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So hopefully buying a new bike in the next week and as having bought my last remedy second hand the frame was hammered before I even rode It. STW favourite and good mate GW has pointed me in the direction of Kydex for a frame protector. That said Im looking for a thin clear plastic frame protector. After googling Invisiframe Im presuming its easily purchased under another name for half the price.
I know helitape is out there is this the same as invisiframe. ?
You're paying for the custom designed sheets with parts that fit together to protect all your frame, with invisframe, not the film.
Try and cut a helitape or any other generic kit to even half the same standard and you'll have wished you hadn't bothered.
I bought a plain sheet of Invisiframe and used paper templates to make a half decent job on my bike. I looked for alternatives but couldn't find any indication that Invisiframe was available under another name or generic.
With the effort required to make a half decent job I decided to not skimp and potentially apply an inferior product.
Shack wrap in Lancashire
I'd got some (what I assume to be ) invisiframe with my mudhugger.
It's much thicker than the roll of helitape I bought from ebay.
On a new frame/bike it's invisiframe for sure.
On an old second hand frame that's already got marks I usually just put some helitape on to placate my ocd.lol
+1 for invisiframe. It just does the job. Providing you have the patience to fit it. And if you don't, good luck trying anything else.
I'm not sure Shackwrap is the answer...the OP is looking for cheaper film so unlikely to want to use Shackwrap (who I believe are supply and fit only)
Although they've done a lovely job on the secondhand bike I bought
Personally if you are shelling out on a new frame, why would you cut corners on Invisiframe. Other options either look a mess, or won’t do anything as like a good job.
Invisiframe.
Unless you are an idiot.
Then of course, feel free to waste time and money on a bodge 🙂
I bought some generic tape for about £12-15. Fitted in a warm dry garage, clean bike, using a hair dryer, to be honest after 3-4 rides, it's rubbish. Lifting, peeling, etc.
I don't know what the answer is, but I know that even 3m tape from eBay is not it.
I just let the paint on the frame do the protecting job, invisiframe seems to have taken over the bike industry these days and costs a fortune!
costs a fortune!
Not compared to the thing you are attaching it to. Plus, the resale value of a protected frame more than covers the cost, vs what you’ll get for a chipped, scratched, tatty non protected frame.
I used a roll of low-tack decorators tape and applied it as best I could to the shape of my frame, peeled it off and then stuck it to a roll of scotch guard 3m heli tape and cut round the template.
Hair dryer, soapy water, yadda yadda.
Happy with the result on my steel hardtail but wouldnt attempt a carbon monocoque frame after the experience.
Always used biketart heli tape, as long as you're not a complete gibon fisted retard, it's easy to do a good job.
No need for total coverage, just obvious wear areas, cables, carrier clamp area etc. Only large run I do is the full length of top tube, for wet muddy shorts dragging along it.
I know loads of folk who have it done on carbon FS bikes, and don't fit the likes of a rockguardz protector. Invisiframe will do nothing in that area when a jaggy bastard rock says hello.
I had my last bike invisframe'd when I bought it. Seemed a lot of money at the time.
4 weeks later the bike and I went somersaulting down a gravel track. The bike was unscathed, me, less so.
Definitely worth it
Heli-tape comes in a huge range of thicknesses/quality etc. Mate works with a sign company and I’ll get heli-tape from him(no branding on tape) but it’s best stuff I’ve ever used. 1hr tops I’ll clean/ipa frame and fit length to down tube- top tube and the chain stays/seat stays where heels might rub. Few bits on cable rub hotspots.(hairdryer to ensure good adhesion)
Been doing this for years on any new bike and it’s only around £5-£10 a time.
I don’t understand the £80 invisiframe nonsense !
I don’t understand the £80 invisiframe nonsense !
It creates a force field, so that your bike can go somersaulting down a track, and not hit a rock, silly.
As somebody above says each to their own, but what I like about Invisiframe is if you’re careful you end up with something with a ‘factory’ look to it. Every other method I’ve used just looks like I’ve stuck tape all over my bike in a fairly random way (which of course I have!!)..
Mine will be popping in to shack Wrap in bury.
Far too many crinkly bits for me to faff with DIY.
I think the gloss invisiframe kits are this 3m stuff
https://partners-ltd.com/en/shop/3m-car-wrap-films/3m-ventureshield-paint-protection-film/
But unless it’s a simple round tube hard tail I’d just buy the kit
If you want your bike to look new and the protection to be invisible then fit invisikit.
If you think it's expensive then fine, go and buy some sticky backed plastic, spend time with scissors and do a DIY job. You can do this quite cheaply and quickly, but it will look like a bodge. You can spend hours doing it and it will look like a bodge you spent time trying not to make it look like a bodge.
I have a 3yr old Capra that looks brand new and a 2yr old Jeffsy that looks brand new. You cannot see the invisikit. I rode 14,000 km last year, split between three bikes. No scuffs, scratches, dings or scrapes.
They are over £4k each, so the invisikit is peanuts. You can spend the same on a good tyre these days.
Meh. Horses for courses. I ride a 2015 frame, it’s got a few bits of helitape on the bits where cables rub, bit in each chainstay for heel rub and a strip along the top tube where my shorts rub. It looks brand new. Must be the coloured pigment wet applied protective film the manufacturer put over the carbon...
Also don’t tend to worry about resale value as I either only keep bikes for a few months (usually because I’ve not ridden them or don’t like them) or hang on to them for ages.
How does the invisiframe stuff join at the other side of each tube when you wrap it round - does it touch or is there a gap? I think I would be tempted to pay just to avoid the faff of having to cut everything to exactly the right size and spend the time saved on prep, but in the end I keep my bikes forever and I'm not too worried. It does look like good stuff though
The invisiframe kits are designed so there are small gaps between each section, some areas will have bigger gaps (due to frame design) but mostly there's only small gaps.
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If you're not within a foot of the frame, you can barely see the gaps/film. There's a full kit installed on this frame.
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thanks for that, the finish does look amazing.
I've had a couple of bikes Invisiframed and have been seriously impressed by the invisibility of it and the durability.
I've attempted to comprehensively wrap a couple of bikes using helitape or similar and it's looked terrible, but still done the job of protecting frame - and you can't really tell on Instagram anyway.
Now I just do a few key areas with heli-tape and take my chances.
I bought a blank sheet at the same time as my Invisiframe kit to fill in the gaps. To be honest, it looked more pro before I filled the gaps in but at least I know I have got pretty much full coverage.
My Lbs fitted invisi frame to mine when the frame was new.
Can't fault it really. You can't see it's there really. It was a matte version as the frame is the same.
It was a generic set.
There's a bit of rub on the top tube where I'm guessing the D-lock was and some scrote tried ragging it. The paint underneath looks OK though.
@ta11pau1
Did you fit the kit yourself mate? Nice job.👍
My second hand Jeffsy frame came with invisiframe fitted but it's looking a little tatty now. Trying to decide if I can do a decent diy job. I'm pretty patient with such stuff but it's still a little daunting!
Kits like Invisiframe, RideWrap etc are awesome but you can do a good job yourself with 3M tape. You just have to have the patience, accept that it will take some time, and use the correct technique (i.e. don't have sharp edges that will peel off, use really light soapy water, apply correctly etc....). I watched the RideWrap guy (BC equivalent of Invisiframe) wrap a bike a while back. I assumed that he'd bang it off in 15 minutes as he'd done probably hundreds of frames. But it took him around 1hr 15 minutes IIRC. You'll never get quite the same coverage with a home job cutting up 3M tape but you have to be pretty close to my bike to see the tape. If it looks naff, you bought the wrong tape or did a naff job of it!
@ta11pau1
Did you fit the kit yourself mate? Nice job.👍My second hand Jeffsy frame came with invisiframe fitted but it’s looking a little tatty now. Trying to decide if I can do a decent diy job. I’m pretty patient with such stuff but it’s still a little daunting!
Yes I did - took me a whole day (plus a bit for the fork kit) but I'd happily do one again, especially knowing the tricks like using a a dry cloth to get the edges to stick.
Invisiframe will not only protect your current bike but pay for itself and fund the invisiframe kit for your next bike. Just do it. It is really really really easy to fit - seriouisly...it is so easy to fit. Of course if you're paying someone to do it then they'll take their time and eek out another hour labour or so out of you, but the first time I did it took about an hour. The next time I do it, i'll cut that time down even further now I know what i'm doing. And does a good job of protecting the frame from scuffs, scrapes and scratches and when you come to sell your bike on it'll look like new again and you'll easily get the cost of the kit back in the selling price of the bike.
Ive done 4 now, last one took about 2hrs not including prep time and clearing up the soapy mess afterwards.
You need somewhere thats clean and dust free to do it. Not the front room either as the amount of soapy water needed will wash your carpet.