ZEFAL Frame protection film set

Zéfal has been making bicycle accessories in France for well over a century, and this is its frame protection film.

What the manufacturer publishes

A film set protecting the frame against stone chips and scratching. Very high resistance to aging, with no yellowing, over ten years. Nearly invisible. UV and waterproof.

Where the damage actually happens

Predictable places. The down tube, from stones thrown up by the front wheel. The chainstay, from the chain slapping. Anywhere a cable rubs. The head tube, from a bar-mounted bag.

Those are the places film goes, and a set of pre-cut pieces is easier than cutting from a roll.

The yellowing claim

The reason to buy a named brand rather than a generic film. Cheap protective film discolours under UV within two or three years, and by then it has bonded well enough that removing it takes solvents and patience.

Ten years without yellowing is a specific manufacturer claim about the material, and it is the one that matters.

Applying it

Clean, dry, and above roughly 15 °C (59 °F). Adhesive applied in the cold lifts at the edges within weeks. That single condition accounts for most disappointed reviews of every protection film on the market.