Invisiframe - Anyone who did it, would you do it again?

[YrianX]

I've done a search here and most seem happy with their invisiframe results, but as most threads are a year old or so and in order not to revive old threads, one simple question:

To anyone who has or have had invisiframe on their 2 wheeled baby; would you do it again on your next bike?

 

[Stephen]

I have put it on all my bikes , ( 5 ) and I would definitely put it on my next one(s) . It saves the bike from normal everyday scratches which might occur while riding or even when washing a filthy bike .

 

[Funkeydunk]

Agree with Stephen, it brings the bike back to life when it’s washed. I have it on my levo but not on my Bronson, the Bronson, although very tidy, looks it’s age.

 

[Neverbeentomoab]

I put it on my 2015 santa cruz 5010 supposedly to help with the resale price when I sold the bike the general thought was whatever I paid for invisiframe I'd get extra when I sold the bike..it cost £140 for the invisiframe it has pretty much kept the frame 99% scratch free but hasn't helped with resale at all.theres just no market for second hand frames at the minute.the invisiframe itself has worked great but I don't think I'll get any more for the frame because it's been done.im struggling to get
£350 for a nearly £2k frame.havent done my levo that I picked up yesterday.

 

[Blueblob]

I did mine myself and found it's a little tricky with results being generally ok.
I feel a little sense of achievement but mostly feel reassured that silly things like pad wear isn't gonna muller my top tube paint.
I did it from new and after a week of ownership I went to BPW and was v.glad to have done it.
Impressed with the kit for sure.
Fellow rider at BPW told me his guy charged £50 to do it and it was immaculate. My bike shop said £200!!!
£50 I certainly would of got someone else to fit it.

 

[z1ppy]

Had it done to my last manual bike, which is 4 years old & still looks great, but was in too much of a rush to ride my 1st ebike so didn’t bother & the paint work has visibly suffered for it. So had my latest bike invisiframed from the shop, as I definitely think it’s worthwhile

 

[YrianX]

Thank you for your insight guys.

That's what kind of makes it a harder decision... Resell value is not very good anyhow these days as evolution is lightning quick, so really not believing it would be an investment that I could recoup on a future possible sale.

Though it's nice to have a bike that age well in the cosmetic department, typically when you have put in the work to apply it, as some of you mention, of course you get scratches just in between where there is no coverage... That would kinda suck...

Also I am still on the fence seeing that the lines between the different parts of the kit seems to be quite visible, especially on a bike that has a matte frame to begin with...

 

[steve_sordy]

Compromise and use helicopter tape on the bits that are likely to need it. Much cheaper, and you can double up on areas that need it the most. There's lots of different stuff out there, but my favourite after trying a few is Bike Tape from Bike Tart. I get the 75mm wide because I find anything wider is really tricky to use. It cuts easily with sharp scissors or a craft knife.

Invisible Bike Frame Protection

 

[JaySal]

Any suggestions of where I can get this fitted at a reasonable price, my matt black levo is picking up little marks after just a week. Paint must be made from butter

 

[wepn]

Definitely worthwhile. Chips in carbon can compromise frame integrity & in alloy well you know spots of brown patina in your carefully chosen colours. Shoe scuffs, hail, kamikaze bird strikes, poor washing procedures etc

 

[Fivetones]

Shackwrap protected my new emtb. Very happy with the service. I definitely ride a lot faster not worrying about chips

 

[davarello]

Looked at Invisiframe but decided to go the other way and use All Mountain style on my last bike (pictured) and on my current Levo. Very tough, easy to apply and lots of options.

 

[Pyr0]

I used some type of cheap, clear tape on my old Scott Spark. It wasn't invisiframe though, It was just some strips of helicopter tape from ebay
I had to cut the strips to size, wet the frame and tape and apply it with a fan heater since I don't own a hairdrier.
While I had the bike, it worked really well to protect the frame from knocks and dings and stones.
I'll definitely be using something similar when I get my next bike

 

[Barryjm]

Invisiframe on my Nukeproof and my Levo, oh and my wife’s Levo too, fitted myself, you just need patience and a spare 3 hours! Previous bikes I used eBay sourced tape which did the job but didn’t look as good and didn’t stick as well around the edges. Would definitely use invisiframe again.

 

[Jdog]

I’ve invisiframed 5+ bikes and highly rate the product except when I’m trying to fit it perfectly to my bike enough to turn a sane man crazy!

Can also vouch for AMS products and I’d recommend those on bland coloured bikes as they have some real funky designs that can bring a bike to life

 

[galaga187]

Yes I paid for someone to fit it.

 

[DTZ]

Looked at Invisiframe but decided to go the other way and use All Mountain style on my last bike (pictured) and on my current Levo. Very tough, easy to apply and lots of options.
View attachment 19103

Can I ask where you got that?

I haven't added anything to my bike, and whilst I'm not massively precious about small marks the top tube is starting to look marked. Not helped by the fact its the matt black alu version.

I could use helitape / armorfend, but I quite like the idea of something to make it a bit more different.

 

[cozzy]

Yes I had my carbon bike done as it was the first carbon frame I owned & I was paranoid about damaging it. Anxious after every crash & wincing when hearing rocks bounce off the downtube.
Ive decided carbon is not for me & have no such worries with my new alloy kenevo. Ive never invisiframed an alloy bike.

 

[davarello]

Can I ask where you got that?

I haven't added anything to my bike, and whilst I'm not massively precious about small marks the top tube is starting to look marked. Not helped by the fact its the matt black alu version.

I could use helitape / armorfend, but I quite like the idea of something to make it a bit more different.

On my Levo I used two products - first a clear gloss from BK Stickers bkprotect - bkstickers.com which included a 500x100 piece to do the whole down tube, then the AMS Frame Guard All Mountain Style. Ride in #style - on a matt black the black AMS could look good, or one of the colours

 

[jimbobwr]

I fitted it to my Kenevo 2 day's ago, I go the kit with the matt and gloss to match the finish of the bike (black). Really impressed with the final results. Massive pain in the ..... to fit. Id advised against doing it yourself unless you're previous experience of this type of job. If you've never done anything like this before you would be seriously in the deep end. It's doable though, you just have to take your time and keep everything spotlessly clean with lots of lube!

 

[Trickz]

Definitely worth it for under £100 though I don’t think my meta sx when it arrives has a template yet so I’m going to do it myself with blank sheets?

 

[MuddyFunster]

Well, today I fitted my Invisiframe kit. I have a rocket red 2019 Levo Comp Carbon and wanted a little more protection, so based on the amount of positive feedback both here and elsewhere on the web, Invisiframe was a natural choice.

TLDR version for short attention span peeps; Yes. Yes, I would.

Time for quick(ish) lessons learnt summary:

1. Watching plenty of YouTube Invisiframe fitting videos helps. Also watching plenty of non-related videos helped too (but I can't go into that)
2. Making sure the bike is spotless initially, then cleaning again the section you're applying the decal to just before you do it. I used the recommended Tar remover product.
3. TIME. This isn't a quick job. Make sure you have plenty of time available.
4. A quality bike stand really helps. I removed both wheels and chain protector then clamped via the dropper post. Being able to do this while sat on a wheelie chair was great.
5. LIGHT. The 'Invisi' part of the product lives up to its name. My Levo is a glossy Rocket Red, so I ordered the gloss kit. When applied it's really hard to see. A good light source helps (especially when you have to but up against another already applied decal).
6. Wetting down. I really dowsed the application area, my hands and anything else that got in the way. Initially, the decal refuses to adhere, but careful use of the (supplied) squeegee will help. which brings me on to:
7. PATIENCE. If the decal doesn't seem to sit right, or you're forcing it to fit, take a breath and rotate the decal slightly, look for alignment cues - and use the squeegee.
8. Keep your fingers wet. There's nothing worse than just thinking 'OK, I'll just smooth this small part down with my finger - and ending up moving the whole decal...

I'm very pleased with the results, with a total of 4 - 5 hours spent on the installation. To keep on topic with the OP; would I do it again? Yep, Yeah, Yes, Ja... absolutely.

/MuddyFunster

 

[YrianX]

Thanks all you guys for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

If mine were gloss I think I would do it no question, but as it is matte raw carbon, I'm more uncertain, as from the pics I've seen the matte one is much more visible...

Probably will wait and see how the carbon finish looks when I get it, though if I'm doing it, I want to do it from brand new me thinks.

 

[JohnJohn]

I fitted invisiframe but I've not been able to find my bike since !!!

 

[jimbobwr]

I really like the matte sections on my Kenevo. You are correct though it's not quite as matte as the original finish but its certainly doesn't look our of place. I'd say it almost adds to the look.

 

[Jdog]

I really like the matte sections on my Kenevo. You are correct though it's not quite as matte as the original finish but its certainly doesn't look our of place. I'd say it almost adds to the look.

Any pictures Jim? I’d like to decide on buying the matte or gloss

 

[JaySal]

After reading people's thoughts on here, I've gone ahead and had my Levo done in matte over the matte black, slightly shinier but I think it adds to the look. £135 fitted at Sherwood Pines bike shop and on close inspection worth every penny considering all the nooks and crannies.

 

[Jdog]

After reading people's thoughts on here, I've gone ahead and had my Levo done in matte over the matte black, slightly shinier but I think it adds to the look. £135 fitted at Sherwood Pines bike shop and on close inspection worth every penny considering all the nooks and crannies.

The kit for my 2020 kenevo was about 80 quid posted, I did it myself again and its still a shit job. I’d like to get it done professionally but not for an extra 55 quid

 

[9748simonb]

Had my Decoy delivered last Thursday, put it together and took it to Setchfield cycles on Monday for a full Matt invisiframe kit including the forks.
I did my Meta Am myself with a kit when I had it 6 years ago and it’s still on there and has done a cracking job at keeping it in good shape so It had to be done with the carbon decoy. I’ll be putting some scotch 2228 tape in a few strategic points as well when I get it back.
Its costing me £180:for the full invisiframe kit including the fork kit, fitted.
Its a bonus that it’s being done at Setchfield as Andy was Dan Athertons mechanic so I’ve a feeling he will be doing a good job. He’s going to do a suspension set up for me as well when I pick it up on Friday. Save me a lot of knob twiddling. Lol.

 

[TtheArab]

I have it on my Giant Trance SX E+. It's good but only issue is I use bike stand for maintenance and the weight of the bike leads to the stand distorting the invisiframe covering. Tried various ways to lessen the strain on the bike and it is a rubber lined set of jaws on the stand.

Also : who looks for a return on their money on a mountain bike ?

£4,000 of Canyon Strive (original + Eagle set + Fox shock) and I got offered £1,500.... Still in garage for where I don't need e-Bike.