In the process of building up a Colnago G3X gravel bike. Like all Colnagos, the paint is a work of art, and I’d like to keep it that way. Looking at my current “gravel” bike, which is a repurposed Ridley cx bike, it’s pockmarked with chipped paint areas, esp the under side of the down tube. When I race gravel some times I feel like I’m being shotgunned with pebbles. What are you grinders using to protect your frame finish? Wraps? Stick-on guards? Automotive wax?
Wraps!
There are specific bike wraps with an incredible quality and with luck, they’ll have one for your frame.
Let me look into my bookmarks and try and find them.
Here, towards the end.
I buy some helicopter tape, or most recently I bought this frame tape from Lamin-x. You can cut it to shape it best for your tubes. Some on the bottom of the down tube, and top and bottom of the chainstays as well as anywhere you may get rub. I put some on my top tube to prevent brake levers from gashing it on my mountain bike, but it’s up to you. Easy to install and remove.
I’m running Ride Wrap on my MTB and the generic kit on my gravel bike. Easy to install and pre#cut to size.
I also have a roll of ICS Racer tape. Works pretty well but you have to trim everything manually. Use a neat gun to properly set it.
I recently started using 3M Heli Tape on my Ribble, which has suffered from chips to the paint work.
Has worked so far
thanks for the input. are the wraps permanent or removable?
+1 for heli tape.
I installed 5 years ago and still going strong.
The comments about Helicopter tape got me googling (had not heard of it before). Found a couple of videos that may be worth viewing…
I’ve got Red carbon cranks on my gravel bike and have used chainstay protectors to protect against heel / shoe rub. Works OK, but pretty easy for the edges to start to come up. Looks like I’m gonna try some helicopter tape next!
I used 3m vinyl wrap. If you have a matte finish paint the wrap is going to look slightly weird as where you dont wrap stays matte and the rest looks clear coated. I just did the areas where rocks might chip or where half frame bag straps might rub,
I’ve been waffling on this myself. My Revolt Advanced is a few months old and with the integrated downtube protection, hasn’t gotten a scratch yet. I have ride wraps sitting in the shopping cart but can’t seem to get myself to spend the whopping $35…
I always just ask myself “will i see this $xyz back if i go to sell the bike”
odds are with ride wrap you likely will.
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Just make sure the frame is spot clean.
I did mine when I bought the bike new. I didn’t rode it for a week until I finished - it was a good decision.
I did a mix with heli tape and vinyl wrap to change the color scheme.
I’m actually planning to disassemble the whole bike and do a thorough clean, wrapping and greasing.
I totally recommend it on any bike. When done properly it’s barely noticeable…
If you do a lousy job… you just need to peddle faster 
