# Down tube protection?



## cracktheskye (May 15, 2009)

Looking for down tube protection plates or coverings. Aluminum frame may be dented.

I will most likely be riding the session 88 FR this season. From what I've heard, rocks can easily dent the down tube as the session comes with the aluminum frame. The bike sacrifices strength for weight reduction--you know the story. I want the bike for this reason, but I'm still concerned about resale value if the frame gets dented. I've heard of carbon plates or other coverings made specifically for down tube protection. Know where I can find something like this?

It's highly unlikely something of this sort would fully protect against large rocks, but it may help with smaller dents and scratches.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

3m makes a clear tape that works real well (it is thick).....get some at go-ride.com

I use it on mine.....works great


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## Septentrion (Jan 21, 2006)

I'm getting a hand made carbon plate for my session for 50 Euros shipping included for France.

https://s1.e-monsite.com/2009/02/22/10/14768007snc00081-jpg.jpg

The shop : https://intersportorange.e-monsite.com/

mail of manufacturer : [email protected]

I don't know if he has a paypal, I think he will take bank transfer, I can ask him if you want.

3M tape will be too light, only hard plate will protect you gear. 3M will protect from scratches but not hits.


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## davec113 (May 31, 2006)

Septentrion said:


> I'm getting a hand made carbon plate for my session for 50 Euros shipping included for France.
> 
> https://s1.e-monsite.com/2009/02/22/10/14768007snc00081-jpg.jpg
> 
> ...


Thats pretty sweet.

Here's a lower cost alternative ($20)... probably not as good as the one made for the Session, though.

https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=517529


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## berzerker (Mar 7, 2007)

A small sheet of aluminum diamond plate from your local Ace Hardware works great. Just make sure you wrap around slightly or the rocks will find your frame...check the little chinga in the pic...


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## mobile chernobyl (Apr 12, 2006)

A buddy of mines uses a sheet of polycarbonate smoked in color. If you can find it Makrolon makes a nice downtube gaurd cause it doesnt chip as easily as acrylics and it is lighter than aluminum. The benefit of plastic's are that they absorb the impact, where some aluminum downtube gaurds can just transfer the impact into the downtube unless u use something of considerable thickness like aluminum or w/e. 

McMaster.com has small sheets of said plastic's available, as well as alot of other crazy materials. Ebay's not a bad choice as well.


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## derekr (Mar 21, 2008)

Is this a piss take?


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## Gemini2k05 (Apr 19, 2005)

Kinda defeats the purpose of buying a super light weight bike if you're just going to add a big plate of aluminum that makes it probably heavier than it would've been if it had just been built "properly" in the first place?


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## Greatwhite (Apr 28, 2006)

Haha, no kidding. 

I'd be more worried about riding the damn thing to begin with. Maybe one of these days Trek will build a legit DH bike... maybe.


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## davec113 (May 31, 2006)

Greatwhite said:


> Haha, no kidding.
> 
> I'd be more worried about riding the damn thing to begin with. Maybe one of these days Trek will build a legit DH bike... maybe.


Yeah, who would want a super-light dh race bike that is also super-stiff and maintains an active rear suspension under braking? :skep:

Just about every semi-serious racer I've seen has a new bike every year anyway. The fact that it's not as dent-resistant as a frame weighing several pounds more isn't that big of a deal. If you get a deal on the bike because you race, you can sell the bike at the end of the year and at least break even.

I do think Trek should offer something like Septentrion posted for the Session and the Remedy, for those not so concerned about weight. Carbon fiber is an ideal material for that, as it's twice as rigid as the plastic cds are made of (polycarbonate), very impact resistant and very light.


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## 4JawChuck (Dec 1, 2008)

Geez I have never seen a DH biking forum where a couple of dents on a downhill bike was the end of the world...like it was going to explode or something. Do you have any idea how big the dent would have to be to become structurally unsound? Every dent I have seen on the Sessions have been superficial in nature and mainly cosmetic damage.

When you case a parking curb hard enough to kink the tube then you have something to worry about gentlemen.


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## jawdrop on hardtail (Dec 6, 2007)

4JawChuck said:


> Geez I have never seen a DH biking forum where a couple of dents on a downhill bike was the end of the world...like it was going to explode or something. Do you have any idea how big the dent would have to be to become structurally unsound? Every dent I have seen on the Sessions have been superficial in nature and mainly cosmetic damage.
> 
> When you case a parking curb hard enough to kink the tube then you have something to worry about gentlemen.


Can't tell if that's sarcasm but he said it's for resale value.


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## schneidie (Aug 30, 2008)

I rode at diablo today, and saw the most creative mthod for downtube protection yet. A guy zip-tied a section of an old tire to the entire length of the downtube. I will admit, it looked a little out of the ordinary, but if you have an old tire laying around, it'd be a nearly cost-free solution.


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## ruppguts (Sep 7, 2007)

Nearly weight free too!:skep:


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## latedropbob (Aug 6, 2007)

Or you can just wrap it in duck tape, yeah, that'll work good, look like sh!t but it'll work.


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## Raptordude (Mar 30, 2004)

This thread makes me scratch my head...instead of discussing good alternatives to down tube protection for a Session we get into a whole argument about the whole "Weight vs. Durability" thing. 

Dude just wants to protect his frame. I have "Moto Tape" on my DHR, and all it does is protect the finish from scratches. It's nice though, the frame looks brand new no matter what I put it through. I would look into that if you want to keep your Session 88 lookin' new.

As for dent protection? Others have recommended some good stuff. Maybe you could go ultra ghetto and get some large PVC pipe, cut it in half, and strap it on? Man...that would look way too ghetto, but hey, you asked.


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## Medboy (Jun 17, 2008)

Raptordude said:


> This thread makes me scratch my head...instead of discussing good alternatives to down tube protection for a Session we get into a whole argument about the whole "Weight vs. Durability" thing.
> 
> Dude just wants to protect his frame. I have "Moto Tape" on my DHR, and all it does is protect the finish from scratches. It's nice though, the frame looks brand new no matter what I put it through. I would look into that if you want to keep your Session 88 lookin' new.
> 
> As for dent protection? Others have recommended some good stuff. Maybe you could go ultra ghetto and get some large PVC pipe, cut it in half, and strap it on? Man...that would look way too ghetto, but hey, you asked.


I use rubbers for protection, Maybe tape some of those to your frame!!!


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## Greatwhite (Apr 28, 2006)

davec113 said:


> Yeah, who would want a super-light dh race bike that is also super-stiff and maintains an active rear suspension under braking? :skep:
> 
> Just about every semi-serious racer I've seen has a new bike every year anyway. The fact that it's not as dent-resistant as a frame weighing several pounds more isn't that big of a deal. If you get a deal on the bike because you race, you can sell the bike at the end of the year and at least break even.
> 
> I do think Trek should offer something like Septentrion posted for the Session and the Remedy, for those not so concerned about weight. Carbon fiber is an ideal material for that, as it's twice as rigid as the plastic cds are made of (polycarbonate), very impact resistant and very light.


Drinking the trek marketing kool-aid are we? I can guarantee you that the rear suspension does NOT remain 100% active under braking.

There are a lot of light weight frames out there that don't dent as easily and the weight difference isn't that noticeable. Besides frame weight takes a back seat to a lot of other things that make a good race frame for any "semi-serious" racer.

rant over.

I remember seeing an Intense Socom (regular here too, I believe) with a zip-tied aluminum plate on the underside of the downtube. It looked super clean, may check into that.


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## Freerydejunky (Sep 21, 2006)

Raptordude said:


> Maybe you could go ultra ghetto and get some large PVC pipe, cut it in half, and strap it on? Man...that would look way too ghetto, but hey, you asked.


You havnt seen ghetto until you've laid eyes on my helmet cam... 

Makes PVC pipe on a downtube look Gucci


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## $ally Hu$tle (Apr 6, 2007)

Greatwhite said:


> Drinking the trek marketing kool-aid are we? I can guarantee you that the rear suspension does NOT remain 100% active under braking.
> 
> There are a lot of light weight frames out there that don't dent as easily and the weight difference isn't that noticeable. Besides frame weight takes a back seat to a lot of other things that make a good race frame for any "semi-serious" racer.
> 
> ...


Drinking the douche-bag kool-aid are we? You're garbage.

rant over.


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## SamL3227 (May 30, 2004)

ummmm......how bout just ziptie on part of a tire. tread of your choice.


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## jeng (Aug 12, 2005)

Raptordude said:


> This thread makes me scratch my head...instead of discussing good alternatives to down tube protection for a Session we get into a whole argument about the whole "Weight vs. Durability" thing.
> 
> Dude just wants to protect his frame. I have "Moto Tape" on my DHR, and all it does is protect the finish from scratches. It's nice though, the frame looks brand new no matter what I put it through. I would look into that if you want to keep your Session 88 lookin' new.
> 
> As for dent protection? Others have recommended some good stuff. Maybe you could go ultra ghetto and get some large PVC pipe, cut it in half, and strap it on? Man...that would look way too ghetto, but hey, you asked.


Welcome to the douchbaggery aka mtbr. But wait, you've been here for a while right, you should know this already? I like the diamond plate :thumbsup:

O.P. You should post this in the Trek forum. I think there is a thread about this.


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## k1creeker (Jul 30, 2005)

cracktheskye said:


> Looking for down tube protection plates or coverings. Aluminum frame may be dented.
> 
> I will most likely be riding the session 88 FR this season. From what I've heard, rocks can easily dent the down tube as the session comes with the aluminum frame. The bike sacrifices strength for weight reduction--you know the story. I want the bike for this reason, but I'm still concerned about resale value if the frame gets dented. I've heard of carbon plates or other coverings made specifically for down tube protection. Know where I can find something like this?
> 
> It's highly unlikely something of this sort would fully protect against large rocks, but it may help with smaller dents and scratches.


cracktheskye,
I do something similar to Berzerker's diamond plate pice, but I use a thin sheet of aluminum flashing from Home Depot. They come in 2'x4' sheets and are like $5. You'd have enough material to create several protectors. They come in natural brushed, or matte black. I mount them with heavy duty Velcro. About 5 short pieces per length. Make sure you place frame/racing/helicopter tape under the velcro, because the velcro adhesive could take paint off your frame when you remove it.

I roll the outer edges around a pice of PVC pipe, so they don't become razors of death during a crash.

This setup weighs practically nothing, looks good, and works. I've gotten some good sized dents in the protector on my all-mtn bike and the frame underneath is like new.

I now have the same setup on my Jedi, and it's already done it's job with one trip to a lift where they mount bikes by the saddle and downtube.

Best of luck with the Session, they look awesome.


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## tatankainlondon (Apr 4, 2004)

k1creeker said:


> cracktheskye,
> I now have the same setup on my Jedi, and it's already done it's job with one trip to a lift where they mount bikes by the saddle and downtube. .


Hi
Can we have some pics please? I am also Jedi owner and it would be great to see you solution.
Cheers


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## k1creeker (Jul 30, 2005)

tatank,
I'll take some later today and will post here.


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## dd13 (Oct 6, 2005)

im bored,but i feel like the only reason there is any disagreement on this thread is because its a trek.if it were any other brand there would not have been any problems.

best dt protection:if youre that worried,dont ride it?


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## cyrix (Jan 29, 2008)

Greatwhite said:


> Drinking the trek marketing kool-aid are we? I can guarantee you that the rear suspension does NOT remain 100% active under braking.
> 
> There are a lot of light weight frames out there that don't dent as easily and the weight difference isn't that noticeable. Besides frame weight takes a back seat to a lot of other things that make a good race frame for any "semi-serious" racer.
> 
> ...


Hey douchenozzle, he didn't say it maintained 100% active suspension under braking. Or would you just like to ignore that and make up some more **** to further this pants on head retarded arguing?


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## cracktheskye (May 15, 2009)

There is a reason i'm looking at trek for a FR bike and not other companies. Through my bike shop which carries trek I can pro-form a nice bike for half the price. I realize a lot of people have beef w/ trek, and some of it is understandable. Fact is, the session 88s are gnarly bikes with some good researched geometry and suspension. As I noted earlier, there are compromises to be made w/ having a lighter frame made from aluminum. I am willing to accept those compromises and do what I can to remedy them: hence, this thread. There are other dream bikes out there, but I don't get those at half off. 

Btw, there is still a serious weight advantage if you stick an aluminum plate or tire on your down tube. The bike is still light for a DH/FR with the addition.

Thanks for the honest suggestions from most replies.


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## k1creeker (Jul 30, 2005)

craktheskye and tatank,
Here's a few pics. The aluminum looks weaksauce, but actually works. I've been running this on my AM bike for 5 years and it's dented to sh*t but the frame still looks new...well the downtube does anyway.


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## kntr (Jan 25, 2004)

Go-Ride sells the aluminum downtube protector. It has save a couple of my bikes. Its cheap, light protection. In fact, yesterday a HUGE rock flipped up and hit the gaurd and Im positive it would have dented the downtube if I didnt have the gaurd...

Thanks Go-Ride for making a great product.


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## Cable0guy (Jun 19, 2007)

What about using Crud Catcher for protection?


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## berzerker (Mar 7, 2007)

cracktheskye said:


> Btw, there is still a serious weight advantage if you stick an aluminum plate or tire on your down tube. The bike is still light for a DH/FR with the addition.
> 
> Thanks for the honest suggestions from most replies.


The weight is only 1/2 a lb. or so... most of us will drink that much water in a few runs. South Mountain in Phoenix has some serious consequences if you go down. Plenty of people have sliced through their forks, and had to replace lowers. I don't know about some people, but I like to keep my stuff looking nice. 
As for the Trek comments, if you haven't ridden one down a nasty trail, you don't know what you're talking about. rft:


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## PepperJester (Jan 2, 2003)

berzerker said:


> A small sheet of aluminum diamond plate from your local Ace Hardware works great. Just make sure you wrap around slightly or the rocks will find your frame...check the little chinga in the pic...


I did made a similar one for my BigHit back in the day. Worked pretty good.


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## cracktheskye (May 15, 2009)

k1creeker, 

what wheel set are you rockin' on your f1?


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## theclaxton (Jul 25, 2008)

Hey guys, I've been making some Carbon Frame Protectors for the Session 88

I just posted up an ad in the classifieds section.

https://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=40213&cat=29

Check it out if you're interested!








</a>

Thanks,
Clayton

ps, does anyone know how to put big pics up in the classifieds section?


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