I have a new road bike on the way and have been exploring frame protection options. It’s matte black carbon FWIW.
Some people swear by Ride Wrap but I’ve heard it can be tricky to get perfect. Maybe it’s worth just using helicopter tape on the down tube and maybe drive side chain stay? How about ceramic coating? I was talking to a guy at my LBS and he suggested a ceramic coating for easy cleaning.
I appreciate that bikes are tools and scratches happen, but I want to at least try to keep it clean
Putting on some scratch protection film is an excellent option. They are available in a matte finish if you fancy that. Avoid precuts as it is too much of a compromise. Instead make your own templates from paper to make sure they fit your frame.
Ceramic coating is also a good idea but it is not scratch proof unfortunately, makes it easier to clean and looks good though.
I have put protective film on all rear stays, front fork and top tube. Even cranks, as they sometimes are subject to wear from shoes.
What did you use for film? Just basic 3M stuff (easy for find on Amazon for example) or something bike specific?
Do you think ceramic coating over the whole bike is worth it in addition to the film in key areas? I always seem to get drink mix and road grime on my current bike.
And sorry…one more question! What Reserve wheels are those and how have you liked them?
The film I used is just some generic product from a local shop called Biltema. 3M is a well known brand and i would not hesitate to use it. I don’t think there is anything to be gained from a bike specific product as it’s probably the same anyway.
The wheels are the Reserve 52|63 that came with my Cervelo S5. I’m quite happy with them. A bit heavy but not to bad. The Vittoria 28 mm is about 31 mm measured width on them. Their best feature is that they behave very well in crosswinds.
I’ve had every type of bike including carbon bikes of every flavor over my decades of riding and all I’ve ever done was stick a protector on my chainstay. All my bikes stay nice looking even after a decade of ownership.
I’ve seen those multi-piece full protection kits and have always thought that they were a solution looking for a problem or maybe just for careless bike owners. I admit that I’ve ridden with people that will lean their carbon bikes in ways that makes one cringe.
If it were a new carbon MTB, I might consider putting a thick piece of helicopter tape on the bottom side of the down tube for rock protection.
I had Ride Wrap applied by my local auto wrap shop, best $100 I ever spent. Guy at the shop told me the kit was great, but much trickier to apply than he expected, took him five hours to apply — and he’s experienced. Can only imagine the headache it saved me.
Looks great, already saved me a huge chip when a buddy’s bike threw a rock at mine. I’ll wrap all of my new bikes going forward.
To do it right, and extensively, can certainly take some time. It took me about the same amount of time to add to my top tube under my top tube bag, seat stays, seat tube, seat post, and inside my front fork. I brought my bike stand and equipment into my living room to do it, so I could at least hang out with my family instead of being in the garage that long lol.
Ride wrap makes blank sheets you can buy and then cut/measure yourself. I bought both their basic kit for my bike and also a blank sheet.
I will say that after going from a matte bike to a gloss bike, the wrap is near invisible on a gloss bike and fairly obvious on the matte bike (even with matte film)
I use helicopter tape. I have a 2-inch wide and a 3-inch wide roll. That covers almost all of the variations I care about.
It takes time or practice to get it right. The nice thing with helicopter tape is that it’s relatively cheap, so you can just replace the section that didn’t work out.
I add it to chain stays, seat stays, downtube (bottom and sides), fork legs (front), and sometimes seat tube. Nice for rock and gravel chips - the tape takes the beating and then I can replace it if it’s ripped.
I put a ceramic coating on all my bikes when they are brand new. Its super easy to do if you do it right at the start. Bike needs to be super clean and then wiped with alcohol. Doesnt take much more than 30 min or so. It won’t protect from scratches /gouges, but looks great and makes cleaning easy. I tend to use a waterpess wash product to clean bike and it works great after ceramic coating.
Lots of brands but i really like Adam’s Polishes ceramic coating with graphene. Very easy to use and apply and they almost always have discount codes. Right now 20% off sitewide.
I don’t really like wrapping my bikes but i do put helicopter tape on the underside of the downtube. That area obviously gets hammered the most. If you are racing with a front number plate, a piece of helicopter tape on the front of the headtube is not a bad idea also. I’ve gouged a few frames here in the past.
Yes yes have been using car PPF since 2014. Then I discovered that not all paints are created equal. Nor clear coats, I used Ride Rap but it was too limiting. So I ordered in Amazon PPF kits- Xpel when it was 40 $ (now 500$ same roll), on the V3RS, where I did not put it- rock chip and paint flakes. On the Time Alpe D’Huez, I added more so for example, chainstay I cut on a board a 27x3x6 cm strip. Now I got my V4RS and I ordered two 40$ 15x2m Stek ppf kits. The Down tube is all wrapped on two parts- a top for the flat up, and the entire left right down side with one cut piece, 15x38x12 cms. On the V3RS a car chip hit my head tube and flaked is half a square inch. So I covered that too 12x145x14 cms you cannot tell. Forks all covered. Then I added 3 layers of Opti Coat ceramic hardness 12, which keeps the bike, ppf or exposed paint shiny glossy and less draggy that any untreated frame.
So I did not order the Ride Wrap for my March 2025 Stek Amazon roll buy. I always cut it to size anyway, much easier. For example the left fork side with the brake bumps, I have cutouts and the whole thing is wrapped you cannot tell.
Finally the thing about a carbon clear coat frame, and clear coat cracks lets in moisture, and moisture and water is the enemy # 1 of carbon integrity. So PPF high stress areas, ceramic buff it, and your bike will look shiny for years.
In 2015 had a paint defect and the LBS assumed repainting it, they told me that it took them double the time to strip the paint due to my ceramic coating. Anyhow, wrap and protect, use a silicone squeegee, baby soap spray a–locator, 15-20% 99% alcohol tack formula etc…
and have been exploring frame protection options. It’s matte black carbon FWIW.
