ride wrap Archives - Conquer the Bike

If you have recently invested in a two-wheeled friend, you might be thinking about how you can protect the beauty and keep it looking like new for longer. Bike frame protection kits will help you with that - in this particular guide, we will be comparing Ride Wrap vs InvisiFRAME. RideWrap and InvisiFRAME protection kits include high-quality polyurethane film. The former is a bit cheaper, gets more of the frame covered, is not as thick, and is heavier. When it comes to InvisiFRAME, some riders mention that it’s easier to install, but it is a little pricier. You can’t really go wrong with either of the protection films as long as you are ready to invest the time necessary into installing the thing. Below, you will find a detailed comparison of Ride Wrap vs InvisiFRAME and the main pros and cons of the products. Ride Wrap vs Invisiframe - What Is the Difference? Both RideWrap and InvisiFRAME are bike frame protection kits that get the job done. If you’re willing to spend some time installing the film, you won’t be disappointed in either of the products. With that being said, there are a few differences between the two that you might want to find out about before making up your mind. RideWrapInvisiFRAMEWhat’s included in the kit?The frame protection, instructions, squeegee, cleaning wipes, install solution concentrate, microfiber, install keyThe frame protection, instructions, and blue squeegeeHow much weight does the protection add to your bike?Around 50 grams (2 oz)Around 30-40 grams (1.5 oz)What’s the thickness of the protection?10 mm (0.4 inches)12 mm (0.5 inches)What’s the level of coverage?In general, covers a little more of the frame (you’ll get up to 95% frame coverage), but you would have to spend more time on the installationEven though you get to choose the kit for your needs, InvisiFRAME might not be able to fully cover the frame – there will still be small gaps leftWhat’s the price?An essential protection MTB frame kit is going to cost you $35A generic road bike kit will cost you around $62How easy is it to navigate the company’s website?You might find that RideWrap’s website is a bit easier to navigateEven though InvisiFRAME has plenty of kits available, it might sometimes be challenging to find the exact thing you’re looking for Ride Wrap vs InvisiFRAME - both protection kits are, basically, high-quality polyurethane film. You will also get to choose between a matte and a gloss finish. The manufacturers have plenty of kits for you to choose from. In fact, you can simply pick the model of your bike on the website to find out, if there is a tailored protection kit available for your specific case (you can always get one custom-designed, by the way). Moreover, the companies have incredible customer support. So, if you have any questions left, make sure to contact the manufacturers directly. Ride Wrap You might like the fact that the Canadian RideWrap is a biker-owned company. The owners have a wagon of time on trying to develop the perfect protection for your bike (by getting their own two-wheeled friends, of course). The Pros of Ride Wrap There are hundreds of kits for you to choose from. In fact, you can find the brand or the model of the bike that you have and get the perfectly fitted coverage for your exact case.Fact: if for some reason, you were not able to find your model on the website, you can always contact RideWrap and ask them to work on creating that particular kit.You don’t have to necessarily choose a kit to cover your whole frame – there are different options available for only your lowers and crowns, for example, or exclusively for the high-wear areas.RideWrap offers the highest available coverage on the market. The majority of their kits are designed for specific bicycle models which allows to strategically place the seams and achieve a 95% coverage rate.The film is self-healing. This means that any minor scuffs or marks will disappear as soon as the sun comes out.The protection kit comes with a 10-year warranty. The manufacturer promises that during this decade the film won’t discolor or crack.The films are available in a gloss and a matte finish, so you’ll get to choose the one that fits your bike. Once applied, the protection becomes practically invisible.The company is cooperating with plenty of bike shops and manufacturers. Consult the map to find the dealer that’s nearest to you to find out, if they offer installation service (you might not have to install the protection yourself which is always a great bonus). The Cons of Ride Wrap The installation of the film is the part that a lot of bikers hate with all their heart. But if you’re going for the high coverage, you should be willing to spend around 4 hours and plenty of soapy water on installing the protection (not all people would be able to handle that).Moreover, how well the film is going to be protecting your bike will fully depend on the quality of the installation. If you are in a hurry, the film might start to bubble; bubbles can also become an issue if your bike has decals.You are advised to remove the factory-installed film before installing RideFrame and bear in mind that you would have to thoroughly clean the bike.The price is definitely a huge con. Even though the cost of the film might seem like nothing when compared to the cost of your bike, some riders are still not willing to pay hundreds of bucks for frame protection.Bear in mind that RideFrame tailored protection kits can cost you around $100, and they are the ones that offer 95% coverage. To fully protect your bike, you would also have to invest in a tailored kit for the fork (and that’s about $42). Invisiframe InvisiFRAME is a UK-based company that was founded by a passionate rider. Before creating the brand, the founder worked in an industry where he had access to automotive-grade film protection. The man then figured out that this film can be used to protect bikes as well to minimize general wear and tear, stone chips, scuffs, and abrasions. The Pros of Invisiframe InvisiFRAME is a non-yellowing, self-healing, stain-resistant frame protection film.There are over 40.000 different options available in custom fit – your kit will be perfect your specific model of bike.You can find the nearest fitter who is going to install the film for you. If you can’t find an expert in your area, then you can always contact the website’s customer support (they will do their best to try and direct you to someone).When talking about Ride WRap vs InvisiFRAME, we couldn't not mention that the latter also creates cool decals that you can apply over your frame protection film to add an extra special touch to your two-wheeled friend.The company can do custom kits for the models of bikes that are not covered on the website already. The Cons of Invisiframe Just like any other frame protection film, InvisiFRAME can be quite challenging to install. Even though all the pieces have already been cut out for you and they should fit the parts of the bike perfectly, you would still have to spend a few hours on getting the thing just right.By the way, each frame will have a slight difference in weld width, so, at times, the film might leave gaps.It is not recommended to apply the film on an anodized frame. The protection won’t stick to the surface properly and you might end up trapping a lot of air and moisture under the film.Furthermore, the protection can develop microbubbles which, in their turn, will create a milky appearance.Experienced DIYers might prefer to simply get an off-the-shelf-roll and a pair of scissors and create a frame protection film on their own. This will definitely save you a hundred bucks (if not more).InvisiFRAME is quite pricey. Tailored protection kits are usually priced at around $112, while additional fork protection will cost you $30. Ride Wrap vs Invisiframe – Which One to Choose? So, Ride Wrap vs InvisiFRAME – which frame protection kit should you go for? The truth is that you really can’t go wrong. Both of these options are high-quality films that will help keep your bike looking brand new. RideWrap is a little cheaper and offers a higher coverage which might make this manufacturer come out as a winner in our Ride Wrap vs InvisiFRAME 'battle'. With that being said, the chances are high that if you are already planning on investing $100 in a frame protection film, you wouldn’t really care about spending a few extra bucks. It might boil down to how long the shipping is going to take (in case you don’t have a dealer near you), and whether or not the manufacturer is already offering a tailored protection fit for your bike model.