Cheapo chainstay protection

[utedeej]

Seeing that so many people repaint and restore bikes here, i thought that i'd share a tip given to me recently by my mechanic. He uses normal black gaffa tape for a chainstay protector. I was a bit nonplussed about the idea, but think that it actually looks really good. That's what the chainstay protector is on that Bottecchia i restored in this topic http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=55669

In doing the groceries at Aldi the other day i picked up some Aluminium tape for $3 wtih the idea of using it for a chainstay protector also. I tried that out on one of my bikes today and it looks quite good too. Thinner than the gaffa tape and it has a paper backing on it that you peel off to reveal the sticky. A few creases in this one, but i reckon you could get it smoother pretty easy, just wanted to share the idea. You need to cut a taper for the last 5-10 cm of the strip as the stay gets thinner too. The strategically placed board in the pic is trying to hide the embarassingly messy workshed



Cheers

[silentbutdeadly]

Nifty. I'd have thought it might be a bit thin though. Only experience will sort that out.

Ever considered the self adhesive malleable aluminium roof flashing tape that can be obtained from the hardware store? Thick, tough and polishable...

Only downside is the fact that you'd have enough tape to do about 50 old bikes!!

[Saro28]

the roof tape has bitumen based sticky. You can get Sarking repair tape which is like a sticky foil, most has a threaded weave through it for strenght but there is some (used to ) that doesn't have the weave.

[bowie]

I've never really bothered with chain stay protection.. actually I remember removing tape from.. I've never really experienced that much slap really. "shrugs"

A well ridden bike is a good bike either way