# has anyone here vinyl wrapped their mtb frame?



## titus (Feb 18, 2008)

Has anyone here vinyl wrapped their mtb frame? My current bike has a sick matte black paint job. It's one of the main reasons why I bought my current bike the same day I test rode it.

5 years ago I think matte black paint jobs were done done primarily via custom paint jobs and powder coating. I wanted a matte black finish on my previous bike back in 2013. The default way to do this back then was via powdercoating and the local powdercoater basically destroyed my bike so I had to buy a new one lol.

However, vinyl wraps seem to be the preferred approach for achieving a matte finish as of about 2 years ago. Has anyone here had their mtb frame vinyl wrapped for a matte black finish? I've seen a few youtube vids of people doing this.

Without a doubt vinyl wrapping is less invasive than powdercoating. I would love to see some good pics of matte black bike wraps, especially the finer details showing how the seams/overlaps are strategically hidden or minimized. Please post pics


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Not sure where you got the impression that vinyl wrapping bikes is the preferred approach for achieving a matte finish. Matte finishes on bikes are still done by paint.

Only vinyl wrapped bikes I've seen have been done to achieve detailed graphics. A good vinyl wrap on a frame takes a LOT of detailed work to apply, so I don't see this moving beyond a niche application.


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## Spudnick (Oct 18, 2016)

I vinyl wrapped my beater Fire Eye Burning front triangle in black/grey digital camo and I did the rear triangle flat black. I spent quite a few hours on the front triangle and hastily did the rear triangle and the finished job shows. Granted, I wrapped the frame for protection more than aesthetics, but I think it came out good. Easy to do, but there is a lot of planning and trimming to make it look good.

I will get some pics when I get home tonight.


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## Spudnick (Oct 18, 2016)

Here's the pics... 3M digital camo wrap on the front and flat black on the rear. I also wrapped the camo in 3M glossy protective film. I tried to get all of the seams on the bottom or inside of the frame.

If you do decide to wrap your bike, keep all of the stencils, that way in the future you can just easily trace a new piece and cut it out.


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## bachman1961 (Oct 9, 2013)

Good job .... looks like a good option if one has the time or patience.

My newest bike is matte orange-ish-red.

I found some nail polish I'll use as touch up paint at Big Lots -seriously. :thumbsup:


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

A matte finish can be achieved with either powder or wet paint,you just have to chose the appropriate clear for the wet paint or powder. Can't see wrapping a bike frame being too easy or cheap, think Cedric Gracia did it on his Tallboy last year, you could search and see what his bike looked like.


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## Bigjunk1 (Sep 17, 2016)

I don't know anything about wrapping the frame but is seems it would be time consuming and likely not end up perfect or wear well compared to paint.
The problem with matte, flat paint is it does not stay flat when it gets rubbed and cleaned off without clear coat to protect it and the clear adds shine. I would do some research into what paint options there are for a durable matte finish. It is likely that a matte clear coat finish exists for what you want.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

There are some companies out there that make frame and parts protection out of vinyl.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

titus said:


> Has anyone here vinyl wrapped their mtb frame? My current bike has a sick matte black paint job. It's one of the main reasons why I bought my current bike the same day I test rode it.
> 
> 5 years ago I think matte black paint jobs were done done primarily via custom paint jobs and powder coating. I wanted a matte black finish on my previous bike back in 2013. The default way to do this back then was via powdercoating and the local powdercoater basically destroyed my bike so I had to buy a new one lol.
> 
> ...


I've wrapped 2 bikes with vinyl. The first one took ~10 hrs. total and I was very meticulous (Winter project). I left the front derailleur on, and I painted the cable guides and rear dropouts flat black. Each vinyl piece was cut like flower petals at each end so I could overlap onto the adjacent tube. Getting the tubes covered in the correct order turned out to be the secret for finishing the seams/joints. And yes, there was one tube I had to do twice (don't remember). The bike was a Tang orange Niner MCR9. In your case, for a flat finish with no graphics, I'd say it's wayyyy too much trouble.
Funny that this is the best pic I have of it handy.

__
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Some detail. 10 hrs. of measuring, measuring, cutting, and trimming for sure.








The other bike only took about 5 beers and whammo - it was done. As someone else said "It's good from far, but far from good".
The white paint was a dead match for white background of the vinyl, so I didn't even overlap the vinyl (and you can tell). I probably coulda finished with a magic marker... but that was more trouble than it was worth to me.















-F


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## bikeboardorblade (Jun 19, 2011)

Looking at wearing my my Tracer over the winter, how big of sheet should I buy?

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## DaveRider (Jul 14, 2014)

It's expensive & turns yellowish after a while.


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## bikeboardorblade (Jun 19, 2011)

I'm looking at a pattern, not the clear wrap.

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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

bikeboardorblade said:


> Looking at wearing my my Tracer over the winter, how big of sheet should I buy?
> 
> Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk


I used a 2' x 5' sheet of CamoClad vinyl and had a bit leftover.
btw - my graphics were excellent with no yellowing or fade at all. They were licensed products, though. Not copies or knock-offs. If I'm spending that kind of time applying it, I'm sure not doing it twice.

-F


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## 7daysaweek (May 7, 2008)

I wrapped an old commuter in electrical tape while I was in college. Just spiraled it on like bar tape. I was considering getting it powercoated and was hoping it'd give me some idea what just plain black would look like. 

Actually ended up looking kinda cool and I left it that way. 

I'd try a vinyl wrap. If you screw it up or don't like it it's easy to go back.


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## brent701 (Sep 17, 2012)

My son Ibis is hydrodipped

He loves it 
Protects the carbon. But the design was the main reason


















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## bikeboardorblade (Jun 19, 2011)

Mind if I ask what the hydrodip ran? I'm considering that as well.

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