Paint protection fitted in Bow, E3
Bike Paint Protection in East London
RideWrap protective film and Gtechniq ceramic coating, fitted at our Bow workshop. Keep a new frame looking new, and make the bike you already own quicker to clean.
RideWrap: a physical layer between your frame and the road
RideWrap is a clear polyurethane film that sits on top of your paint. It takes the chips thrown up by grit, the rub where a cable meets the head tube, the marks a lock leaves on a top tube and the scuff where your heel catches the chainstay.
The film is self healing, so light marks close up with a bit of warmth, and it carries a ten year warranty against yellowing and cracking. It comes in gloss or matte, so a matt frame stays matt.
We fit it in the workshop rather than selling you a kit and wishing you luck. Film goes on best over a clean, bare frame, which is why the ideal moment is during a build, before anything is bolted on.
Three levels of coverage
Choose by how the bike is used and how much of the frame you want covered. We will tell you honestly which one is worth it for your riding.
Essential, around 30% of the frame
The high risk panels only: top tube and down tube, where stones, locks and cable rub do most of their damage. A sensible, low cost start for a commuter or a second bike.
Covered, around 60 to 65% of the frame
Top tube, down tube, seat tube and the stays, cut for your style of bike and trimmed to fit. Fork protection is available on top. The middle ground for a bike that gets ridden hard all year.
Tailored, up to 95% of the frame
Cut to your exact make, model and size, so the edges follow the tubes instead of being trimmed by hand. This is the one for a new build or an expensive frame. Kit £185, plus fitting.
The numbers that matter
What we charge and how long it takes, without you having to ask twice.
- £185 RideWrap Tailored kit, cut for your exact frame. Essential and Covered are quoted with your bike.
- £60 per hour Fitting labour. A Tailored kit on a bare frame is about three hours.
- 24 months How long one application of Gtechniq Bike Ceramic is rated to last.
Film or ceramic. We fit one or the other.
They solve different problems and we would rather you spent the money on the right one. Film is armour against physical damage. Ceramic is a chemical layer that makes dirt let go. If you are not sure which your bike needs, ask us before you order.
How it works
From first message to collection, protection is usually a single workshop visit.
Tell us the bike
Make, model, size and year. Tailored kits are cut per frame, so we check yours is in the RideWrap catalogue before we order anything.
Choose the level and the finish
Essential, Covered or Tailored, in gloss or matte. We will tell you which one we would put on our own bike.
Book it into the workshop
A bare frame during a build is ideal. On a bike already built we remove what is in the way, fit the film and put it back.
Collect and ride
Film is ready to ride immediately. Ceramic needs 24 hours to cure and no washing for the first seven days.
Gtechniq Bike Ceramic: less scrubbing, not more armour
Ceramic coating does the opposite job to film. It bonds chemically to the frame and leaves an optically clear, water repelling layer, so mud and road grime never really key into the paint. Winter cleaning goes from a scrubbing session to a rinse and a wipe.
One application is rated at up to 24 months. It resists everything from pH2 to pH12, so a normal bike wash will not strip it off, and it is safe on gloss, matt, raw carbon, metal and vinyl wraps without changing the finish.
What it will not do is stop a stone chip or cable rub. Nothing that thin can. If protecting the paint physically is the point, you want film.
We apply it in the workshop as part of a build or a service, and we also sell the 15ml kit if you would rather do it yourself.
What a workshop fit includes
Every fitting is done by a Cytech 2 mechanic at our Bow workshop, one minute from Devons Road DLR.
- A full clean and decontamination of the frame before anything goes on
- Film cut and applied panel by panel, edges wrapped where the frame allows
- Cables, bottle cages and anything else in the way removed and refitted
- Gloss or matte film to match how your frame is painted
- Ceramic applied and left to cure properly, not rushed out of the door
- Ten year RideWrap warranty against yellowing and cracking
- Fitting on any bike, whether or not you bought it from us
- A straight answer on whether your bike is worth protecting at all
Paint protection questions
Cost, timing, Cycle to Work and what happens on a bike that is already built.
Which should I choose, film or ceramic?
If you are protecting a new or expensive frame from physical damage, choose film. If your bike is already marked and what you actually want is an easier clean through a London winter, choose ceramic. We fit one or the other, not both, and we will give you a straight answer for your bike. If you are still deciding, bring it to our Bow workshop and we will look at the frame with you.
What does Essential or Covered cost?
Both are quoted with your bike, because the kit price varies by model and the fitting time varies by frame. Tailored is £185 for the kit plus fitting at £60 an hour. Send us your make, model and size and we will price it properly.
How long does the fitting take?
A Tailored kit on a bare frame is around three hours. On a bike that is already built it takes longer, because parts have to come off and go back on. Ceramic is quicker to apply but needs 24 hours to cure and seven days before the first wash.
Can you fit protection to a bike I did not buy from you?
Yes. Bring it in, or message us first with the make, model and size so we can check that a Tailored kit exists for it.
Can I put this on Cycle to Work?
Cyclescheme can cover the RideWrap kit itself as part of a bike purchase, but not the fitting labour, which we invoice you directly. We make that split clear on your quote.
Is it worth it on a commuter, or only on an expensive bike?
It earns its keep fastest on an expensive frame or a special paint finish, where a chip is expensive and hard to put right. On a commuter, Essential coverage on the top tube and down tube is usually the sensible amount, and ceramic often does more for you day to day. Theft and crash damage are a different problem, and that is what Laka bike insurance is for.
Will the film show on a matt frame?
Not if we fit the matte film. RideWrap comes in both gloss and matte, and we match it to the paint. Tell us which finish your frame is when you book.
Should I do this on a new bike?
Yes, that is by far the best moment. Nothing has to be stripped, and the film goes on before the first ride puts the first mark on it. Add it when you order your bike and we fit it before you collect.
Protecting a new bike?
The cheapest time to protect a frame is before it is built, while it is bare and nothing has to come off. Tell us when you order and we fit it into the build.