[Closed] Invisframe - £80 to install or DIY?

Honestly, I'd just helitape high stress areas prone to rock strike, cable rub etc and enjoy the battle scars that mountain bikes inevitably get. It's all part of the fun!

Nah, this one is a keeper, can't see me wanting to upgrade it for a few years so want to protect the full carbon frame as much as possible.

I did helitape in parts on my current bike and trying to cut sections to fit on the head tube was painful enough!!

Get them to do it. Did mine. No stress

I just finished my 1st a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t perfect and bits of it were rather stressful (though I get that way whenever I’m doing something like that for the 1st time) but I’d happily do it again now.

Having said all that £80 does sound pretty reasonable for getting it done by the shop if you’re leaning that way.

If £80 isn't going to noticeably financially hurt you I would get them to do it. One of those jobs I recon could be done a lot better than I could do myself. After all, the purpose of invisiframe is to keep the bike looking good. No point it being covered in air bubbles and looking shit.

I did my last one myself and quite enjoyed it. Would happily do it myself again. The trick is to take your time, keep everything clean and get everything wetter than you think it needs to be.

The trick is to take your time, keep everything clean and get everything wetter than you think it needs to be.

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Yeah the trick will definitely be to put aside a good day. Hmm, I'll have a think.

If it has a kit then DIY.

A guy I know had his done by a shop. It's got a tiny flaw on the top tube, spec of dust bubble, but it's annoying.
Take your time, very clean, lots of solution and squidgy plenty.

Personally I’d do it myself as I find it quite therapeutic! But you do have to put aside a chunk of time - stick radio on in bike cave and make sure you have plenty of space, physically and metaphorically. If you get someone else to do it then £80 sounds ok. Having done a few bikes with it I’d never go back to helitape personally but it depends on your outlook I suppose!

I did mine myself. Enjoyed it, but I was waiting on parts for the rest of the build, so I could take all the time in the world. If you have patience, DIY and you'll be satisfied. If not, £80 is a decent price!

I was last in the queue when they were giving out patience and a steady hand. Then just to rub it in, I was given a pathological need to have everything just so. Took me a morning to change the decals (4 of them) on a fork.

I get the shop/invisiframe to do it...

I've done 2 frames myself and the first one was pretty hard work, second one much better with experience. But it gives you an excuse to spend some quality time with your new toy! £80 is a reasonable amount to pay though if you are confident they will do a good job. If you do it yourself expect it to take all day and probably stress you out. Especially if you have OCD tendencies!

I'm currently covering my frame in helitape, it's not been too difficult but it's a steel frame with straight tubing. Does it look perfect up close, no, but from a metre you can't see any imperfections.

A carbon frame with curved tubes would be more difficult, if it's an expensive frame that you're planning on keeping for a while then I'd pay the £80

4+ hours? Whit? 1 hour tops to wet and apply, then left to set.

I did my old bike with it and didn't my new bike...I did get clear Guerilla tape and used that. No where near as good or as easy to install as invisiframe but a 10th of the price.

The stuff doesn't stop dents or bashes, so all it does is protect frame from dirt scratches and rubs, so I figured cheap stuff and patience will do (except I've no patience so you can guess the quality!).

Nah, this one is a keeper, can’t see me wanting to upgrade it for a few years

For me this would be a reason to not bother putting tape on. Just ride it, enjoy it, save the cost of frame kit +£80, cherish the scars and it will be worth the same when you come to sell it in a few years whether it has been taped or not anyway.

Although that wasn't the question.... Just pay the £80 if you want it to look good.

I've done 5 now, the best was the first as I did it in a ridiculously bright room with lots of space.
I have seen great jobs done by shops and shit ones.
The funny thing is all of the comments here about it being therapeutic to do. I agree. But you need space, time, light, and peace.
Make sure you don't put too much soap in the water, only a few drops required, but be liberal with the water when using it.
I bought the solvent the recommended to clean the frame, took off wheels and chain. Freeed up the cables so easy to get underneath.
It will be the best 80quid you have ever saved.

I decided to not do my most recent bike and it’s now got several large scratches after only a month and I’m kicking myself as all my other bikes have been Invisiframed in the past and haven’t succumbed to this sort of damage. It makes me realise how I’ve taken the protection for granted. Have had one bike done by a shop (which was ok but not great) and done several bikes myself and it’s a job which does require time - 4 hours-ish- patience and good radio on. I’ve always stripped the bikes right down to make it as easy as possible. It’s not that difficult.

It’s fun so do it yourself in a nice bright kitchen not your garage.

4+ hours? Whit? 1 hour tops to wet and apply, then left to set.

Do you do this for a living or did you just slap it on randomly? I ask because it took me a good day to apply a complete kit carefully without any air bubbles or wonky sections. It took about an hour just to prep the frame thoroughly before starting! Even with a new frame it has to be squeaky clean with no grease marks, specs of dust or fingerprints.

Some might find the process therapeutic, but I found it pretty tedious to be honest. I think it's worth the effort though as it gives a lot more protection than you might think. I'd be tempted to pay £80 to have it fitted, but it would have to be someone I trusted (and I certainly wouldn't let my LBS anywhere near!)

I'll be stripping the bike back to the frame anyway as there's some bits I want to change, I would be annoyed at any bubbles etc and although I'll have the time to get it right I know the shop has done many, many installations so they would probably do a better job than me, in half the time 😁

I paid to have mine done - I could have had a go at doing it myself, but it looks the kind of faff that doesn't suit my temperament.

6 weeks later my bike and I cartwheeled at 18mph over a rope that a farmer had left strung across the track. Other than bar tape, the bike remained immaculate. I'm still undergoing physio for the damage. £80 well spent

If you can afford it then get it done. I value my time to much to bugger around trying to do it myself for the sake of £80.
Crashed in morzine this year on rocks, scraped invisiframe on the rear triangle. On a non invisiframed bit, chipped carbon.

Done it a few times. Also had it done by the shop.
There was no difference in quality of fitting but it took me 2 days and a spare room and no one going in it incase they brought dust in.

Itll cost you 80 for the kit and a tenner for the other bits. Get them to do it so if theres an issue with the bike they can re do it!

Nope, I'm not even great at DIY. It took 1 hour to do my last bike back in 2015...it is still on and still looking great. Obviously jinking myself but I'm careful with my kit - apart from a potential crash, my frames remain in great nick as I make sure they don't get bashed/knocked. A crash will damage the frame - whether it is invisiframed or not.
The invisiframe kit stuff is excellent, but expensive, some people like it, some don't see the need...I'm in-between so went cheap...so I've got a protective film over my frame but it isn't as neat, but then it took me 10 minutes and does the job. If I could have wet the tape it would have been a better job but tape was cheap - 8 quid and isn't intended as a frame protector so I'm fine with quality as price/time was little.