# Plasti Dip to protect your bike frame



## kuksul08 (Oct 8, 2006)

I just bought some clear Plasti Dip in an aerosol can from the local Ace, the helpful place. Since my Enduro is still fairly new, I wanted to keep the paint looking fresh, so I put on 4 coats on high wear areas such as cable rub areas and the bottom side of the downtube. It's not quite tough enough for the chainstay unless I put maybe 20+ coats or something...

Since the paint on this bike is matte already, it looks exactly the same, but now has a protective rubber coating that I can peel off in the future. It's abrasion, chemical, and heat resistant. In fact it even covered up some minor scuff marks already in the paint. I still need to see how it does over time, but I hope it works out.

Has anyone tried this?


----------



## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

you have


----------



## 11 Bravo (Mar 12, 2004)

I always use Helicopter Tape or Racers Tape.


----------



## Mtn-Rider (May 21, 2010)

I've thought of dipping the brake levers in PlastiDip, wondering how many coats are needed.


----------



## kuksul08 (Oct 8, 2006)

Oh the brake levers sound like a good idea. The rubber finger pads on my gloves wore off long ago


----------



## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

I wrap my entire frame in old tubes. It's cheaper and VERY green!


----------



## hillwilly (Nov 20, 2008)

Sounds like a great idea to prevent cable rub. Is it available in white?


----------



## kuksul08 (Oct 8, 2006)

Old tubes would be pretty heavy lol


Yes, it's available in white as well as black, red, and yellow (and maybe blue).

I just checked on it to day after it has fully cured. I think it will work very well.


----------



## hillwilly (Nov 20, 2008)

Thanks for the reply, I guess you have to rough up the clearcoat so it will stick. I've been looking for alternatives to tape for cable rub, thanks allot!


----------



## kuksul08 (Oct 8, 2006)

hillwilly said:


> Thanks for the reply, I guess you have to rough up the clearcoat so it will stick. I've been looking for alternatives to tape for cable rub, thanks allot!


You don't need to rough up the clearcoat. It doesn't really adhere to the surface, but instead coats the surface with a rubber film. That's the beauty of it, because then you can peel it off if you don't like it or want to redo it.

I used the black color on my car to paint the chrome trim and grilles. No prep at all aside from soap & water, so I can still revert to the original look in the future.

Before anyone goes out and buys it for this application, I should get some rides in to see if it holds up to cable rubbing. It will be pointless if it comes right off.


----------



## johnnyb (Jan 21, 2004)

I've used plasti-dip on my commuter for years to protect the bolts and rack clamps from the salt spray of riding the ferry to work. I have the can and I transferred to an airtight bottle. It paints/drips on really well with plastic knife or old spoke.


----------



## scuver (Nov 5, 2009)

I use Clear Bra on my bike http://www.stickercity.com/clear-bra/.
It comes in all sizes, easy to trim, easy to apply, easy to remove.
It also comes in different color, even carbon fiber look.


----------



## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

Could you put this on your crank arm to prevent the black paint from rubbing off? Or would it be to grippy on the shoes?


----------



## kuksul08 (Oct 8, 2006)

ProjectDan35 said:


> Could you put this on your crank arm to prevent the black paint from rubbing off? Or would it be to grippy on the shoes?


I think it will grip to your shoes and get rubbed off too easily. A tape-like protector would be better on the cranks I think, if you can put it on smoothly.


----------



## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

Mmm. I'm going to pick up a can and spray it various places.


----------



## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

EDIT nevermind


----------



## metaljim (Apr 22, 2009)

This sounds like it would seal in moisture.


----------



## Twisted1 (Aug 24, 2010)

Sounds like your defeating the purpose of "riding" the bike. " oh a scratch here; oh my gosh one there!" just ride the damn thing


----------



## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Sounds like whoosh!*



Twisted1 said:


> Sounds like your defeating the purpose of "riding" the bike. " oh a scratch here; oh my gosh one there!" just ride the damn thing


Sounds like the point has gone over your head. The OP is talking about high wear areas on the frame.


----------



## metaljim (Apr 22, 2009)

Let them wear.


----------



## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Eventually ruins your bike...*



metaljim said:


> Let them wear.


Cable rub and wear will eventually eat a hole in your frame. It's a fairly big deal for people who keep their bikes for longer than 1-2 years.


----------



## Ricko (Jan 14, 2004)

11 Bravo said:


> I always use Helicopter Tape or Racers Tape.


I've heard of people using this "Helicopter Tape". Does it go by any other name and where do you purchase it?


----------



## metaljim (Apr 22, 2009)

Ken in KC said:


> Cable rub and wear will eventually eat a hole in your frame. It's a fairly big deal for people who keep their bikes for longer than 1-2 years.


I've heard this, but I've never seen it. I've had lots of older bikes, some near 25 years old (current mountain bike is a 15 year old frame), all with cable rub spots, but nothing close to wearing down the frame material. I get that it's a possibility, but I just don't think it's a valid concern for anyone.

Not to say you shouldn't protect your frame. If you want to, then by all means do it. But I really doubt that it's saving you from wearing a hole in your frame.


----------



## bing! (Jul 8, 2010)

shower strip stick ons. heavy duty, clings like a 500 pound gorilla, and comes in many colors. easy to cut and looks like a decal. 

/bing


----------



## Twisted1 (Aug 24, 2010)

Ken in KC said:


> Cable rub and wear will eventually eat a hole in your frame. It's a fairly big deal for people who keep their bikes for longer than 1-2 years.


It would take over 50 years for the plastic around the cable to rub a hole in a steel or aluminum frame. Don't be a dingle berry and worry about minor things like this. Just ride!


----------



## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Ignorance...*



Twisted1 said:


> It would take over 50 years for the plastic around the cable to rub a hole in a steel or aluminum frame. Don't be a dingle berry and worry about minor things like this. Just ride!


You must lead a blissful life. You're wrong. It can take as little as 5 years, depending on the amount you ride.


----------



## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Ricko said:


> I've heard of people using this "Helicopter Tape". Does it go by any other name and where do you purchase it?


I'm sure it is available from lots of places, but I bought it from here.


----------



## Twisted1 (Aug 24, 2010)

If I'm wrong show the facts! Why would top dog manufactures engineer bikes like this then? You have pics of the cable rubbing hole in the frame?


----------



## metaljim (Apr 22, 2009)

Your number may be wrong, but it sure isn't 5 years. I'm looking at my 1995 Stumpjumper right now that has plenty of wear, and there's the tiniest couple of spots where I can see bare metal.

I've had bikes nearly 30 years old with shift cables routed on top of the BB shell along painted metal guides and there was not any amount of damage done to the material. And if a derailer cable with constant tension isn't eating it's way through the frame, then a little spot where the housing slaps isn't going to do anything.


----------



## bandit350 (Apr 9, 2005)

*3m automotive tape -> recommended*

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotchgard_Paint_Protection/Film/

the 3M automotive film looks similar to clear bra. i picked up a large roll on ebay for about 5 dollars and it has worked great. similar to the clear patches at bike shops but in roll form and much wider. i've had it on a couple bikes for years. great buy.


----------



## manabiker (Jul 18, 2010)

Tree Fort bikes found these for me, made by Jagwire, just place them where they don't interfere with turning or shifting. They come in silver or black
Treefortbikes.com
Jagwireusa.com / accessories / stick on guides


----------



## Glynis27 (Sep 28, 2007)

I've seen a few times where a cable has rubbed half-way through the frame tubing. It isn't just the housing that does the rubbing but rather the dirt and grit trapped between the housing and the frame. The soil in your area and the cleanliness of the bike play a huge role.

I'd rather not even have my paint rubbed off at all, thanks, especially on my steel bikes. I just use the stick-on 3M film


----------



## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Sorry...*



Twisted1 said:


> If I'm wrong show the facts! Why would top dog manufactures engineer bikes like this then? You have pics of the cable rubbing hole in the frame?


It happened back in the mid-90's before I could afford a digital camera. No pics.

"Why would top dog manufacturers engineer bikes like this then?" It really doesn't have anything to do with engineering. But to answer your question with a question: Ever heard of Biopace or elastomer forks?


----------



## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

I've seen it before too, where an exposed cable had cut through a frame tube. 

The growing popularity of full-length housing will eliminate some of that possibility, but even housing can do some serious damage to paint pretty quickly


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Bump!

How'd this hold up? I'm thinking of using some plastidip on my Access 29er frame and my dirt jumper since it'll be a lot less than powdercoating.


----------

