Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Non-Thorn Related => Topic started by: Danneaux on March 22, 2013, 09:40:29 pm
-
Hi All!
An emerging and growing trend among local fixed-gear riders is the top-tube protector. An ideal way to pad one's shoulder when carrying the bike, these things also go far toward warding off the knocks and bumps, scratches and dings that come from public bike racks. A recent tour of my local uni showed these are showing up in ever greater numbers on parked bikes, and range from the homegrown (foam pipe lagging) to commercial variations. I can see them being useful for protecting the frame against paint damage when touring and on public transport. All are removable and therefore temporary.
I'm now seeing them show up on road bikes, MTBs and commuters as well.
They also protect against handlebar dents (depending on frame size and 'bar angle, drop 'bars can swing around with unfortunate consequences for the top tube) and are a way to completely restyle the color/pattern/appearance of a bicycle, mixing or matching at will. Many have a reflective option for nighttime safety. I've included manufacturer links below, but many of these protective pads are also available via Amazon and eBay at discount.
While they aren't quite my cup of tea, they do serve a useful purpose and are ever more popular, so I've been surveying the market to gain familiarity and to remain current on this latest trend. The results are below for anyone wishing to investigate further:
• BikeWrapper - reflective in a variety of patterns: www.yancopads.com
...and extended reviews by Vik Banerjee, late of this Forum:
https://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/bike-wrapper-pre-view/
https://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/?s=wrapper
• BurroBike top tube pads: http://www.burrobags.com/products/easy-rider-top-tube-pads
• Pake top tube pads: http://www.pakebikes.com/product/CCCF10/Pake%20Top%20Tube%20Pads
• Pake reflective: http://www.amazon.com/Pake-Reflective-Top-Tube-Pad/dp/B0064404JI
• Seagull top tube pads: http://www.seagullbags.com/mobile/bags/accessories/toptubepad/
• SOMA hemp: http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/hemp-top-tube-pads
• Make Ur Own: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yhkTkCg4DQ
• Another DIY: http://bostonfixed.us/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=1909
• BiciConcepts (premium materials including synthetic ostrich!!): http://www.biciconcepts.com/framepadbuilder.html
• Salmon roll (with storage!): http://northstbags.com/products/salmon-roll
• FamliStraps: http://www.roadwarriorbicycles.com/top-tube-pads.html
• Ugly!Pads: http://www.uglypads.com/
• Hans BagWorks: http://hansbagworks.com/tag/top-tube-pad/
• UnderTheWeather: http://utwbags.bigcartel.com/category/top-tube-pad
Best,
Dan.
-
Well Dan!
I do not know how to say it But this must be for Mad People :o
I'm Sorry but Why? ::)
Pete
:-\
-
Great bit of research Dan and looks very comprehensive.
Not sure I can think of a good reason for me to have one but it is nice to know that they are available if the need ever arises.
I would say if you are doing a lot of off/on buses / back of pickups type touring the extra protection would be worth it.
Andy
-
Pete asked...
I'm Sorry but Why?
...and Andy pondered...if you are doing a lot of off/on buses / back of pickups type touring the extra protection would be worth it.
I pretty much rejected the idea outright at first for myself, then I got to thinking...
There's some situations where these pads could be useful:
• Commercial, dense pads might be helpful and a bit more durable than pipe lagging for in-box or in-bag packing for airline travel.
• Could provide real paint protection for rack parking if commuting regularly.
• Might disguise a bike brand or theft attractiveness, depending on the kind of wrapper/style.
One of the things that always made me cringe when commuting was watching how others removed their security chains or cables when they prepared to leave the bike racks. Invariably, uni students removed these devices the same way you'd pull the starter rope on a lawnmower...and the end would whip around and clang against the paint of a neighboring bike. Maybe that's why I saw so many of these things on parked bikes during my last trip to campus. Spiral-wrapped electrical tape was big, as were sections of frame padded by old inner tubes, though I think that may have been more to disguise brand names than for chip protection.
On the other hand, I suppose these pads could be the equivalent of car nose protectors (called "masks" or "bras" here). Sure, those protect against stone chips, but trapped moisture and grit can cause rust and scratches underneath and when fitted, you don't see the pretty paint job. The fellow who used to park his bike next to mine had an interesting solution -- clear packing tape, fitted lengthwise atop the top tube. I have to admit, except for some noticeable yellowing due to UV, it still looked pretty fresh at the end of the year.
By they way, Fixies/single-speeds have taken off among the local uni crowd. I think there's several reasons:
• Logical progression from single-speed BMX bikes, but with greater speed and efficiency for transport of bigger people.
• Minimal maintenance.
• Low weight.
• For those who ride Fixed, a closer connection to the riding experience and greater involvement that comes with a more basic bike and direct drive.
• A chance to emulate the bike-messenger style, which is also growing, complete with clothing lines and accessories to support it.
Best,
Dan.
-
Well Dan!
I do not know how to say it But this must be for Mad People :o
I'm Sorry but Why? ::)
All the 80s BMX riders have now reached middle-age and are rediscovering cycling. They can't get away from their addiction to pads ;) ;D
-
Well Dan!
I do not know how to say it But this must be for Mad People :o
I'm Sorry but Why? ::)
Pete
:-\
Agree what is the matter with these guys .you know how that came about is when some wag decided not to take the wrapping off his bike when he was touring save himself all that trouble of rewrapping it at airport.idiot idea looks crap yuppi fad.. ;D ;D ;D
-
Hey, don't blame it on cycle-tourists :-\. I've never seen a touring cyclist riding with frame pads on their bike.
-
i did . ::)
-
Funnily enough, just before Dan started this topic I had been thinking of covering my own Raven top tube with some pipe insulation. In prep for a long tour. Just thought it would save a few scratches and not add much weight.
I was surprised to see them manufactured!
In answer to someone's question - Why?
Because they can + fashion = answer.
(I use the term fashion in a very loose manner)
;)
Noticed a similar thing here in Manchester UK.
The young ladies have taking to going out shopping on a Saturday afternoon prior to visiting what I believe are now called hot spots / discos, wearing their curlers.
It's a kind of inverse fashion statement.
(I use the term fashion in a very loose manner)
;)
I long ago gave up trying to understand the fairer sex thought patterns.
( I use the term thought patterns in a very loose manner )
:D
-
I have a couple of stick on pads where the bars ends hit the top tube of my Sherpa, and I can see how someone might like the idea of a patterened cover on a 'fashion statement' bike but I think I'll stick to foam pipe wrap when the bikes are locked up in the garage.
Having said that, we both forgot to take the wraps off and ended up stuffing them behind the gas meter box last Sunday morning. Grey foam really does not do much for the appearance of a whizzy Sunday bike.
sdg.
-
I have leather wraps on the "mixte" bars (they aren't really, but I don't know what else to call them) of my crossframe Kranich. The purpose is to keep my shoes off the irreplaceable paintwork. If I had one of the low-stepover Thorns, I would put protectors on the tubes there too.
In addition, I've always found the slit-tube foam that bikes come packed in very useful for protecting the chainstays and seat tube against the chain when i clean the bike or change the chain or work on the chainrings or bottom bracket or cranks.
I can quite understand why some people would like permanent padding on bicycle tubes. Before I required a gerrybike, I always rode bikes half a size too large rather than half a size too small, and the crossbar can catch one badly...
All the same, I don't have permanent protection on the chainstays of any of my bikes, for the simple reason that those stick-on things are ugly. Instead I went towards a zero maintenance bike, where the chain is hardly ever opened, and lifted off the chainring only every several years.
Andre Jute
-
I have leather wraps on the "mixte" bars (they aren't really, but I don't know what else to call them) of my crossframe Kranich.
Andre, in framebuilding parlance, those are called "twin laterals".All the same, I don't have permanent protection on the chainstays of any of my bikes, for the simple reason that those stick-on things are ugly.
Annnd...a chainstay protector is not required on your Kranich. By running a Rohloff (and a Hebie Chainglider), you don't have the rough-road "bouncing" problem of a twin-pivot rear derailleur that allows 'stay-slapping chain slack, nor the dancing chain of a freewheel/cassette to guard against, let alone the possibility of chain-suck.
Best,
Dan. (...who thinks Andre is the definitive Gentleman Cyclist)
-
Thanks for the "twin laterals", Dan, but that doesn't, to me anyway, describe full length tubes as nicely as "mixte" does. For instance, standard tourers for very tall Dutchmen, and work bikes, have "twin lateral" top tubes...
I wasn't thinking so much of chain slap against the chain stay as just dropping or -- aargh! -- dragging the chain on it when working on the bike. But you're right, the need doesn't arise often enough to make the bike permanently ugly. As long as I remember to fit the foam tubes strategically before starting work... (RETURNS FROM ATTACHING A STICKY NOTE TO BIKE: "Fit foam tubes!")
Andre Jute
-
More here on TT protectors...
http://www.lfgss.com/thread24992.html
I may actually installed one on my (in progress) Gazelle Piste. Why? Nowhere to lean my bike against before work lockup...bar a lamppost.
Scratch galore and it's still in such nice shape...
Though you can't protect all, stone chips on stays/downtube are a fact of life. Maybe we all need Reynolds 953 stainless bikes :P
-
Maybe we all need Reynolds 953 stainless bikes :P
Poppe & Potthoff Noblex came in tube sizes useful for loaded tourers. No longer made but I know the guy who bought up all the tube stock. Polishes up beautifully. Lugs to die for.
-
In photo, a short piece of pipe insulation held on with velcro to protect frame if the handlebar swings around and the bar end shifter hits the top tube. This is on my Sherpa. It is also useful to protect paint if locked up to a signpost.
On my Nomad I have a strip of innertube rubber about 3/4 inch wide wrapped around the top tube a few times and held on with a piece of velcro of the same width where the handlebar ends hit the top tube.
-
Hi there, I have clear matt frame tape on the top tube and where my cables may rub on the frame ,advertised as used on helicopter blades !! it seems to work for me as I have a habit of sitting down on my top tube when stopped at lights etc. it also has protected my frame when using a cable and lock when leaving my bike for a minute or two.
Regards,Alfie
-
Alfie does it peel off hany enough when you need to replace it,how hard is it to fix. have you a link to where you bought it thanks in advance. ;)
-
Hi Jags, I asked around the local bike shops with no success, but on ebay if you type in bike frame tape there is loads of suppliers. I got mine from Paragontapes quite reasonable. I have also used their carbon tape on my black cannondale.
Regards, Alfie
-
Hi Jawine!
The TT protectors in your link appear to be mostly to blunt the ding-causing effects of handlebars striking the top tube in a fall (I really like the one that is made from stainless strips, silver-soldered on; I've done a few twisted-spoke wheel builds like that as well).
'Round here, single-speeds and true Fixies are all the rage with the Uni crowd, and it is increasingly common to see the ones parked in racks sporting a length of foam pipe lagging snapped onto the top tube. I asked one fellow about it, and he said the "nice ones" get nicked so readily while parked. The ones adapted from pipe lagging are so common as to have no theft-incentive. He'd wrapped his with colored vinyl electrical tape to match his frame paint. It looked good from a distance, 'didn't see it up-close.
Ah, me; one more thing to think about when leaving a bike locked but unattended, I suppose. For my money, a TT wrap is bound to keep things looking nice, but I'd apply one only after a thick coat of wax and I'd check it periodically, as I suppose moisture or grit trapped beneath could eventually cause problems akin to long-term use of a protective vinyl "bra" or "mask" on the front of a car.
EDIT: I have a strip of matte black windshield trim tape affixed invisibly to my matte black Nomad's top tube. Works nicely for preventing scuffs when dis/mounting, but would be very noticeable on your lovely yellow Gazelle. I like Alfie's approach. If you applied an "owner's name" sticker beneath the clear tape, it would be a task for a thief to peel it off, making identification easier in the event of theft/loss.
Best,
Dan.
-
Hi Jags, I asked around the local bike shops with no success, but on ebay if you type in bike frame tape there is loads of suppliers. I got mine from Paragontapes quite reasonable. I have also used their carbon tape on my black cannondale.
Regards, Alfie
Thanks Alfie.
-
Hi Jags,
it's easy to apply, I put it on using a hairdryer as it was freezing cold at the time, and have just tried removing it and I reckon it can be removed in a similiar fashion. I was quite impressed as I have had it on my other bike for about 18 months and it's still going strong...
Regards Alfie.
-
Andre has just about the prettiest solution I've seen. He has *leather* scuff guards on the twin-laterals crossing the sloping top tube and downtube on his Utopia Kranich. Just viewable here: http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGRohloffEXTservice.html ...and again here: http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGbuildingpedelec4.html
Fantastic.
Best,
Dan.
-
At the risk of lowering the tone a bit, I'm tempted to try the Default Canajan Fix, hockey tape, the matte clear stuff. I use this for weather stripping to seal any leaky windows each winter; strapping up twisted ankles & the like; parcel tape; the usual hockey applications, atop the laces around the ankles, as well as over the socks to keep the shinpads in place; as a glide on the lower corners of a bike box when lugging it around places which lack trolleys, i.e., European train stations; removable seals to close plastic bags; and probably a few other things I can't remember. It's handy because so cheap & easily removable, and there are always several rolls here & there around the house. Or I might try gaffer's tape, to be colour-co-ordinated.
Haven't used anything for the last ten-plus years because my Eclipse frame is unpainted titanium, but my matte black Raven toptube might collect some nicks & scratches. Still a what-if discussion for a while yet, as the temp was about -33 this morning with the windchill. Sunny, though.
-
Andre has just about the prettiest solution I've seen. He has *leather* scuff guards on the twin-laterals crossing the sloping top tube and downtube on his Utopia Kranich.
Fantastic.
Best,
Dan.
Here's a photograph that shows the leather covers, intended to keep my number 12 street shoes off the irreplaceable paintwork by Meister Kluwer, and the manner of lacing with color-matched laces. The leather once matched all the bags too, when I had a honey saddle and all the bags were light tan leather, but when I changed the bags with the saddle color I discovered that dark brown leather rail protectors soon show the muddy footprints, whereas the light tan leather doesn't... Back on went the light tan protectors. My priority is a zero maintenance bike, not color matching.
(http://www.coolmainpress.com/miscimage/BikeLuggage/kranich_over_kilmacsimon_quay.jpg)
That leather you see is five or six years old, and gets washed in the machine once a year or every two years when I take it off to wax behind it, depending on how much use the bike gets. My bike lives in centrally heated surroundings, and rarely even gets wet, so if you put removable covers on for instance a commuter, you might want to inspect for damp and grit behind the covers more frequently; I've never found any.
-
Pretty spiffy, Andre, what with the greenery of The Holy Ground 'n' all... Lovely photo, nice boike.
-
Tx ^_^
Clear matt tape may work. I may however go for a foam removable "ugly" as the Gazelle will also be locked up in town.
Never dinged a top tube...but what wasn't, can still be as us Dutchies say.
-
Hi, why not go for the belt and braces remedy, and do both the tape and the ugly, just in case the "ugly" marks you frame.
Regards, Alfie