ISC Racers Tape HT2128 ISC Racerstape Surface Protection Tape / Helicopter Tape 2 " x 12', Transparent

I wanted to protect my new frame. I did not like the options through bike shops because of the brand logos or lack of being able to customize the size. I highly recommend ISC Racers Tape Surface Guard Tape 2" x 12' (HT2128). This 8mm thick stuff is just right, and it is outdoor grade. I had a hard time deciding on the thickness. The deciding factor was my call to the manufacturer who told me the thicker tape was less clear in appearance and the adhesion might be too strong (if/when removed). It could pull up paint or decals. I tried to find 3M's helicopter tape, but I learned it is special order with a minimum quantity of a case. Be careful if you think you found it. It might not be what you want, e.g. thickness, outdoor grade, etc. I did encounter a learning curve installing the tape. Tools I found useful were a hair dryer, slip spray solution (water and Dawn in a spray bottle), wet finger(s), patience, and careful planning. Be sure to work on a clean surface with a dust free environment. I found I liked the wet installation method best. It allowed me to play with the positioning or pull off the tape to redo it easily. Taking my time and smoothing out each section before adhering a bit more was crucial to an outstanding application. Keeping my fingers, the tape, and the surface wet with the slip solution kept finger prints off too. It also allowed me to work out imperfections, e.g. bubbles. The hair dryer came in handy to soften up the glue to remove the tape or work out bubbles. Be careful not to rub on the tape too hard while it is warm or it will stretch in that area. The heat is also enabled me to do the "form" fit over the rear derailleur by making the tape more pliable. I also rounded the corners on the pieces I installed. I thought this might make them less susceptible to coming off down the road with wear, cleaning, etc. The largest piece of tape I installed was over the top of my top tube. The most challenging piece was a single piece over a large portion of my rear derailleur. See pixs of both in the customer pixs section. UPDATE (12/7/12): My first call to the manufacturer was a wonderful experience. I just called a second time and had a very bad experience. The receptionist answered my call and was not willing to help - would not take a message, no advice on when to call back. Just said no one was available to help. Then she intentionally hung up on me! I revised my review down to 4 stars as a result. UPDATE (12/12/12): The manufacturer responded to my letting them know how badly their receptionist treated me. Then I was connected with someone that could help me with why I had called in the first place. Because of how the company handled the situation, I am revising my review back to 5 stars.

I got this for a bikepacking trip around White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park. It's easy to apply: clean frame, spray with soapy water, and then the tape can be slid into just the right position before working out the excess water with your fingers. The tape has enough stretch to it that I was able to get it to sit flat around all the curves on the bike. After 100 miles of bouncing around with no suspension and sand everywhere, the tape was nowhere near wearing through. The tape sticks well enough to stay on but comes off clean when you're done with it. The shine blends in well with the gloss paint and it's hard to even see the tape without looking closely.

Used this on my carbon bike frame to protect the frame in strategic areas and on the carbon seatpost. Easy to use fairly thick stuff easy to cut with scissors. The tape remains pliable after installed. Been using it for about 2 months now and seems to be holding up well on the right chainstay. A bit pricey but no more than other similar products out there.

Purchased to protect a road bike. The material is easy to shape - be sure you have sharp scissors - and the application process is simple. Soap and water, squeeze out the bubbles, Bob's your uncle. So far, so good. I've been through some rain, grit, gravel, and brushed the chainstay with my heal a few times but the tape holds up just fine. Cheaper than the bike-specific kits stuff the shops sell and you get plenty of it.

Installed some of this on my new carbon mountain bike frame and various bits to protect the finish and offer a little padding. The tape is thicker than I thought it would be but in a good way. It's very sticky and stays in place. You need to make sure whatever you're sticking it to is completely clean. Even a little dust will cause a bubble. I was able to get most pieces on my bike without any bubbles and it is nearly invisible. It already saved the finish on the top tube from me being careless that would have most surely scratched the paint. Just a slight scuff on the tape that has almost disappeared after a couple weeks. Seems to have almost a self-healing capability to it. Definitely recommend this to others. This 12ft roll is sufficient for a full suspension mountain bike. I have some left that I'll be apply to some other areas and doubling up the layers on the downtube to protect it from the gravel flying off the front tire.

Just spent $$ on a full suspension mountain bike and I wanted to protect the paint. One roll of this helicopter take pretty much covered all the spots (a lot!!) on the frame I wanted to protect. It is VERY sticky and goes on clear. Practice on a small area to get the technique correct. Make sure your hands are clean: the sticky side will show your fingerprints if you touch it, but it's not too bad. You need to take your time when you apply it but the results are great. Also, there are some videos on-line of how to apply this kind of tape to bike frames. Watch those a few times to understand the process. You will not be disappointed.

Worked like a charm to protect my new gravel bike paint. Watched a video on how to install and it was super easy. Can’t even see it on the bike! Be sure to use a spray bottle with water for application.

I've purchased a few used bicycles that had this stuff installed on them, and it's amazing how much it protects the frame, recently I purchased a new bicycle and it was a no brainer to buy a roll myself. At nearly $25 (after tax) for just 12 feet of this stuff, it's pretty expensive. I was a little frustrated when the directions basically told me to "experiment, see what works" instead of giving links for a video or something like that, but I digress. First piece I cut was just over a foot long, to replace a beat up piece on a chainstay of an older bike. As I'm getting to the last 3" of tape, the backing peeled off leaving a large white spot in the middle of the tape, impossible to fix, I either needed to rip up the last foot of tape and start over, or leave this giant white patch in the middle of the tape. Luckily, it was going on a white bicycle, and you couldn't tell without looking for it once I had smoothed everything out. I put several more small 1-2" pieces on to protect cable rub, then decided I was ready to protect the downtube of my beautiful sage green new bicycle. I cut a 3.5' section of tape (basically $8 worth of tape) very carefully line it up and start smoothing it out, I get to the last 3" of the tape and it happens again, this time it's not on a white bicycle, and it's very noticeable. Now that I've ridden with this stuff installed for a few weeks I've also found that it peels up on the edges, lets dirt under, and then it's all downhill from there. The pieces that haven't dislodged themselves are too tacky - they've picked up dirt and dust and won't let go of them even after a good soap and water bath, now I have this yellowed, dirty looking down-tube, with a big white spot in it... I won't be ordering this tape again, I'll try another brand when I'm ready to re-apply, for this much money these issues are unacceptable. I'm willing to accept that maybe this was a bad batch, maybe it sat on the shelf too long, but there are no indications on the roll as to when it was made, who made it, what it's shelf life is, nothing. Again, not something I'd expect from such an expensive roll of adhesive, even scotch tape has these markings on each roll.