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About to buy some for the first time...is there a go-to brand/supplier that's better than the rest?
Need enough to protect a new bike - how much would I need?
Sorry for the dumbass question 😳
No. Some types are thin and bubble up too easily. You want the thicker stuff. I tend to get the JRA stuff which is pricey but works well. I'd be interested in a cheaper supplier of equivalent stuff.
Just Riding Along, Wildcat Gear (which is 3M) or 3M from a reliable ebay seller for me.
If you're just doing cable rub spots, you don't need much at all.
For whole chainstay, or other full tubes, obviously an extra foot would be useful.
I invested in an invisiframe kit for my latest bike, much more substantial than any helicopter tape I've seen & so far well worth it.
Might not suit everyones needs though
I've tried a few types, from bike tart, ebay and directly from 3M. Bike tart stuff was good, ebay stuff didn't seem to apply as nice, the stuff directly from 3M went on the easiest and went into corners and around awkward shapes nicely. I'll get mine from 3M in future, reasonable cost too.
3M is a good starting point but there's lots of listings on ebay claiming to be 3M and showing tape with 3M logo'd backing tape, that mysteriously doesn't have it when it arrives.
3M Ventureshield is what you want. Same as Invisiframe use.
I bought an invisiframe kit. They may be expensive but its all pre cut with clear diagrams so well worth it IMO. Ive seen some pretty shoddy DIY helicopter tape jobs, why save a few quid on the finishing off kit when you possibly spent £000's on a frame?
Thick stuff is harder to get into corners and round bends but may offer a little more protection.
The thin stuff is generally adequate for scuff protection or cable rub.
Still not got round to buying any, but just about to.
Going to go with JRA - want to cover cable rub spots and main tubes on a Trigger...how much do I need?
Options are:
10x25cm
10x50cm
[b]10x125cm[/b] Seems to be best amount.
10x200cm
Sound about right? £23 - no idea how this fairs with other brands. Def worth doing though?
I managed 2 mtrs on my Jekyll, but that was cranks and complete top tube. Remember to do it indoors and in the warm and use a hairdryer/ heat gun to soften the plastic and let it mould better. Also seems to adhere better and round the corners too.
False economy? 3 metres for £20
Big plus one for Viking
JRA stuff has been much better than most of the thicker eBay stuff I have tried - just seems.to stick better on the edges, rather than peeling up. I have just used it for cable rub/tyre rub places plus a big run on downtube and seat tube
The stuff I've had from bike tart applies well enough, but after a few of rock strikes and a little time it shatters/crumbles away. Okay for cable rub but not a lot more ime
Read on on the Viking 3m stuff - sounds good...however £6.20 delivery for a roll of tape is taking the piss!
Paragon 3m x 150mm seems to be the best value. Not genuine 3M but the price of 3M is a bit shocking at the moment.
On my C456 I have the proper thick matte black stuff they use on the Lynx. Shame it won't really work on my Trigger as it's painted. Still might use the thick black stuff on the downtube but it has cables in the way so not a lot of use.
Used to use Paragon tapes, but the last stuff has been pretty poor quality, far too stiff and didn't follow contours, then eventually lifted at the edges.
Currently using Tesa Heli tape from Ebay, thick, sticky and flexible, just used 75mm x 1m and 50mm x 2m on the new bike.
ascal - Member
Read on on the Viking 3m stuff - sounds good...however £6.20 delivery for a roll of tape is taking the piss!
They're probably used to supplying industry who buy miles of the stuff at a time.
Even with the delivery costs, it is still quite a good value.
Used to use Paragon tapes, but the last stuff has been pretty poor quality, far too stiff and didn't follow contours, then eventually lifted at the edges.
That's quite worrying. hmm
Just bought some clear Gorilla Tape, going to see how it works on the frame, its £7 for 8 metres so good value if it works
They're all plenty in terms of area, so you just need to work out what the longest length single piece you need is. For me it was chainstays, so I went with the 10x50.Options are:
10x25cm
10x50cm
10x125cm Seems to be best amount.
10x200cm
Although now I have a huge roll from Wildcat which must be a couple of meters.
3m. Some of the e bay stuff is hopeless.
+1 for Invisiframe, expensive but looks mint and quality tape...
When did sticky back plastic become "helicopter tape"? What have helicopters got to do with it?
it was invented in the vietnam war to quickly repair or balance damaged rotor blades. apparently.
I bought some useless paragon tape too. Just would not adhere to contours, even with heat.
Has anyone apart from eddiebaby used to Viking 3M stuff?
Ripoff postage but still seems a good deal (if it's good stuff) at £25 for 3 metres...
"it was invented in the vietnam war to quickly repair or balance damaged rotor blades. apparently."
Invented? That seems a bit of a bold claim. Surely someone just said "hey, why don't we just put some sticky backed plastic on it".
When did sticky back plastic become "helicopter tape"? What have helicopters got to do with it?
it's used to protect the leading edge of rotor blades from damage.
Used to use and recommend Paragon but the last stuff I had also yellowed VERY quickly.
Invented? That seems a bit of a bold claim. Surely someone just said "hey, why don't we just put some sticky backed plastic on it".
It's not 'sticky backed plastic' like you'd put on your school books, it's polyurethane, which is more like rubber.
So when you (or a rock) hits it, it absorbs the energy and bounces it off.
As crashtestmonkey said, they apply it to the front of helicopter blades to protect from all the sand/dust/gravel/rocks that get kicked up. Then boy racers discovered it was great for protecting the fronts of lowered cars, then mountainbikers caught on.
Having written that defense, I put some on a frame, it made the frame look like crap for the time I owned it, peeled it off and the next owner got a new looking frame. Seemed a waste of owning a nice shiny new frame!
I now just make sure the cables are run properly and don't rub!
Used to use and recommend Paragon but the last stuff I had also yellowed VERY quickly.
Sounds like they have switched to a non-UV stable PU. Wish I not ordered now, will see what it's like when it turns up.
The PU tape is applied to the leading edges of rotor blades to protect them against sand erosion. The blades typically have nickel or titanium leading edge which area classes as erosion shields but are dreadful in sand erosion. You get this effect when the sand hits the metal which makes a helicopter dropping off troops in the desert quite an obvious target, especially when viewed with NVGs and it's like a strobe light to the pilots and gunners wearing NVGs.
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The UK military was spending a lot of money during the 1st gulf war due to the damage and it was raised in the house of commons by Maggie Thatcher.
The current solutions certainly arent perfect though.
A better tape for impact is the "belly tape" which is basically PU tape over a foam adhesive layer to give a graded cushioning tape.This is used on aircraft like the C-130 and is perforated to stop it blistering as air tries to escape gaps in the fuselage.
Another video of a hh-60 through NVGs
Its got to be Invisiframe.
You get what you pay for... which is a neat,tidy,finish i've used it on my current and previous bikes and its been faultless i'm sure it uses 3M .