Wrapping an FS Frame - DIY or pay an expert?

I'm in the 'It can't be that hard!' camp but I've never done it. When I get my next posh bike I'll definitely have a go.

Watch a few YouTube vids and get stuck in.

Remember that taking it to your LBS doesn't guarantee a perfect job unless they've got someone who is especially good at it. You might get someone who's having their first attempt in a busy workshop. You'll be able to take your time and really nail it down.

When you say 'bespoke to your frame', do you mean it's a generic kit, as opposed to one of the frame specific ones?

I've done it both ways. I'm a ham fisted, patience lacking IT nerd, and both came out quite well imho.
The Invisiframe kits are really nice quality and go on really well. Do it with enough water and you can reposition as well
I've also done several with tape that took a lot longer, but still came out nicely. Just take the time to template it up properly.

I say absolutely go for it
Disclaimer: both were with new bikes that I stripped down completely, I suspect it wouldn't have looked nearly as good on a used frame.

Interested as my knee is knacked and whilst I wait to find out what is wrong with it, I'm considering vinyl wrapping half of the front triangle in a different colour. Watched a few Youtube vids, had never heard of knifeless tape before!

It's just putting a sticker on your bike.
Vs
A big complicated expensive sticker that will be rubbish if you mess it up.

I use tape and cut it to fit. It's not as neat but it's not as expensive.

I'd fit it myself if you have time, patience, space and all the kit to clean and degrease the frame before hand.

It's just stickers!

I'm in the 'pay for it' camp, particularly if that involves templating it as well, rather than fitting a premade kit for your frame. TBH, I'm hamfisted so I know what would happen if I tried...

If you have time and patience you’ll do a great job - I’ve done 2 myself (full sus and hardtail) and they’ve both been pretty straightforward

Invisiframed 4 bikes and it seems to take me ages and lots of cups of tea...but I am a bit annal.

Last bike, I went back to using 4" wide rolls of protection tape, cut paper templates and then applied. To me it looks just as good a job as Invisiframe and the tape is much thicker than sheets Invisiframe use. I have kept the paper templates for when I need to replace any sections (usually the stays due to my size 12 clodhoopers rubbing). Whole job cost £20 in tape and still took me ages.

I did my orange with an invisframe kit.

Quite enjoyable with the right frame of mind. Cold rainy day based in the warm sunroom methodically adding each part Was easy enough with enough spray and the squeezy thing. I wouldn't pay £90, never mind double that, it's time consuming not particularly skilled (even navigating the welds on an orange was easy enough).

I've Invisframed 3 bikes now. It's not that hard, just requires patience. Lots of soapy water, slide on, squeeze out any bubbles. I find the best way is to only do 2-3 bits at a time, have break, let those dry, before moving on.

When you say ‘bespoke to your frame’, do you mean it’s a generic kit, as opposed to one of the frame specific ones?

It's one cut specifically for my frame. If it was a hardtail, with lots of nice straight lines, I wouldn't give it a second thought, however it's an FS frame with loads of weird shapes to manipulate the wrap around. The Youtube vids talk about it being easy and then show half an hour of water spraying and re-positioning in a temperature controlled, dust-free environment.

**Magnum Force** A Man's got to know his limitations **Magnum Force**

After just finishing an invisiframe on my new bike where I had to cut the shapes(to the same standard as a pre-cut kit) as there wasn't one available for my size frame. I now know what good value the pre-cut ones are!

It was easy a full days work....

The pre-cut kits are still time consuming to do well, I've done plenty of them, hence the charge from your LBS. Their being realistic instead of pretending it'll take an hour or two like some would have you believe, especially on multi angled full suss frames.

I did a Haibike once. It was torture getting the pieces to stick due to the frame shape🤣

It's not hard to put the kits on though. As others have said just take your time and don't expect to be riding that day!

Do you value your time or your money the most? That's the question.

How good where you at wrapping your school books in sticky back plastic! 🙂

Their being realistic instead of pretending it’ll take an hour or two

I'd want to know for a fact that the shop can make a good job of it... there was a thread on here a while back where they'd made a right pigs ear of it... not sure I could be bothered with the aggro of that tbh

How good where you at wrapping your school books in sticky back plastic! 🙂

God I hated doing that. What was the point? Why didn't they sell books with pre-wrapped covers?

So I am very much in the camp of 'get someone who knows what they are doing on the job'

I tried fitting a top tube protector myself to see how I got on - figuring that is the easiest spot on the bike. Took much care, and it was still wonky with an air bubble. Looked crud.

So I had my frame 3m protected by Snakeskin Customs near Oldham. Travelled up from Notts to go there as they were very well reviewed. The cost at the time was £160 for pretty much full coverage of frame and fork and the finish was absolutely perfect. Two years later there is only one small section where muck got under the edge and tbf that is at a place on the frame where it got dinged. The rest is good and has protected the frame well.

I don’t know… aren’t the kits £90 ish on average? So the shop are charging £100 for labour. That can’t be more than 2 hours workshop time, surely?

I assumed that was just for fitting. My bad if so.

If I owned a shop I'd quote that for fitting only and if it got done quicker then I'd reduced the price obviously. Time is money

I've done two mondraker foxys. The 2014 front triangle with the hump at the top tube / head tube. Take your time, use lots of soapy water and it's not too hard.

Blemish free would be perfect but no-one has ever commented to me on a couple of tiny bubbles

Neither. Just ride the bloody thing and save yourself £200.

That's an insane amount of money for something that makes sod all difference to the function of the bike.

,( caveat by admitting that a couple of small bits on the chainstay might be worth while)

I've done a couple.... It's not a quick job to do right. If doing a full invisiframe, i'd pay someone. If doing a simpler Dyedbro/something/tape, i'd DIY.

I don’t know… aren’t the kits £90 ish on average? So the shop are charging £100 for labour. That can’t be more than 2 hours workshop time, surely?

They quoted me based on 2 hours of workshop time, I suspect it would take me rather longer. I haven't had anything done by an LBS for years so I'm not sure how that rate compares. I take the view they have to make a living and their overheads must be on the increase like everything else. I expect to pay the going rate for their time and skills.

I think I will probably get this one done professionally. I will maybe have a go with a simpler generic kit on Mrs LJ's, in order to satisfy my inner tightwad.

Cheers all. 🙂

I enjoy doing so I would be in the DIY camp. It takes me about 2 2.5hrs to do it

I've done a couple of carbon frames and I've always got a bit that doesn't stick (usually a small fiddly bit).

It also seems to come unstuck in places where you don't notice it until it's too late and then there's a load of dirt stuck to it. That's just me being useless though...

Neither. Just ride the bloody thing and save yourself £200.
That’s an insane amount of money for something that makes sod all difference to the function of the bike.

Except your bike still looks great years down the line. My 2015 Evil still looks great 7 years later, my 2018 Vitus that didn't get the treatment looked shit after 3 months, I regretted that. I'm happy to pay for invisiframe and to have it fitted, as I have no patience.
I'm not into keeping bikes clean, my 3 month old Levo hasn't been cleaned since new (except shock/fork/dropper and drive train) & is covered in crap, but I know when I do clean it, it'll come up great not scratched to shit.

Why didn’t they sell books with pre-wrapped covers?

I saw £190 for a fitted frame kit and wondered when premium FS bikes would start to come pre-wrapped.

I'm an Invisiframe fitter, I charge £100 for frame and fork (£80 frame alone, £30 for a fork).

If a shop is doing one in 2 and a half hours, Id be handing it back. Seen a few other fittings online and its bubble central, probably because they're rushing it. People hand theirs in to me from 5pm (after my day job) and it's ready for pick up next day lunchtime. I prefer it to sit over night, and check in morning if any tidying up is required or small lifting in places.

The time consuming part is actually getting pieces to conform to a 3d shape, seat/chain stays whilst easy to apply are one of worst for lifting.

Ive come to learn that the generic kits esp for hardtails, can be a mare as these will invariably require trimming or templates created to ensure sections like head tube fits properly.

£100 is about ballpark tbh, the £190 will include the kit (£94.99 for most full suss/ebikes). Some places do take the piss though for sure.

Anyone can do it, it's someone's time and pure patience/ocd youre paying for. Some kits go on nicely...and others fight you the whole way.

It really depends on your motivation.

If you are looking to keep the paint nice for resale or protect carbon then self applying with good heli tape is fine.

If you really care about the looks, then paying for invisiframe and/or having it applied is probably the better route if money no object.

I don't constantly clean and keep my bike mint. Drive train suspension is kept super OCD clean, but not the non moving parts. With a bit of dirt on it, you cannot tell.

If your whip is a bit of a show pony, it probably would make sense.

Are you patient?

I've fitted two blank kits that I cut and templated, that was a whole evenings work for each bike, I fitted one custom pre-cut kit and it was way faster. However its slightly more fiddly as the pre-cut kit goes for maximum coverage which means you may end up spending 10 minutes squeegying one piece such as a bendy chainstay, trying to secure one side of the piece and then working it round trying to stick the other edge without getting a ripple or bubble, sometimes you might need to stand there for 5 minutes holding it down and then check back on it whilst doing the next bit. I got a few little bubbles in the last one but they've either dissolved or they really are tiny as I've never noticed them since.

If you are paying, I'd go somewhere that has done plenty of them, its not going to work out well if the person fitting the kit thinks he can keep popping back to the till. Shackwrap do a supply and fit so they are well versed, one of my secondhand bikes was done by them and it looks great.

Neither. Just ride the bloody thing and save yourself £200.

That’s an insane amount of money for something that makes sod all difference to the function of the bike.

,( caveat by admitting that a couple of small bits on the chainstay might be worth while)

I'm in this camp TBH, clearly the world has gone mental when people are this vain and prissy about a Dandyhorse... YMMV if course but I've never lost sleep over the lack of overpriced heli-tape on any bike.

I've just finished applying an Invisiframe kit to my new Orbea Rise. My thoughts:

When I bought my Santa Cruz Tallboy, I had the shop supply and fit the Invisiframe kit. They charged about £180, it took half a day, and the finish was perfect. It still looks great 18 months on.

I've just bought the Orbea Rise and it's not like I'm doing much else at the moment, so I decided to order the kit and fit myself. I watched all the videos, partially striped the bike and set it all up in a warm and light conservatory. Perfect conditions. Two pieces in and I was ready to rip it all off and chuck it in the bin. Frustration... Ahhhh!!
I walked away from it for a couple of hours and returned with a fresher mindset. The rest went on much easier, although I can't say I enjoyed the experience. It took me many hours spread over two days to complete. The bike actually looks quite good, although by far the worst applied piece is the toptube. The best is probably the inner chainstays. Typical!

I might order a replacement part for the toptube and redo it. Having learnt from this experience, I would probably pay someone to do it next time. Too many horror stories of local bike shops messing these up, so I would go to a specialist although, as I mentioned, a localish bike shop did a great job on the first bike.

It took me a whole morning to do my bike (Ride Wrap full bike kit).

Wasn't hard per say, just time consuming. I'd advise you to watch as many videos as you can about the procedure before doing it though. That really helped me. I'm happy with job I did and saved at least £100.

I wouldn’t pay £90, never mind double that, it’s time consuming not particularly skilled

Takes lots of time. Getting it right absolutely does require skill. £100 for the work seems a bargain. I wouldn’t spend the money myself though… I’d just ride it… it’s just paint, and old bikes aren’t supposed to look new. Like people. Facelifts are creepy.

while I am relatively competent with most bike related jobs, anything that requires a steady hand and patience tends to be my downfall.

Simple then:
Pay a pro

First time takes a lot of patience and sweat. Don’t believe any smartarse who says different!

Also google
Site: singletrackworld.com invisiframe
interesting, some of it!

I’m in this camp TBH, clearly the world has gone mental when people are this vain and prissy about a Dandyhorse

On the other hand, spend an evening or some £££ getting the frame protection fitted, then you don't need to act all vain and prissy when your bike gets lobbed into the back of a mates van under two other bikes, knocked over at the cafe or ridden through a winter of slop whilst you rub the lacquer off with your shorts.

My old bikes are a right state and look like someone has dragged them along a barbed wire fence whilst throwing stones at them, my last three are pretty much unblemished and one is now five years old with several bike packing trips without so much as a scratch. One of the others have got a couple of gouges in the frame tape and the top tubes gone a bit matt, but underneath its in perfect condition apart from a bit of heel rub near the dropout that's not covered by tape.

I'm not precious but its nice that they still look nice and gives the impression they are looked after, when in reality they get washed when they are so dirty I can't work out which bike is which or it needs some proper maintenance...

It's not that hard but you learn a lot of tips and what does and doesn't work on your first attempt. It's a bit like going tubeless where it's easy once you know how!

Perhaps practice a bit with some generic helitape on a spare bike first.

We’ve done a few bikes with kits from Invisiframe. They’re pretty easy to do if you have the correct kit. My wife has done the last 4 of her bikes and it’s a doddle if you use enough water. I’ve done 3 and neither of us have cocked any of them up.

They just make the bike looks tidier for longer. They look better than any DIY attempts with a roll of helitape tgat I’ve see (or done).

I’d do it yourself and take my time, but if you’re not sure then pay someone. Just remember that there’s the chance they might not do it perfect.

I didn't see anyone above mention it but natural light is very helpful if you do attempt it.

I've done 2 Ibis's and enjoyed both. It's one of thise things you don't do every day and it takes a little while to get into it.

 there was a thread on here a while back where they’d made a right pigs ear of it

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/invisiframe-fitting-is-this-acceptable/

Invisiframe isn't wrapping, it's fitting a few pre-cut, flat stickers in the right place.

Bike stand in the warm kitchen on a (couple of) winter evening and a plentiful supply of tea. Take your time, keep everything immaculate, including your hands. Use plenty of soapy water & you'll be proud of your work. It's not difficult (once you figure which bit goes where).

I’m not precious but...

Needed a lot of text to explain why?

You'll not convince me, it's OK, my priorities are simply a bit different...