All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

It was booked for clients on Saturday so I was stuck racing the Chromag. Good time regardless, @backcountryj that's always a fun race!

 

Hardtails are so much fun. As soon as the Diverge sells im getting another.

 

made it out to trestles for closing day yesterday. super busy lines until lunch and it slowed down. first and last day at trestles for the season for me. definitely a place i have to ride more than once to know the lines and learn the trails. did a variety of trails but still didnt hit everything. what a rad place. maybe ill make it down to angel fire for a day in a couple weeks before they close too

 

I ride-wrapped my wife's new SB140 last night. It definitely took 3-4 hours as people said, but overall was kinda meditative for me. From a distance you can't tell that it's wrapped, but I don't love that you can see the gaps between pieces when you're closer. I also found that there were some spots where the pieces didn't quite fit cause they were too long. This may have been user error as it was my first time, but I'm not sure how I would've "shortened" the pieces to avoid this. I'll have to go back and cut the overlaps with an exacto-knife or something.

If it actually keeps the bike looking new, then I'd say it was worth it but I'm not sold at this point since you can kinda tell the wrap is on there.

 

Meditative is a great way to describe the application process. Some might say frustrating, but we're all wired differently.

As for a wraps worth, some of that could be dependent on someone's expectations. Aesthetically all the wraps that I've done have resulted with some opportunities for improvement. Most of that is on me, but I suppose its possible the product itself may have some variances. Tough to say though.

From a function standpoint, they've all performed as advertised and expected.

There is definitely a fine line when getting to the full tailored level kits. Its full coverage, with bountiful opportunities to get it wrong. I've wondered if trying the more generic fit kits would have been a better place to start when learning the application process.

 

Once you've done several you learn how to quickly run through them. Taking off the wheels and hell, even taking the entire bike apart makes it easier but it's a lot of extra steps. I've found ridewrap needs to be EXACTLY placed where they've scanned it. and sometimes, their scanning isn't perfect so I've had to improvise. overlaps are not good because there's a gap in between the frame the the piece that overlaps and can potentially pull that piece off on its own. So cut it off sooner rather than later. especially not to let the adhesive stick.

I ridewrap all my bikes to protect them from scuffs. Some parts of it you can tell it's there. Other parts, you can't tell at all. Also depends on bike color. I got the matte sheets and that helps keep the obviosun-ness of the wrap down. But I'd take the time to protect my bike any time.

Also helps to put some extra pieces in the firing lines of rocks (back of seat tub, chainstay/seatstay bridges, bottom bracket). Also in the area where your feet could potentially rub (chainstay where your heal woudl touch it when on your pedals). I've also found putting it on my gravel bike helps protect it. My pants were making micro scratches on the paint on the top tube. Cleaned it, put some automotive synthetic wax on it before applying ridewrap, the top tube looks good as new.

 

I will say that the tailored kit for the SB140 literally covered everything! There was a specific piece for almost every inch of the frame that wasn't already covered by rubber frame protection, including back of the seat tube and chainstay bridges. That was actually what makes me think the tailored kit was worth it since those areas often get rock chips and no generic kit covers them.

I did remove the wheels and cranks but left the cables, fork, and whole cockpit. I don't think any further disassembly would've made a huge difference as the problem areas weren't near anything I left mounted. For me, the hardest part was any concave surfaces like the chainstay bridge and where the top tube curves up to the seatpost collar.

 

what would you guys think it's worth to pay a LBS to install a tailored ridewrap?

 

im a cheap bastard and do pretty much everything to my bike except pivot bolts and shock service. havent built a wheel yet either, but can true them

 

I'm cheap, but if a bike shop is charging $100 - 200 to install something as in depth as Ridewrap I've gotta think of what my time and stress levels are worth lol.
$100 is a no brainer, $200 is a conscious thought though on should I attempt or not.

 

The LBS here said they would do it for $20/hour and guessed it'd be a 3 hour job. If you hate this kind of task then that's probably worthwhile, but like I said it's kinda meditative if you've got a free evening.

 

Would you recommend someone who's never done it before try it first with the tailored kit?
$20 an hour is cheap, especially if they're breaking the bike down and reinstalling the parts and making sure everything lines up.

For the tailored kit and fork kit I'd expect them to almost completely disassemble the bike and then build it back up. Basically servicing the bike in the process.

 

You'd think that...until you realize you can take the rear traingel and move it in any angle you want...I didn't htink so too until I helped install a friends' ridewrap on a bike that was already completely taken apart (for paint). and I applied it right then and there. SO much easier. I even did it with my other bike once it came through. easier to get to allt hose angles. move the bike, and not your body to get to them.

But yeah, the awkward bends and angles especially with such a tight fitting piece gets annoying. I hate doing the downtubes or top tubes that have so many fricken bends in them for that reason. you get it wrong by a degree somewhere and you pay for it on the other end of the piece so you take off, reapply the solution and try again. lol.

I've been asked that as well. I would say 100-200 is reasonable. anything more and they're just runnign to the bank laughing. Someone paid me 100 bucks to do it. I was like, "Sure!" Took me like 2-3 hours to do their's I think. Don't get me wrong. I'm anal so I made sure it was done near perfection.

 

Also, I think they're kinda ugly, but just got an email stating lots of stock.

WFO 9

 

I've thought about asking a tint guy, most reviews in our area by far, who also is huge into the MTB scene here locally. Scared he may tell me more, as you know Tint guys make a lot of money per hour.

 

Personally? $50 or less

Again, what’s the expected outcome?

If it’s perfection, pay the $200+ and have a shop do it. I’ll gamble that the results will be no more functional than the DIY guy/gal at home. I have no clue what a given shop would actually charge, I’ve just seen 200-300 stated somewhere.

If someone simply doesn’t want the hassle/meditation from it, the value for them is whatever they value their time.

 

Yea, it's a cheap price. They actually said that they stopped advertising that they do the installs because it isn't worth it for them. They now only do it for customers buying brand new bikes.

I had zero experience and just did a tailored kit. The learning curve really wasn't all that steep, especially if you're patient and enjoy slow/detail oriented projects. You apply an included solution to the backing of each piece and you can apply and re-apply to the bike almost infinitely until you're happy with it. The tailored kit also kinda makes it easier because the shape of the pieces make it pretty obvious how it goes on. I would estimate I only had trouble with 2 or 3 of the 17 pieces, and there's really just 1 small spot that I'm not happy with.

 

I think it's settled to do it myself and just take my time and if I disassemble a bike I'll use it as a chance to do some regreasing.

 

That's not a bad idea for a tint guy...Or even folks who do vinyl wraps on cars...

I know my LBS doesn't really want to do it. Not worth his time just yet...

 

I paid $50 to have mine installed on a new bike