JSH_III

Looking for recommendations on bike shops in MA/the northeast that install protective frame wrap (RideWrap, InvisiFRAME, etc). Whose had this done and where? Good and bad experiences, please let me know.

Chuckles1

Don't know, but you can put 3M paint protection film on bottom of down tube, back of seat tube, and chainstays in an hour, and protect against most gravel strikes.

_ForceD_

Maybe check with some inner city bike shops in New York/Manhattan and/or Boston. When I’m in those cities I notice that a lot of the messenger/delivery bikes there are wrapped. Some appear to be DIY, some look a bit more professional.

Dan

wolfchild

Bubble wrap it.

bOsscO

Cling wrap it.

Iride01 

I remember some old people friends of my parents back in the 60's and 70's that had their furniture covered with plastic.

Koyote

My grandparents had that, along with the plastic runners on the carpet. We visited once or twice a year, and always they had the plastic. I remember thinking, "When do you take it off -- when the Queen of England comes over for tea?

Anyway, regarding bike wrap: just get some helicopter tape, or Lizard Skins protectors, and cover the high-risk areas: drive-side chainstay, perhaps the underside of the downtube, maybe the back of the seat tube. Even all of that seems a bit overkill; after all, it's a bike - not a fetish object.

wolfchild

Don't forget to sanitize your frame before wrapping it up in a protective layer...You don't want deadly bacteria eating your frame up.

indyfabz

They were called slipcovers where I was from. A cousin who lived across the street had them on the living room furniture. Gross.

indyfabz

Gangsta’ rap it.

Doug64

Just keep your bike and clean and waxed; that will keep it in good shape. I had a bike tourist we met in a campground a couple of weeks ago ask me if my 10-year old touring bike was a "new bike". It has over 10,000 touring miles, and several thousand miles of just plain riding, It has been shipped numerous times on planes, trains and ferries. It does look like a new bike! It is not my only touring bike, and I do baby it a little more than my others. It is a 2010 Cannondale T2, touring bike. The last year that Cannondale bikes were handmade in the U.S., and the last year they made "good" touring bikes.

PeteHski

I've used Invisiframe custom kits on 3 carbon mountain bikes and it has been very effective. Installed it myself, which requires a fair bit of patience, but not so difficult. I don't bother with protection film on my road bikes.

Bikerchickee

My advice is to just ride it and enjoy it, nothing stays new for long, put a good coat of wax on it and wash it when required, our roads in New Zealand are quite harsh, just keep up the wash wax and you’ll be fine. Enjoy!
Rubber side down!