xiaoman1 

I was looking for a solution to protect the TT on a few of my bikes, I had been using some pipe insulation and have seen some TTP's that looked like rubber/composite. Doing a search and adding BikeForums at the end resulted in a few old threads. I ran across one that mentioned clear 1" tubing but also tagged "Kashimax".
Members we complaining about the $39.00 cost (2007). I agreed with them about the high price but googled it anyway... to my surprise a "vintage" one sold on Bay for $200.00,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kashimax-Fi...-/293816978500
The new stuff is $60.00, any idea why the higher price on the Vintage piece?
$60.00 is still crazy money so 1" clear tubing seems like the way to go.
Best, Ben

noglider 

@ascherer's solution is fairly creative. Andy, please show it. And happy birthday.

clubman 

For riders that get locked up in town, I've used shower curtain rod protectors at a cost of a buck or two.
Also works on rust bucket frames you don't care about and if you can find a close colour match, Bob's Your Uncle.

Velo Mule

clubman That's a great idea. Do you think I can find a shower curtain rod in Root Beer color? I still love the idea and will keep it in mind. That reminds me. I could actually use some shower curtain rod cover for my shower curtain rod.

car knocker

For a clear one use florescent tube sleeves found in Lowe's or Home Depot.

jadocs

Help me understand what you are trying to protect it from? Are you talking about frame protector tape like helicopter tape for debris?

uncleivan 

I bought a length of this vinyl tubing at home depot. I just cut what i needed, and slit it down the middle. I cover it with a strip of black velcro. Works just fine

xiaoman1 

Much Cheaper than $59.00 and a nice solution to brakes/bars banging into the TT....has anyone checked the price of Flea Flickers lately?
Best, Ben

ascherer 

OK, noglider. And thanks

I thought I'd be having a great 2020 season commuting on a new build, a 1971 Raleigh International frame with an 8-speed Sturmey internal geared hub and upright setup. I live and work in Manhattan so it would be locked up during the day and also serve as a grocery and errand bike. Well, I do the shopping part but only rode to the office once before we started working remotely.

I wanted to protect the old finish from whatever I'd be locking it to. This isn't an economy solution: I started with a Velo Orange leather top tube protector that I bought when they had one of their periodic sales. Unfortunately it's out of stock now, but it's high quality oil tanned leather, pre-punched for lacing. Once I had it on, I realized that I needed coverage for the seat and down tubes. I remembered that I had some Brooks leather handlebar tape that was taken off another bike so I wrapped the tubes with those. The bike may be a commuter but it's not a beater.

Nemosengineer 

Hi Ben,
This is a hot item in fixie land, NJS approved Kashimax Five Gold frame protector that I believe has been out of production for 10 years or more. I think the reason these work so well is the little metal shim buried in the urethane (guess) spreads the impact of a handlebar hit over a much larger area would be possible with the squishy stuff alone. I would love to have one for a Stratos track frame that needs to be built up sometime...
Retrogression sells a copy of the Five Gold protector for $15.00 but no shim.
https://www.retro-gression.com/colle...tube-protector

: Mike

prairiepedaler

I was going to cobble something together to protect the TT on the Cannondale bike I have. This bike uses those plastic cable guides and I wanted to afford them some protection from getting hit by a foot when stepping a leg through while mounting.

randyjawa 

Sweat and the misery the top tube of some bikes suffer ( have seen top tube brake cable guides rusted right through or gone all together)...

alo

You can buy clear plastic which is sticky on one side, and stick it on. Some people use it for covering books. Some people in Australia call it contact. It is clear plastic, so people don't even see it. In Australia, you can buy it in shops selling stationary supplies. At least some brands shrink a little when heated, so you can make it fit unusual shapes using a cigarette lighter. In S E Asia, many motorbikes have in on all the parts which may get scratched. Some people run a business sticking it on motorbikes. I had it stuck on the bar of my bike in S E Asia. It is still good after 3 years, including getting wet in the rain many times.

In Australia there is also a spray on product which forms a clear plastic layer. Check for it in shops selling car accessories.

Things available in Australia, are probably available in the US, and many other countries, maybe the same brand, maybe a similar product.

The Golden Boy 

I’ve been thinking about trying to hide a TT dent from myself.

It’s *JUST* within my peripheral vision.

Germany_chris

Cotton bar tape works if you just want to protect the paint

chainwhip

shower curtain rod cover+root beer paint.

jadocs

Randy thanks, I was scratching my head trying to figure out if it was for hanging the bike on a rack or something like that.

rjhammett

Cushioned bar tape came to mind for me.

xiaoman1 

Lots of great solutions, many thanks...and Mike I still like that color scheme but to old to be in the FIXIE crowd!
Best, Ben

icemilkcoffee 

On a fixed gear /track bike with no shift or brake cables, the handlebar can swing back and smack the top tube hard enough to dent it.

jadocs

Ahh....yes, I see now!

OuterMarker

To protect my bikes from bike locks, I took some thin yoga mat material and wrapped it around my locks.

clubman 

The problem occurs after one has carefully positioned and nestled one's bike into position and locked it up. When you return, some nimrod pushes your bike around in order to park his/her bike and yours slides and scrapes itself down the rack. Hence the full-on covers for utility bikes.

xiaoman1 

I never leave my bike outside so a simple tube to protect the brake or handlebar from banging the tube is all that I need for protection.
I went to the local hardware store and bought a 1-foot length of plastic tubing as suggested and cut 4 tubes from it. The tubing was hard and I used boilng water to soften and return it to its original round shape etc.
It still needs trimming but for .99 cents it was the way to go.

Untrimmed with ragged edges.

Still needs a trim but better aesthetically than the pipe insulation that I have been using/riding with.
Thanks for the tips everyone,
Best, Ben

pcb 

For basic handlebar-swing top tube and down tube protection, I've been using a 3-layer or so wrap of the same self-fusing silicone tape I use to finish up my bar wraps. It fits tight enough that I don't have to worry about it moving/rotating slightly, and also tight enough to not allow any dirt/dust/etc to sneak in underneath. When I've carefully cut it off a top tube after a stem reach/height adjustment changed the handlebar contact point, it's always clean as a whistle underneath. (Why do we assume whistles are clean? Aren't they usually in the mouth of humans, full of saliva and food particles?).

I don't know if they disperse enough shock to prevent top tube dings from actual crash-ups, but they make a reassuring dull thud noise on the stand, in the garage, at rest stops, etc.

I also do a silicone tape wrap at the bar ends, because when my bikes fall over, and they fall over even when noglider isn't around, it seems like the ends often hit first, and the tape/wrap gets torn there.