Helicopter 3m Bike Frame Protector Tape: Tips on Application

Protecting your bike from scratches, chips, pebbles, gravel, so called chain slap and other damage are key for frame protection. This is especially important in preventing carbon frame damage. We look at how to protect your bike frame tape and how to apply it to your bike. Remember, before applying protector tape: Clean with soap and water and then use a tad of isopropyl alcohol on a clean cloth or an alcohol swab to assure no residual grease or grime. When cutting frame tape, make sure all edges are rounded. A square corner can catch on items and cause detachment of the frame protector.
There are a number of frame protector tapes.
Pre-cut versions that cover various sections of the frame and go on dry. Durability with some manufactures is questionable.
Heavy duty frame tape (the Italia Mariposa sold by Colorado Cyclist) is probable one of the thickest and extremely durable. Must be cut to size and placed on dry.
Helicopter tape from either ISC or 3M bike tape, thin but strong, used on helicopters and thus the name. Must be cut to size and can go on dry or a wet method.
Electrical tape for fast easy application on the underside of down tube.
Pre-cut frame kit. Easy to apply but may not be as durable as the other tapes. It goes on dry. Be careful as in all these tapes to handle only a tiny edge of the sticky surface and apply slowly beginning in the middle and using a squeegee or finger to push the tape on from the middle moving outward.
Heavy duty Effectto tape is a great choice for use on the chain stay to prevent damage from "chain slap" and mtb frame protection. We made a pattern with rounded edges and applied dry to the chain stain as shown.
Helicopter tape put on wet is our preference. Helicopter tape application with use of soapy water spay gives excellent durable frame protection. You will need a sponge as well as soap and water to clean the surface, a bit of alcohol on a clean cloth or alcohol swab to remove residual grease, scissors and paper to make a pattern to cut the tape, spray bottle of soapy water to apply as you place the tape on the frame and a hair drier. When you make your pattern, make sure there are no sharp edges which can catch and detach. Peel off the backing slowly starting from the top and wet the frame and backing of the tape. Use the hair drier in the very center top of the frame tape to lock it in place. As you peel back the tape some more, spray the frame and sticky part of the tape again with soapy water. Use the squeegee to push soapy water and air bubbles from the middle of the tape toward the edge. Again, lock the top part with the drier. Continue. Take care with an mtb carbon fiber or road carbon fiber frame. Hold the hair drier far enough from the surface that the tape will dry but the frame will not get hot, preventing damage to the carbon material. Helicopter tape is available on Amazon as 3m bike tape or from ISC. Invisiframe is a precut version of Helicopter tape.
Finally, for a cheap diy, one can use electrical tape or clear Gorilla packing tape. On this gravel bike we used black electrical tape which went on easily without removing the shift cables.

[@TheMatfo555]

Thanks for the video. If I can add something to help out, after cleaning the bike, you should spray the whole part you are working with (fork) and spray the whole 3M piece you cut (2 faces of the peeled 3m). Then, you'll be able to position the piece and re position as needed... Press the water out with the squeegee coming from the center of the piece, and finish with your hand, and or a lint free cloth. If the 3m keeps lifting up, keep pressing until it stops lifting. It will eventually stop lifting. Also, to easily create a pattern from the bike to a sheet of paper, I usually take a carpenter pencil with a large lead expose. Tape the sheet of paper (I cut large paper stripes) on the part you want to replicate so it doesn't move. Then, rub the lead on the surrounding edges of the part you want to recreate. Take off the resulting drawing, make some touch up, cut and double check the shape with your frame. It should give you a pretty good replica of the part itself. Transfer to 3m and apply. Let set for about 24 hours indoor. Enjoy! Hope it helps! Cheers and thank you for the video.

[@tony10speed]

Great suggestions. By spraying the whole piece you're working on does allow you to position the 3M piece and then begin squeegee from top center and out. Also your suggestion on drawing a pattern and transferring that to the 3M tape is excellent. I will pin this comment to the video. Thank you and regards, Tony

[@JRd941]

Very useful. This will be my Christmas project finding some peace in the garage.

[@tony10speed]

Let me know how you make out. Regards, Tony

[@Richard-ro7yz]

Another great video Tony, thank you. I’ve just followed this to add protection on my top tube from a frame bag I’ll be using.

[@tony10speed]

The protective 3M tape has been a life saver for my gravel and mountain bikes. Also visit our KZbin home site at: kzbin.info Regards and safe cycling, Tony

[@markdoyle6414]

Cheers for this, the easiest video on this I found. Work a treat on my carbon bike.

[@tony10speed]

Just use caution when removing Helicopter Tape from carbon fiber. Should you want to remove it, remove the tape very slowly as in the video below: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqDdaWB_iM-nbMk Regards and safe cycling, Tony

[@tony10speed]

Take care with the hair drier to just dry the very middle of the tape just slightly to lock it in place and keep re-squirting the edges as noted in Sean's comment below.

[@ashevillescarborough]

Thanks... thorough explanation ... planning on doing this to reinforce the factory protection on my new rig

[@tony10speed]

Works well and protects your frame and paint job. Regards, Tony

[@celery_annihilator]

Awesome vid. Thanks for taking the time. I plan on using this to protect my bike packing rig for bag rub.

[@tony10speed]

Excellent. Let me know how you make out. Just remember, if you are dealing with a carbon fiber bike, removal may be problematic. Regards, Tony

[@sipapito]

thanks for the great tips,I am about to do this on my son's new bike.

[@tony10speed]

Just be careful with the hair drier. Use it to pin the top middle of the tape. Spray water on each edge and begin to squeegee from the middle out to eliminate air bubble. Start moving down and spaying more soapy water and squeegee. Use the hair drier cautiously and just in the mid section where you have already squeegeed out the water and air. Have fun. Regards, Tony

[@chrisanderson8578]

Nicely done video. Thanks

[@tony10speed]

You're Welcome. Also visit our KZbin home site at: kzbin.info Regards and safe cycling, Tony

[@granamonto]

Amazing video !

[@tony10speed]

Glad to help. Just be careful using a hair dryer. Hold in far enough away not to get to hot and just use it to tack the top and middle as you go. Keep the edges moist with the spay until you can push out all the bubbles. Practice makes perfect. Regards, Tony

[@bunabuna9287]

Brilliant 👏 thanks for the tips. I'm gonna try this.

[@tony10speed]

Note that some suggest spay soapy water on the whole area where the tape is to be applied so you can move the tape around a bit if it not in the exact position you want and then using a hair drier and squeegee to remove the soapy fluid and air. Test out the method with a small area you would like to cover before tackling something larger. Have fun. Regards, Tony

[@bunabuna9287]

@@tony10speed thanks for the reply and advice much appreciated 👍

[@noelbonnici191]

Great video, thanks. Can you tell us exactly what is the solution you are spraying? I think you said alcohol and water?

[@tony10speed]

I clean with alcohol (see description above), and use a spray of water with just a little soap (in this case Dove dish washing soap). Regards, Tony

[@danneal1549]

I've use helicopter tape on my mountain bike. Works great.

[@tony10speed]

Thanks for the info. Regards, Tony

[@25yearstolate]

Go to EBAY for good prices on helicopter tape. Some sellers sell it by the foot....4" width is best as it will go around any bike part and still need trimming...narrower tape can lead to bad seaming....14mill is the best....any thicker and it is tough to work with....also make sure you know the expiration date...some are selling tape that has been expired for 10 years....any more that a 3 or 4 years past the expiration date could lead to problems

[@tony10speed]

Excellent information. Our viewers will appreciate the input. Regards, Tony

[@dandeangeli9860]

Very helpful video Tony. I am trying to protect my pedal car project which has a square frame inch and a half. Do you think it is possible to completely wrap the square tubing? Have you observed the behavior of helicopter tape when it overlaps other helicopter tapes? Thanks again for the video.

[@tony10speed]

I have not tried square edges or overlapping the tape (which is not usually required on bicycles), but it should work). However, the Helicopter tape is not cheap and you may want to try a cheaper alternative such as Clear Gorilla Tape or other alternatives.

[@stevenfritz6267]

Do you think that removal of helicopter tape would damage the finish of a titanium frame? Thanks!

[@tony10speed]

I would doubt it. It is possible that removing helicopter tape can remove superficial layer of clear coat, but that did not occur in our studies.

[@rique23XX]

What did you use in your spray bottle to help fix the tape to the frame ? Was it water or soapy water ?

[@tony10speed]

One drop of liquid detergent (Dawn) in the spray bottle of water.

[@andelmanfamily]

Thanks. Exactly which 3M product are you using? There seem to be several versions. Thx.

[@tony10speed]

I used 3M Scotchgard Clear Paint Protection (Bulk Film Roll 6-by-48-inches). It's hard to decide which one of the 3M protects are the best but I've had good luck with this one. Anyone else have any suggestions?

[@seanchavez2216]

Won't the hair drier get rid of all the water you need to stick the tape?

[@tony10speed]

You must be careful to slightly dry just the very middle and keep re-squirting the edges. This keeps the tape from moving around. It's a delicate but do-able technique. On small pieces, I skip the drier completely for the reason you state until the very end when all the air and bubble are squeegeed out. Then lightly use the drier. A point well taken. Thank you. Tony

[@nadinegoodman6576]

Why do you wet the sticky side of the tape? If you are just doing a very small area, say where the cable rubs, surely cleaning the frame and carefully positioning without any air bubbles will do a perfect job?

[@tony10speed]

For a very small area, you can use it without wetting the sticky side and have it work well as you state correctly. For larger area, the method shown allows you to push out any air bubbles and get a smooth attachment. Some suggest spaying the entire back side with soapy water which allows you to move it around to the correct position before using the dryer and squeezing out the excess fluid and bubbles. This has worked well for me. Regards and safe cycling, Tony

[@faisalmahmood1908]

How long can you keep the helicopter tape on before you need to change it?

[@tony10speed]

The length of time helicopter tape last seems to be quite variable when looking at various cycling forums. Mine has lasted for many years. Some say 5 - 7 years, others shorter. I think a lot depends on how well you clean the frame surface before application, the application method, the type of riding you do and the trail or road surfaces. Here's how I apply the tape: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZW4g41nlq6Un5o&ab_channel=TonyMarchand Sorry I can't be more specific. Regards and safe cycling, Tony

[@jacintomartinez3883]

Can I use this on a carbon fiber frame aswell? I used it on a brand new frame and it peeled off the lacquer... It makes me hurt just to say it. I obviously did something wrong... 😔

[@tony10speed]

We studied this point. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqDdaWB_iM-nbMk&ab_channel=TonyMarchand We were able to remove Helicopter tape from carbon frames on some bike by heating the frame tape with a hair drier as shown in the video. But in others, the tape removed the clear coat that covers the frame. Removing frame tape is a tricky business and does not always give the result desired. Regards, Tony

[@willparsons32]

When you tried the Gorilla brand transparent tape, how did you get rid the air pockets/bubbles?

[@tony10speed]

With great difficulty and another reason not to use Gorilla Tape (except on maybe kids bikes).

[@warricktyler6759]

Do I have to use a Hairdryer? I'll have to buy one then

[@tony10speed]

No. The hair dryer just makes it easier to hold the middle top in place as you work and keeps it from sliding around. You can use a finger of one hand to hold in place while you use a squeegee with the other hand to push out the air and bubbles. Good question. Regards, Tony

[@edphi800]

Hi what’s the blue bottle spray contain ? Water or soapy water?

[@tony10speed]

It's soapy water (just 1 or 2 drops of Dawn dishwashing liquid added to the water - shake before using). Regards, Tony

[@adamputu5448]

Sir Can I Using Heat Gun But That Heat Gun So Much Hot Temperature 400°C but Can You Teach Me How To Use That? Or Can Apply Without Heat Gun Or Hairdryer?

[@tony10speed]

Don't use a heat gun (gets too hot). You can use the tape without heating. Apply some soapy water to the area to be covered and hold the tape at one end with your fingers so it doesn't move around and squeeze the water out with an applicator or even a credit card working your way from where you are holding it toward the other end. Start in the middle and squeeze out the water toward the sides. You can practice on an area of the frame that is not easily seen first until you get the hang of it. Good luck and have fun, Toy

[@Volkmannx]

👍

[@tony10speed]

Thanks. Also visit our KZbin home site at: kzbin.info Regards and safe cycling, Tony

[@gregoryhouse2560]

I just use black electrical tape for my down tube and chain stay.

[@tony10speed]

I also used electrical tape for years until I came across clear Helicopter tape. Easy to apply, works well, and can be removed if necessary. When removed, one can use the piece of electrical tape for on the road repairs (unraveling bar tape, keep a broken cable out of the way and more). Regards, Tony

[@RationalCreed]

I do exactly the same. Its been on two years and hasn't come away. Really protects the frame. I have a black frame so black tape was great...i don't care that no-one can see the bike model printed on the frame....doesn't take from my pleasure of riding it.

[@bobbyg7552]

What was the ratio of soap to water in the squirt bottle?

[@tony10speed]

One to two drops of dawn dish washing liquid in the squirt bottle, fill with water and shake.

[@Aliencreep369]

I cant believe my local shop only charge 30$ for all the essential part of the bike with tape includr

[@tony10speed]

Did they use Helicopter tape?

[@janeblogs324]

This tape isn't genuine helicopter tape, the real stuff is polycarb, it scratches easily and will stretch instead of tearing. This 3m tape is acrylic and looks glossy but tears

[@tony10speed]

I used 3M Heli Bike Tape. Note: There are many types of tape used in aviation. Here are my references for 3M Helicopter tape and more for aviation uses: www.3m.com/3M/en_US/aerospace-us/products/military/ and tapes.averydennison.com/na/en/home/industries/aerospace.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvL-oBhCxARIsAHkOiu1hzDqjCbGO_25Bv9BRU08qPhXgbFgCQIhOIomjfezAPxg0vZm9sk8aAnPCEALw_wcB Please share any additional references you may have and what you consider best as a bicycle frame protector. Regards, Tony