biketampa

any recommendations for helicopter tape I see mentioned often to protect your frame? there seem to be a wide variety on amazon with a wide range in pricing.

This one seems okay and not too expensive.
https://www.amazon.com/VViViD-Clear-...3674958&sr=8-6

AnkleWork

This is best:
https://www.skygeek.com/3m-8671-2-tape-clr-2-in.html

Helicopter tape is polyurethane, not vinyl.

'02 nrs

should be for $258.oo!

Unca_Sam

You'll never use it all! 2" x 36 YARDS. It's about a dime per square inch. Much less expensive than Lizard skins die-cut protectors.

Crankycrank

Yes, Polyurethane tape is what you want but should ad that you need to get the Outdoor/UV resistant type. It does come in less than 1/3 of a football field lengths too.

speedevil 

Before you spend money for paint film, go to a place that applies paint film to cars. They would probably give you some leftover material.

I got the leftovers from applying paint film to my Corvette, and I've put paint film on several bikes and there's enough for several more. it doesn't take much. The bottom of the downtube, the top of the DS chainstay, and the sides of the headtube are the areas I've applied film.

tomtomtom123

I used Tesa 4289 strapping tape, which was for the rim tape, and wrapped it around the chainstay. It's an ugly yellow, but it's really cheap for $6 for 66 meters.

biketampa

I obviously need to be more clear. I’m not shelling out $258 to protect against a few scrapes or dings on my bike.

RGMN

Check places like Clear Mask or X-pel. Clear Mask sells bulk strips for various uses. 2" x 10' is $19.50, four 1/2" x 36" strips are $10. X-pel sell bulk 2" wide film for $1.83/ft

Canker

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
that is what has been on my mtn bike now since 2017 and seems to be working fine.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Scotch-Sea...qid=1573710234
For the areas that take a heavy beating that is what I use though

tkamd73 

This, apply it using the wet method in their pdf instructions.
Tim

Stormsedge

I use 3M and have no basis for a comparison with any other brand. I have found it useful for other things than my bike.

tkamd73 

Agreed, also makes a very durable, yet almost invisible keel strip for my composite kayaks.
Tim

dsbrantjr

I haven't found a 3M product that wasn't the best of its kind. I don't even bother looking for alternatives.

Darth Lefty 

^^^yup, it is a brand that has not yet betrayed us... that said they have been pushing some stupid advertising where they drop some bowling balls on two plates of sheet metal joined by either a 1" strip of 3M glue or a couple of rivets. Which one do you think holds up?

You can often find frame protector that's pre-cut for your frame.

The real question is, what's the best bicycle tape for helicopters?

Stormsedge

I remember my helicopter dets using "helicopter tape" and treating it as gold...couldn't tell you the brand or composition.

mpetry912 

you'll never go wrong with the 3M stuff. I liked the suggestion about finding unused scraps at an auto detail shop. Be sure to use a windex or alcohol wipe before applying, and roll out or burnish any bubbles.

So-called helicopter tape (aircraft leading edge tape) is frequently used on the leading edge of main rotor blades to prevent erosion from sand and dust in harsh environments (like Iraq). The outer edges of main rotor blades approach a significant fraction of the speed of sound and blade damage is a constant concern in such conditions. Large helos have a blade monitoring system to detect cracks and damage and will turn a light on in the cockpit if activated. It is a lot like the tire pressure monitoring system in your Toyota Prius !

There used to be a tape available thru the NSN system called "ordinance tape", it was OD green and a lot like what's now available as "Gorilla tape". Great stuff. The joke was, it could hold a wing on at Mach 2. Never actually saw that tested.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

WizardOfBoz

Not sure you need real helicopter tape at $240 per roll. Sure, it would work, but a tape with a lesser spec (that is, cost) would probably work as well. A helicopter blade tip is going perhaps 850 fps (around 600mph) relative to the air on the advancing side of the aircraft. The duty level of tape protecting a bike finish is nowhere near that intense.

tkamd73 

You can buy it by the foot, 12ft would cover a lifetime of bikes for less the $25, and yes it’s worth it.
Tim

WizardOfBoz

That makes more sense. There is the philosophy of getting somthing so way overspecced that you don't have to worry about it. I see on ebay you can buy a couple of feet of the stuff (but from China: pretty sure that its not 3M product).

mpetry912 

As I said I liked the idea of finding scrap film at an auto detail shop.

I think the "real" tape is pretty thick for bike application. Agreed you don't need protection from 600 mph grit blast on a bike (altho I do get up to a significant fraction of that speed on my warm up rides) but you'll be glad you had it on the chain stay the first time the chain blows off !

Like chain lube, the fact that you have it on there is more important than what brand you chose.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

masi61

I bought some “crankskins” which are not as popular as I would think. This is to protect my 6600 Ultegra and 7800 Dura Ace cranks, trying to both cover up existing scratches & prevent future scratches.

The “skin” material is a bit thinner than some chainstay protector helicopter tape I purchased. The crank skin is smoothed out with a blow dryer and a flexible plastic spatula. Heating it seems to improve adhesion. For some reason, the helicopter tape chainstay protector that I applied from a roll that I purchased years ago from Colorado Cyclist. The edges peel up a little, collect dirt & then you need to prematurely replace the helicopter tape due to this issue.

tkamd73 

[QUOTE=WizardOfBoz;21210112]That makes more sense. There is the philosophy of getting somthing so way overspecced that you don't have to worry about it. I see on ebay you can buy a couple of feet of the stuff (but from China: pretty sure that its not 3M product).[/QUOTE

Forget China, checkout Aircraftspruce.com, call them up way better deal, comes in a lot of different widths. There is even a UV protection version.
Tim

tkamd73 

No, not too thick at all, if you don’t know its there, you won’t see it. Some have asked why no chain stay protector on my higher end CV bikes, but there is, practically invisible. Great deal, if can get scrap pieces from auto body, auto detailer shop.
Tim

Mad Honk 

Have you considered a coating of ceramic paint protection, it is going to be my next attempt at paint protection. I talked to a guy with a year old corvette that had the coating and it looked like it was just off the showroom floor, fresh from the detail shop. Smiles, MH