Frame Protection

Trox · 23 Mar 2016 at 20:00

I just took delivery of my first road bike and I'm wondering if anyone bothers about protecting the underside of the frame on a carbon bike?

I bought a Defy and I don't think I'd put mud guards on it, doesn't seem to be any room anyway. So what do you guys do, just leave it bare or protect it somehow?

Nonb question... But I want to keep the bike looking good for as long as possible, lol.

Cheers!

PermaBanned · 23 Mar 2016 at 20:09

Probably don't have to worry about it as long as you keep it clean, but if you want to anyway, maybe turtle wax? At least if it's already shiny.

BennyC · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:21

Got my first new road bike arriving next week (only bike so far was bought used and has seen better days).

I'll slap some of my car detailing products on it, most notably over the front forks right up in to the arch and all around/over the chain stay and around the BB. etc. (Poorboy's Wheel Sealant).

Was wondering myself if anybody bothers with added protection around the chainstays to protect against any chain slap etc? I have a travel skewer to keep everything in place during transport but **** still happens.

SoliD · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:29

BennyC said:
Got my first new road bike arriving next week (only bike so far was bought used and has seen better days).

I'll slap some of my car detailing products on it, most notably over the front forks right up in to the arch and all around/over the chain stay and around the BB. etc. (Poorboy's Wheel Sealant).

Was wondering myself if anybody bothers with added protection around the chainstays to protect against any chain slap etc? I have a travel skewer to keep everything in place during transport but **** still happens.

Helicopter tape for about the first 6 months until I realise it looks terrible and I stop believing my bike will be perfect forever.

Begbie · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:33

BennyC said:
Got my first new road bike arriving next week (only bike so far was bought used and has seen better days).

I'll slap some of my car detailing products on it, most notably over the front forks right up in to the arch and all around/over the chain stay and around the BB. etc. (Poorboy's Wheel Sealant).

Was wondering myself if anybody bothers with added protection around the chainstays to protect against any chain slap etc? I have a travel skewer to keep everything in place during transport but **** still happens.

I use thick black tape like stuff, but then I know roadies like there bike looking all nice and clean so maybe not for you. It also helps reduce the chain slap noise.

Scrutinize · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:33

If you want to do properly then Bike Shield kits are good.

FrenchTart · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:34

Don't worry about chain slap personally. I stick electric tape over areas near my headset where the cable outers I cut too short rub :rolleyes:

That's about it.

Vonhelmet · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:34

Lizard skins make patches to stop cable rub around the head tube and chain slap.

But yeah, nothing stays immaculate forever. The first cut is the deepest, as they say, but you'll get over it.

FrenchTart · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:36

Vonhelmet said:
Lizard skins make patches to stop cable rub around the head tube and chain slap.

But yeah, nothing stays immaculate forever. The first cut is the deepest, as they say, but you'll get over it.

If you're talking about the things I'm thinking of then I got similar ones with my Jagwire kit but they fell off in less than a thousand miles. Electric tape seems to stay put pretty well.

Vonhelmet · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:47

Mine have stayed put. Of, course they've stayed put in slightly the wrong place so there's still some rubbing on the head tube. The one on the chainstay was impossible to get on flat so is a bit open at the front and full of dirt. And I don't doubt that if I tried to take them off to replace them then they'd take a load of paint off with them! Gah!

FrenchTart · 23 Mar 2016 at 21:54

Ah...sounds like different stuff to what I was thinking of...though perhaps also problematic

Vonhelmet · 23 Mar 2016 at 22:05

These are they:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lizard-skins-clear-chainstay-patches-and-protector/

lordrobs · 23 Mar 2016 at 22:46

I used to treat my bikes the same as my car and waxed them but it is a bit of a faff as unlike a car you don't have nice big panels to work on, just lots of little nooks and crannys to get wax residue stuck in. So now I use a silicon spray as a polish and protection.

As for cable rub, luckily my cables came with rubber sleeves that go on the contact points. Chainstay came with a clear shield, when that eventually comes off the chainstay can can just get chipped. In the past I've used neoprene covers and they seem to trap dirt. Any sort of sticker normally does the same around the edges after a while too.

Begbie · 23 Mar 2016 at 22:49

3M helicopter tape is what you want. Use a heat gun/hair dryer to help apply.

Trox · 24 Mar 2016 at 06:50

Cheers for the replies guys, quite a few ideas!

I've just ordered Bike Shield, just to cover the underside until the whole new bike thing wears off lol

Weekend can't come quick enough!