a few other protective tapes for other parts of the bike: specifically forks, cranks, and chain stays.
| | From a durability perspective, the AMS tape has been pretty bomber. In the eight months since application, it'southward been property up just fine. But if y'all want to protect the height tube, you'll need to purchase a second kit. |
One Manufacturing, formerly One-Ball: Bicycle Moto Deflection Dice-Cut Protective 20 Slice Kit
One Manufacturing enters the fray with their 20 piece Wheel Moto Deflection Die-Cut Protective Kit, an 18" x 27" sheet of 6mil PVC moving picture pre cutting into handy shapes that will fit the important parts of most frames. One Manufacturing already had a couple of different frame tapes bachelor nether the One Ball name, simply the dice cut pack is hands down the best value I institute online. One note: dissimilar some of the other record packages reviewed here, the swatches of protective movie don't accept pre cutting slits for articulation. One Manufacturing left it that way deliberately, reasoning that non all frames have the same curves, and that allowing the user to make articulation slits equally needed lets them optimize tape placement for their individual needs. With so many shapes to apply, this DIY approach allows i to tailor protection for tight parts of their specific frame. Bonus: there are fifty-fifty a couple pre-cutting pieces of tape for cranks and forks. Other companies have fork and crank tapes or films available just they need to be purchased separately.
Articulation slits non included? Not a problem, actually. I added these in about xxx seconds afterwards checking where the frame curved.
The Moto Deflection record goes on relatively easy—very similar to straight up racer tape. That's not to say having a blow dryer or oestrus gun on manus isn't a good idea. But patient awarding volition see coverage without any abrasive bubbling (which tin can be eliminated with a conscientious pin prick, same as racer record). Removal is relatively painless, too (different One Manufacturing's Black Rubber 1/16" thick shuttle guard—that shit is NOT coming off), making re-application a snap should a piece ever demand to be replaced.
| | Durability wise, the Wheel Moto Deflection Die Cut Protective Kit is par for the course. Like standard 8 mil racer tape, information technology resists cutting, stone strikes, and cable rub to keep that frame looking shiny and new vs. chipped or rubbed off paint. It'southward outdoor rated, besides, and should remain clear for up to 5 years. |
Cadger Skins: Big Carbon Leather frame protector and Frame Kit
• Clear and Carbon Leather
• MSRP: $22 USD and $xl USD, respectively
• lizardskins.com
Along with their grips and assorted other accessories, Cadger Skins has been in the frame protection game for a while. They take a pretty skilful option of tapes available, but at that place are two standouts: their "Carbon Leather" frame protector and their clear "Frame Kit" (each sold separately). Carbon Leather comes in two sizes: a size S (32mm x 222mm) and size 50 (64mm x 305mm). Both have pre-cut slits for articulation and some curved chevrons for spot protection. Their matte clear Frame Kit is one stop shopping for basic frame coverage. It has two small and two large strips (32mm x 222 mm, and 64mm 10 305mm respectively), and a diversity of small-scale patches for spot protection; all frame protectors have pre-cut articulation slits, too, making them easy to employ on most curved frame parts.
The Carbon Leather is nice and thick and offers some damping protection from stone strikes (although a hard hit will however probable dent an alloy frame). About carbon bikes—but not all—accept the bottom subclass surface area protected from rock strikes with a TPU plate already, but very few blend bikes go that way, making the Carbon Leather an ideal DIY gear up for bikes that have missed the TPU gunkhole. I used it in 2013-14 on my alloy Lapierre Spicy 527 (I rode the piss out of that cycle!) and never had to replace it during that ii year flow. It also came off easily when I cleaned the bike upward for resale.
The pre-cut articulations are nice for fitting inwards curving sections of a frame. Particularly the bridge between seat stays (seen here) and the BB yoke.
The Frame Kit is an 11mmil thick proprietary blend of outdoor form polyurethane. It'southward ideal for covering the underside of the down tube and the top of the top tube, as well as whatsoever cable rub spots. The left over frame protectors can be trimmed to encompass concatenation or seat stays, etc. It's very similar to Racer Tape or One Mfg's die cut movie in look and feel, although information technology is a bit thicker, and goes on about the aforementioned (as in have a blow dryer or heat gun on hand to assistance in application and take it boring to avoid bubbles). Once in place it stays put nicely and does what information technology's supposed to do: proceed that frame looking fresh despite endless big days and poorly loaded shuttling runs. Removal is adequately painless, just go a fingernail under the edge and start peeling.
| | The Carbon Leather is pretty much the best show in town to help protect that vulnerable BB area from stone strikes—it's just thick enough to slow down impacts that would likely dent a bare alloy frame, although a mill level TPU is even so superior. And the frame kit offers fairly piece of cake to apply abrasion protection. As a package deal, it'due south hard to shell as an easy DIY set. |
DYEDBro
• 56 unlike graphics and clear gloss
• MSRP: $45 USD
• dyedbro.com
Iago Garay is the working human being's bike handling hero who rose to fame with the re-launch of the Santa Cruz Nomad in 2015. He's been a Santa Cruz Enduro team mainstay ever since. But what's a bike racer to do in the off-season? In Iago's case information technology was to beginning DYEDBro (Do You Even Migrate Bro?) and commencement selling jerseys, stickers, a few t-shirts… and a broad diverseness of printed 12mil thick vinyl protective films that are pre-cut to fit all bikes. Iago uses a latex digital printer, too, with eco-friendly inks to help go on things greenish.
Each tape package includes 4 chain/seat stay protectors, a top tube protector, and a downwards tube protector. There are 56 different flavors to cull from, everything from an Anka Martin designed Maori inspired graphic to a Hawaiian theme to Mean solar day of the Dead carbohydrate skulls to a camo graphic. There are also two clear versions, one with a black logo, and ane with a white logo.
Once more, awarding is straightforward: go the hairdryer/heat gun ready and go after information technology. Fifty-fifty then, despite the thickness of DYED'south motion-picture show, the application procedure is a bit touchier than any of the other tapes reviewed here (excepting the wet process films beneath). That's not to say it's more hard than the tapes reviewed above; rather, it merely needs a bit more than attention to foreclose bubbling or wrinkles. Once in place it stays put without worries, and offers the same blazon of protection equally the others, although with way more options to personalize your ride. Removal is similar to the others; just go a fingernail under the record and information technology should pare off in a single slice.
| | Personally, I like DYED'due south graphic approach to frame protection. Some of the graphics available are decidedly "euro" in their look, simply overall they're pretty cool, and they'll make your wheel stand up out a fleck every bit well equally protect information technology. If that's not your thing, then their articulate options are besides available. |
InvisiFRAME
• Clear Gloss and Clear Matte
• MSRP: $93-100 USD, depending on the frame
• invisiframe.co.great britain
If yous're going to become all in to protect your bike frame, the UK based InvisiFRAME is a top shelf choice—provided they a) make a film mapped out to fit your detail bike, and b) you have the patience to utilise it yourself. Otherwise, be prepared to fork over anywhere from $125-$200 to have a professional person do the installation. I know… you just said WTF?!?! Just keep reading.
InvisiFRAME has been around since 2011. Their 12 mils thick polyurethane film comes in either clear matte or articulate gloss. What sets them apart is that their film covers your bike head to toe in an automotive outdoor grade protective film that won't discolor and has a self-healing characteristic (cuts and nicks that oasis't gone completely through the motion-picture show volition fill up in over time, quicker if a scrap of heat is applied). Additionally, their film kits accept been painstakingly mapped out to fit specific bikes, downwards to the verbal model and size vs. simply DIY taping the top tube, downwards tube, and diverse other selected $.25 of the bike. For case, if you take an Evil Wreckoning, they accept a different InvisiFRAME kit bachelor for every frame size of that particular model of Evil. And it literally is head to toe coverage minus cut outs for internally routed cable ports, head badges, factory TPU pieces, etc. There are small-scale gaps in that coverage, merely otherwise it'south as close to a complete "wrap" chore as i can get. And while they have a pretty impressive library of bikes—their library of brands listed is pretty much the largest out of the companies that offer full "wrap" jobs—if by chance your bike isn't on that list, they practice have a few generic options available, every bit well. Weight weenies can rejoice, likewise; a complete wrap will only add 40 grams or then to your overall frame weight.
Awarding is equally ingenious as it is tedious. It's a wet process that allows like shooting fish in a barrel positioning of the diverse strips and patches, and that uses a squeegee every bit each piece is practical to virtually eliminate any bubbles. The upside: this wet awarding also means that re-positioning a misplaced strip is simple, as long as y'all do it before the InvisiFRAME moving-picture show sets—nearly a 24 60 minutes process. But for every Ying, at that place'south a Yang: in order to apply InvisiFRAME properly besides means unimpeded access to all the nooks and crannies of your specific frame, then be prepared to do a chip of debuilding to become easy access to all parts of your frame; for some bikes that's but removing the wheels, but for others it might hateful pulling cable housing, etc. Additionally, you lot'll need to make clean the beejesus out of the frame with isopropol alcohol or a similar cleaner prior to application, fifty-fifty if information technology's fresh out of the box—that frame may expect pristine but any contaminants will spiral the pooch for a proper application. Last, for a DIY application, wait ii-3 hours if not longer to get 'er done. InvisiFRAME offers tips and videos on where to commencement with your bike and how best to continue, but it will nonetheless be a fourth dimension-consuming procedure, to say the to the lowest degree. A professional person installer can typically do a frame in ninety minutes or and so, but that will be an extra striking to the wallet.
Bonus: Should a swatch of tape ever need replacing, you tin can contact invisiFRAME for a specific slice. In that case, removal of the damaged piece is par for the course: option an edge and skin back slowly at an angle. InvisiFRAME too offers custom decals for forks, frames, rear shocks, and wheels, too painstakingly mapped out to fit specific models.
| | InvisiFRAME is an expensive investment but the return on that investment is pretty killer: it'south damn near invisible—although should you leave your bike's decals on, no affair how good the duster job or how thin the decals on the frame, air will remain trapped effectually those decals every bit seen in the Muddied Fingers bike shop decals in the images to a higher place. That can easily exist remedied by ordering custom decals, too bachelor through InvisiFRAME, to be practical atop the movie once it has prepare. |
RideWrap
• Clear Gloss and Clear Matte
• MSRP: $92 USD for full coverage film kit
• ridewrap.ca
If InvisiFRAME is a ten for frame protection, so Whistler based RideWrap turns it upwards to eleven. RideWrap's TPU film is 8.2 mils thick outdoor course that's guaranteed to resist discoloration or bang-up for 10 years—a pretty bold claim! And they, too, utilize an extensive library of dissimilar makes and models of bikes (although not as extensive as InvisiFRAME'due south), also mapped out to be size specific, and with either a matte or a sleeky finish. Additionally, their film also has a self-healing finish too—again, nicks, scrapes, and abrasions on the film's surface tend to smoothen out over time and "fill" back in, typically when a bit of heat is applied. Plus the film they use has a low surface free energy meaning dirt and grime don't really adhere well to it, which makes the bike even easier to clean subsequently an epic muddy ride—all nigh identical to InvisiFRAME. But where they deliver the goods i notch louder is that RideWrap doesn't but practise the total monty, but allows bike owners to choose from amongst 4 unlike levels of protection: $92 USD for a full wrap job, $40 USD for fork only, $64 USD for the "covered" wrap (the stays, back of the seat tube, top tube, and down tube), and $32 USD for the "essential" coverage (inside of the bulldoze side stays, summit tube, and the BB and shuttle office of the downtube).
I personally haven't used RideWrap, but looking at a couple bikes that take been wrapped since last fall, ridden frequently and hard, and put away moisture, it appears pretty bomber. Additionally, they as well offer a DIY TPU shuttle armor pad that adheres well to the frame only can be removed without damaging the paint. And weight weenies can rest easy: similar to other available bicycle frame film wraps, a "total monty" Ride Wrap kit merely adds about 50 grams to the overall weight of a bike frame. A bit more if you add on a fork wrap or their TPU shuttle baby-sit.
This stuff is damn near invisible.
Now the downside: like InvisiFRAME, RideWrap is also a wet application that uses a squeegee, etc. And it's equally as tedious and time-consuming to use it if you lot opt to go DIY: expect 2-3 hours of exacting work to practise a full bike wrap. Only if you're in Whistler, yous tin volume an engagement and accept Ride Wrap practise the install for you to the melody of $90 CAD—typically in nether 2 hours. Otherwise, enquire around for a store quote. The only other dis I accept is identical to InvisiFRAME: if there are decals on your cycle, no thing how sparse, unless removed, you'll have minute air bubbles surrounding the graphics under the film after it sets. That tin't exist avoided unless you peel them off before applying the picture. If you lot do opt to go blank frame but still desire to accept decals on your bike, RideWrap recommends custom decals from Slik Graphics that tin be applied after the picture sets.
Options, options: fork application is equally subtle, and the shuttle guard but makes proficient sense.
| | InvisiFRAME and RideWrap with their cocky healing, low dispersion full Monty wraps are in a dead oestrus. Merely given RideWrap's selection to select how much protection to apply to your bike vs. having to go "full monty" at full toll, I gotta give them the nod for best in show. |
To sum it all upward: AMS was hands down the easiest to employ. One Manufacturing was the best deal for a DIY kit. DYEDbro has the most options for customizing your bike every bit well as protecting it. Lizard Skin has the only affair close to a factory TPU plate to protect that BB area from hard impacts. And racer tape gets yous enough record for 4-5 bikes, only information technology's a pure DIY application vs getting a pre-cut kit. Winner, winner; chicken dinner is the full monty protective film applications from InvisiFRAME and RideWrap. These two are easily the all-time chafe guards bachelor for your bike that I was able to review, but that level of protection comes with a hefty mo' money price tag.
Do I Have To Register A Cat I Bought Which Was Pre Chipped,
Source: https://www.pinkbike.com/news/review-7-films-and-tapes-to-keep-your-bike-shiny-and-new.html
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