Riv-ish Top Tube Protection

[Den John]

Hello,

What do people do for Riv-ish top tube protection for their bikes?

Clear stickers like helicopter tape don't seem very Riv-ish, tend to peel off and look a mess after a while, and possibly aren't the best from an environmental perspective.

BMX/mountain bike pads with velcro fixings seem ok but aren't a very good match aesthetically. I'm using an old MTB pad at the moment.

I've seen some ready made leather top tube covers but they don't seem to fit the 31mm diameter tubes on my Atlantis or Clem H. Similarly, Velo Orange had some elk skin bar tape but again I don't think it would fit. A home made leather TT cover might work I suppose.

I've seen some people put shellacked bar tape along all or most of their TT but that operation looks like a massive PITA IMO and it's not easily removable once it's been done.

What I'd really like is a canvas cover made of something like Carradice waxed cotton duck (it would match my bags at least) but I've not found anyone who makes something like that.

Any other ideas?

Cheers,

Johnny

[Johnny Alien]

One time I did it with all twine and then shellac'd it.  Reasoning in my mind was that the bar tape would be hard to get off (as you mentioned) and that twine would be easy to remove. Regardless of reasoning it took me a long time to wrap twine for that length and I would likely never do it again.

[Michael Morrissey]

Hi!

Great question. My top tube is looking not so fresh any more. I am going to change things up a bit. First, I just bought little bolt on adaptors that allow you to run a full cabled brake cable on the top. I carry my bike up and down stairs all the time so I want to do this. 

These are the adaptors:

https://www.amazon.com/Juscycling-Hydraulic-Housing-Adaptor-Conversion/dp/B07L21FBX3

Next, I’ll either sticker the spots that commonly rub against bike racks, or I’ll wrap some of it in twine like Rivendell commonly does. 

Last option is buying a top tube pad or frame bag. I normally just run one Ortlieb bag though and don’t often need more storage. 

Michael 

On Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 7:31:22 AM UTC-4 john...@gmail.com wrote:

[Michael Morrissey]

Here’s the twine instructions from Rivendell:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzehUKAztnO8MzEwYWZiYjItY2NlNC00MWM3LWI0ODItZmY5MzBmMDJkMjU2

[Leslie Tierstein]

I don't know what you mean by "Riv-ish".  My favorite top tube protector is by Green Guru, marketed to messengers to help them carry the bike on their shoulders.  Velcro closure, not too much padding. Unfortunately, it is currently sold out:

Top Tube Protector - Green Guru Gear

Leslie Tierstein

Arlington VA

On Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 7:31:22 AM UTC-4 john...@gmail.com wrote:

[Drw]

If you were looking for just protection from handlebars flopping into the top tube, the pake protector works really well, is small and not incredibly noticeable...though i wish it was unbranded.

[Sean B.]

I use one of the mini protectors from Blue Lug to keep my bar end shifters from scratching the TT . They also make full top tube protectors too.

https://global.bluelug.com/accessories/frame-pad.html

[Den John]

@Sean B: Those Blue Lug pads are exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

I may see if my wife can produce something similar with her sewing machine...

@Johnny Alien: I saw someone at the Eroica in Italy who had done his whole handlebar with twine. It looked cool but I thought no way I'd try it. Even taping bars with normal tape tends to drive me demented.

@Leslie: what is Riv-ish when it comes to bike finishing and accessories? For me, a few things:

        - Preference for materials that can be treated or repaired to keep them usable, rather than materials that have to be thrown out when they start to get tired

        - Preference for natural materials like cotton, twine and leather that develop a patina

        - Designs that don't have large ugly logos, and/or colours that clash with Rivendell's colours

@Everyone else: thanks for your suggestions.

Cheers,

Johnny

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[John Rinker]

While there's a part of me that completely understands the desire to protect the beautiful paint on my Riv, another, more carefree part feels that covering up such beautiful work defeats the purpose of having it to enjoy. Kind of reminds me when my aunt bought a beautiful couch only to cover it with a less-than-attractive throw to protect it. 

Entropy is real and I'm trying to come to terms with the fleeting nature of beauty, or to appreciate what beauty there is in the whole process from 'shiny-new' to 'well-used'. 

We're I to cover the top tube, I'd probably learn a cool, multi-colored bar tape wrap with twine finishing the ends. Very Riv, indeed.

Cheers, John

[Mike Godwin]

I made leather protectors out of scrap leather purchased from David B. I got a boatload from him and thought gee what else can I make with all the leather scraps. Viola a top tube protector! I cut strips for ties using a box knife, cut out a rectangle of leather, punched holes using a paper hole punch or a home-made tool.  I like more for impact resistance. I know the powder coat will get scratched up eventually, the bike is still in the precious stage. 

Attached photo, it's biased to the front since that is where more of the leaning action happens. Also, the piece was only that long.

Mike SLO CA

[Benjamin L. Kelley]

I agree with John here, the most Riv-ish solution is not to use one. If dings in my paint from posts or handlebars bothered me,  I'd be more inclined to not do the things that cause it, rather than to add unnecessary, bulky, and unattractive protective equipment.

My most beat up toptube frame(2017 Steamroller, lived chained to a signpost for 2 years in NY) still gets good compliments.

Some guys actually came into the bar and found me the other night because they wanted to talk to me about bikes.  They didn't come in to say "dude that TT is messed up, put a pound of leather on it!"

--ben

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[Joe Bernard]

I have a couple of these BMX-type covers I got from a very nice fellow in Hong Kong. This is the only option I would use, I'm wary of moisture getting under twine and/or cloth and screwing up the toptube worse than any dings or dents ever would (this is also why I don't wrap chainstays). 

I don't actually use them, though, so anyone can have them for shipping. 

Joe Bernard

[Joe Bernard]

One sold, dark blue available. 

[Andrew Letton]

On the two bikes where the bar-end shifters would otherwise contact the top tube, I use this JandD pump strap to both secure the pump and protect the TT.

https://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FPT

On my commuter which doesn't have the above issue (and doesn't have a pump under the TT), I wrapped the TT with some bar tape in the two locations where I commonly lean it to lock it or strap it to a post on the train.

cheers,

Andrew in Sydney

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[Bones]

I have a few of those small Blue Lug frame pads. I slide them all the way forward or backward on the top tube until I lock the bike up, then I just slide it over to protect the point of contact. I think this is a good compromise: it allows the bike to shine but still affords some protection when I need it.

Bones

[Matthew Williams]

I spotted this nice bit of leatherwork at my local shop. Simple, functional, elegant, and it looks great.

Does anyone know if this a custom/self-made piece, or is it from a shop somewhere? It's gorgeous--who made this? 

[Den John]

Velo Orange made leather top tube covers like that for a while, but not any more. It could also be leather bar tape repurposed as a TT cover. Again,

I think VO have stopped making their elk skin TT bar tape.

Brick Lane Bikes make a leather TT cover too but it only seems to fit narrower tubing than the 31mm tubes on my Rivendell bikes.

Cheers,

Johnny

On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 at 03:39, Matthew Williams <matthewwil...@gmail.com> wrote:

I spotted this nice bit of leatherwork at my local shop. Simple, functional, elegant, and it looks great.

Does anyone know if this a custom/self-made piece, or is it from a shop somewhere? It's gorgeous--who made this? 

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[Nick Payne]

Rivendell themselves put clear plastic protection on the drive side chainstay of their frames - both the Rivendell frames I have came with the protection already installed - so I don't see that you can say it's not very Riv-ish.

For protecting the toptubes of the bikes, which have the bare brake cable inner running along at about ten o'clock on the tube, I went to a motorbike shop and bought a roll of 3M plastic tape intended for paint protection. It's been installed for a good 20 years, hasn't peeled or yellowed, and most people don't notice that it's there at all.

Nick

[Evan E.]

An outfit called Clintonville Leather, on Etsy, sells leather top tube protectors in different lengths. Good quality leather, backed by a strip of inner tube and secured with Chicago screws. Here. No affiliation.

[Den John]

@Nick Payne Rivendell has all kinds of stuff on their site that you can do yourself but they don't put on their complete bikes as standard.

Adjustable cup BBs, shellack over bar tape, cork grips, home made pump pegs and grips,... Grant P likes the adjustable BBs but says it's not economical to put them on all the completes they send out. Maybe the same goes for the clear plastic chainstay covers: that's probably just the easiest, quickest way to protect the bikes that they build up. Blue Lug puts a bit of cotton bar tape on there instead. My Clem (bought used) had the clear plastic on the chainstay but it was peeling, bubbly and wrinkled. Maybe I'm just unlucky.

@Evan E: Those leather covers look nicely made. I like the way they suggest using a $ bill to measure the tube. Makes me think: both Euro and Sterling notes are plastic coated these days. Maybe I could tape some currency to my TT. Then I've got some emergency cash with me :-)

In any case, I cobbled together a couple of solutions. These are try outs, easy to undo if I don't like them and using leftover stuff I had around. I'm leaving on holiday on monday and at least one of these bikes will come with me, so I'll see what works.

For the Atlantis, I wrapped a couple of layers of scrap leather and tied it up with twine. It's there to stop the handlebars colliding with the TT. The brake cable is closed in so there's no rubbing on the TT.

For the Clem H, I put a bit of leftover cotton bar tape over the side where the cables rub the TT. I put some shellack over it and tied it with twine to stop it peeling off. A bit like how Blue Lug does their chain stays. I also cut the inner sleeve out of a brake cable and put it over the exposed run of cable.

Cheers,

Johnny who cut his wrist open fixing a puncture on his ride today.

On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 at 18:32, Evan E. <evanel...@gmail.com> wrote:

An outfit called Clintonville Leather, on Etsy, sells leather top tube protectors in different lengths. Good quality leather, backed by a strip of inner tube and secured with Chicago screws. Here. No affiliation.

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[aeroperf]

I use a leather steering wheel cover.  They come in different sizes and colors, lace on, and are cheap.

[Nick Payne]

On Sunday, 18 July 2021 at 3:19:20 am UTC+10 john...@gmail.com wrote:

@Nick Payne Rivendell has all kinds of stuff on their site that you can do yourself but they don't put on their complete bikes as standard.

Adjustable cup BBs, shellack over bar tape, cork grips, home made pump pegs and grips,... Grant P likes the adjustable BBs but says it's not economical to put them on all the completes they send out. Maybe the same goes for the clear plastic chainstay covers: that's probably just the easiest, quickest way to protect the bikes that they build up.

No, these weren't built-up bikes that I bought. They were bare framesets, and they both came with clear plastic chainstay protector already stuck on.

Nick

[Den John]

Maybe it's something the factories that build the framesets do, rather than Rivendell. In any case, it still seems likely that it's less labour intensive to put on a sticker than to do some more elaborate chainstay protection.

Johnny

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[lconley]

It could be a section of a lace-on automotive steering wheel cover for an older thin rim steering wheel. They have similar spacing of the lacing holes. You could do several bicycles with one cover.

Laing 

On Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 7:31:22 AM UTC-4 john...@gmail.com wrote:

[jtallman]

I have used used the leather top tube protecters and handlebar covers from VO and like them a lot. To save a money I bought some larger leather pieces from a vendor at a craft fair.  I then used scissors, hammer, and nail to fashion my own top tube cover and handlebar wrap. Had some leather left to make a cover for my water bottle.

Jon Tallman, Bristol VA

On Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 7:31:22 AM UTC-4 john...@gmail.com wrote:

[Edwin W]

These protectors seem Riv-ish to me: made by an individual, attention to detail, etc...

Wrapping an old inner tube around the top tube and finishing it with electrical tape is Bobbish: practical and cheap by using discarded parts.

Edwin