Sports Cover Bike Shield protective tape is the best IMHO.  It used to come in a black packet with a red stripe, but now it's blue with black and yellow writing.  Extra are the distributors in the UK, not sure if it's available anywhere else.  It comes in packs of various sizes and shapes, but a Half Pack has enough for the whole leading edge of the downtube (stone chip heaven) and several oval cable patches (probably enough for two or three bikes).  Full Pack has even more.  It's thick enough to not wear though or get chipped, but not so thick that it sticks out like a sore thumb.  Really sticky too, but you can reposition as long as you don't press down to firmly.

I use Helicoptor Tape.  A friend of mine is an aviation mechanic and works at a local airport. Auto racers also use the same product.  Its thick, transparent, is not an adhesive, can be cut to size, has UV protection and will not yellow.  Best of all, its cheaper than going to a bike shop where the same product is repackaged, and sold as a bike thing. By "non adhesive", I mean its not like scotch tape. It will stick on to stuff and it will peel off too without messing up the paint job.

Take a look at this link:   http://www.iscracerstape.com/np.html

But if you're near a local airport, there's got to be aviation mechanics there that will sell you a sheet of this stuff for a few bucks. I use it on the RS where the cable touches the head tube. Mine came in a sheet, not in a roll.   

If you ever get to see the Felt bikes, take a look at their solution to the problem of cables touching the frame. They use a soft rubber sleeve.  

Krank:

Just built out the frame. What do you suggest using to protect the frame where the cables touch Thanks

Krank:

Just built out the frame. What do you suggest using to protect the frame where the cables touch Thanks

Hey Bobby, do you think that Racers Tape (helicopter tape) will work well as a chan guard protector as well....specifically, I have yet to find a chain watcher that can fit my Cervelo R3, yet, I need to protect the frame around the BB in case I ever drop the chain (which invariably will happen even if I have the front der correctly adjsuted). I am looking for something thick that will protect against the potential grind of a chain.

Just wondering?

Thanks,

EM3

   I picked up a pkg of Bontrager cable protectors (red and black pkg), they match the RS color scheme and were available at nearby Trek dealer

P.S.   Most motorcycle shops carry sheets of the transparent plastic that will cling but not bond to the paint that you are looking for.. I cut out a section, took off the origional rubber strip off the chainstay , wrapped the plastic around the chainstay and reapplied the rubber strip over the plastic, Can't tell the plastic is there and protects against chain-slap and whatever may come in contact with it.   www.factoryeffex.com

I never tried it as a BB area protection for a dropped chain. But I think it would work. Although the Cervelo carbon bikes all have this massive amount of carbon at the BB. It would be difficult to cover up that entire area. A lot of cutting to fit not only the downtube and seat tube, but the BB itself would be a trick.