Tipps und Tutorials

Bicycles, especially high-end models, are expensive, but they are particularly exposed to the elements, such as stone chips, mud and falls. To avoid finding your frame full of scratches after a while, frame protectors are an inexpensive and easy to install item. Some are already included as standard, but not all are.

Key points to protect the frame 

On the head tube, at the cable entry, which can touch the frame when turning the handlebars.

Under the down tube, because of stones jumping off the front wheel.

The front part of the top tube, where the handlebars can rub or hit the tube if you fall.

The outer areas of the seatstays and chainstays, which are exposed to impact from a fall or when the bike is leaning, and sometimes even from rubbing by shoes.

Frame protectors available to you:

Perfect for cyclists or mountain bikers looking for a minimalist and discreet protection, the Skin Armor is a transparent protection that goes unnoticed. The material is an adhesive polyurethane film, a material that will not tear, puncture or peel. It also has the advantage of providing protection against UV rays and temperature changes. It is a very thin film, making it virtually invisible when properly installed. The channel system used prevents air bubbles.  Of course, since it is also designed for ATV use, it is water resistant.

The Skin Armor is available in 3 kits of different sizes, composed of predefined shapes ready to be applied on the exposed areas of the frame. These 3 kits will save you the work of cutting as the pieces are delivered perfectly cut with the appropriate shapes for each area of the frame. For the owners of a matte frame, the Skin Armor Matt is now available!

Installation area of the Skin Armor S

Installation area of the Skin Armor S

Installation area of the Skin Armor L

Installation area of the Skin Armor XL

In addition, Zéfal has developed the Skin Armor XL to fit frames with a very wide down tube like eBikes. As easy to install as the other versions, the Skin Armor XL will protect your wide frame and will fit eBikes.

Installation tips:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Clean the bike frame.
3. Peel off the adhesive protection.
4. Stick the patch to the dry frame.
5. Rub the patch with a soft cloth to remove air.

To remove the protection, simply use the heat of a hair dryer to peel it off, then the glue residue is easily removed with a little alcohol.

The Skin Armor has been used for several years by the FDJ - Nouvelle Aquitaine - Futuroscope team.  Lucas Fouquet, team mechanic, talks about its use:

"As soon as the bikes are assembled, we stick the Skin Armor. We protect the places most exposed to shocks on the frames: under the down tube, chainstay, behind the crankset (chain jump), transponder location. The pre-cut kits are perfect to avoid thinking too much about cutting the protections. Very resistant to impacts and scratches, it has the advantage of not leaving any trace when taking off.

The Skin Armor Roll allows you to make custom-made products. I recommend cleaning/degreasing the parts to be protected well for a good hold over time."

For those who are detail oriented or have a lot of bikes, the Zéfal Skin Armor Roll will be a good solution. The same material as above, but in a 15 meter roll and 58 mm wide. The great advantage of this format, besides being more economical in the long run, is that we can cut the shapes we want and therefore design custom protections. Something particularly useful for the frames all suspended, where the variety of shapes and lengths is much greater.

Protected by its invisible cape, your bike is now ready to devour the miles. However, for those who love rocky terrain and fast descents, it's safer to use a thicker material to protect against rocks.