ROCKSTOP FRAMEGUARD REVIEW

Review by Drew Rohde

RockStop’s Frameguard is designed to reduce damage, absorb hits, and offer protection where it matters most. When it comes to protecting valuables, people tend to purchase coverage plans, insurance or cases. For some reason though, we don’t often see or talk about frame protection on our ridiculously expensive mountain bikes, like this Specialized Turbo Levo. We’ve recently seen frame wraps gain popularity and tire inserts, like the RockStop inserts we reviewed several months back, make their way onto more rider’s bikes as it seems more and more riders are starting to show more interest in bike protection.

THE LAB
Designed to fit a wide range of eBikes, the RockStop Frameguard is made from a tough polymer and measures 490mm long by 75mm wide. RockStop has a Fit Checker on their page if you want to check and see if your bike is on the approved fitment list.

Installation is pretty easy and begins with a thorough cleaning of your frame followed with an alcohol rub to remove any oils and promote bonding. An aluminum molded plate is inside the shock absorbing polymer and can be bend and formed to match the contour of your downtube. Hold the rubber guard and shape it next before removing the 3M adhesive strips. Four Velcro adhesive strips stick to the frame and are the anchors for your guard, so all that goes onto your frame are those 3M adhesive tabs. Next Velcro straps pass through the tab and through the Rockstop Frameguard. Pull the Velcro strap tight and snug up the guard against your frame and repeat on each tab. Even though the guard has drain holes, it’s easy to remove for cleaning and ensuring you don’t trap water or grit behind the guard when doing a deep clean.

THE DIRT
We mounted the RockStop Frameguard to our Specialized Levo long term test bike and have been bashing it into logs, stumps, and lava rock ever since. The impact protection is very welcomed, and the guard most definitely lets you know it’s working as impacts aren’t as sharp or hard feeling. It makes the pain of hitting something a little less painful as the sound and impact are deadened.

The guard fits the frame nicely and molded to the curve pretty well. It is definitely visible, but we wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s an eyesore, and certainly better than the eyesores or gouges or scratches we’d have if it wasn’t there. A few months into our testing we went out for a long day of riding in some wet conditions with some wet, gritty dirt and decomposed leaves getting flung up. We noticed that by the end of the day, the lowest Velcro strap had some undone and the lower part of the Rockstop Frameguard was now sticking out instead of bending under the frame towards the bottom bracket. We sprayed it off with water from a bottle and cleaned it as best we could, re-Velcroed the strap and got a little bit more time before it came undone again.

After getting home and thoroughly washing the bike and Frameguard we tried again but only made it through half a ride before it came undone again the following weekend. It seems that perhaps the Velcro could be the weak link if your frame has an abrupt bend and if so, it’d be worth having a spare Velcro strap to swap out as they get tired.

The Wolf’s Last Word

For the most part we are happy with the RockStop Frameguard. It offers quality protection and keeps your downtube and motor much safer than what manufacturer’s spec on their bikes. Our only real issue is that the Velcro doesn’t seem to be strong enough if your frame has a significant downtube bend and regularly ride in the wet. Ultimately finding replacement Velcro strips isn’t the end of the world for such good protection and a quality product, but it’s worth noting. If we were spending money on bikes and mountain bike frame protection, this would definitely be a product we’d invest in.

Price: $62USD | 45GBP
Weight: 165g
Website: Rockstopmtb.co.uk