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Predator Cycles lets your re-roll your own with DIY carbon fiber repair kit

Written by Tyler Benedict
27 Comments
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Predator Cycles DIY carbon fiber repair kit for bicycles

Predator Cycles has been doing custom carbon fiber repairs for years, but even they admit the cost of a professional repair service can sometimes get a little high when shipping and downtime is factored in. So, they’ve compiled their knowledge into a DIY Carbon Repair Kit that lets you tackle small to medium cracks and chips yourself.

The kit includes everything you need along with instructions, and they’ve put together a three part video tutorial (embedded below), too…

The kit includes:

  • (1) Carrying case with handle
  • (1) 12”x 6” sheet of 3K carbon fiber weave
  • Epoxy
  • Hardener
  • (2) Plastic mixing cups
  • (2) Acid brushes
  • (1) Pair Gloves
  • (3) 3”x 5” Wet/Dry Sandpaper (120/220/320)
  • (2) Sterile Wipes
  • (1) 2 yd heat compression tape
  • (1) Instruction sheet

Here’s how to use it, and scroll down for pricing and links:

Available directly from Predator Cycles and through Amazon.com for $99.95. And check out our factory tour to see how they do what they do.

We have a kit in the office and will write review if (when) we need to use it.
Tyler Benedict
11,280 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com, where he’s been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel and ride in new places.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler also loves the Vanlife & family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part and off-grid adventure.

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27 Comments
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J Man
J Man
9 years ago

Now that nasty seat tube cut can be properly and easily repaired at home. Good news !

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von.kruiser
von.kruiser
9 years ago

Aram is the man… this guy is legit.

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erikv
erikv
9 years ago

Very cool. Not for everyone, but there is certainly a lot of people who would give this a try.

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JoeP
JoeP
9 years ago

I am impressed

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Chris L
Chris L
9 years ago

This is great. I’ve always been amazed at how clueless/paranoid cyclists are when it comes to composites. I’ve lost track of the number of “professionals” who work in bike shops and tell people that carbon can’t be repaired. These people are clueless, pure and simple. Surfers have been doing DIY ding repairs on boards for decades (granted, fiberglass is somewhat more forgiving but the process isn’t that different). So long as you keep things properly cleaned and wear gloves repairing composites is pretty simple – more so than repairing steel. Also carbon is different than steel in that a repaired composite structure is almost always stronger after the repair than it was before. Just don’t expect a home repair to be pretty!

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gringo
gringo
9 years ago

No gloves, no mask, and no goggles!

(deleted)

Please kids do not try this at home! Carbon dust is super toxic, and his little k-mart spray bottle is not enough to keep things safe.

His ideas are not terrible, but his working method is similar to what I have seen in the worst of the Chinese carbon factories.

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Chris L
Chris L
9 years ago

@Gringo: Yup! Like sawdust, once this stuff is in your lungs it never leaves. Even a simple 3M disposable mask will work. No gloves is also a bad idea. Cleanliness is EVERYTHING with epoxies.

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von.kruiser
von.kruiser
9 years ago

Gringo – Hmmm he wet sanded so there is no carbon dust. It’s not about the sprayer but to keep it wet, period. He says to keep added water when sanding. He then puts on gloves and adds the epoxy. He has glasses on for goggles. However for epoxy, OSHA says you need at least a down draft air source and respirator not a mask… you’re correct there. However the same could be said for plastic model glue. It needs a respirator but no one uses one like you never did as a kid.

(deleted)

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gringo
gringo
9 years ago

von cruiser: happy talk don’t cure cancer.

-Have you ever seen anyone die of lung cancer?
-Have you ever seen anyone with strange chemical-induced deformities still working without protective gear?

I have.

(deleted)

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Ted
Ted
9 years ago

warranty void

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Dallin Judy
Dallin Judy
7 years ago
Reply to  Ted

most warranties don’t cover accidents whats to lose

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von.kruiser
von.kruiser
9 years ago

Gringo – So even w/ the precautions he has, you’re over reacting justifies your bad attitude? Would not like to in your house hold. Yes I have seen people die of lung cancer w/ smoking, asbestos and hereditary. W/ the exception of hereditary, the others had zero precautions and did it over long periods of time… not home usage once in a while. Predator does not discuss their own work environment just this home kit. You do not know how they work with chemicals day in day out. Do not assume you know how he works.

Again the kits are for home repair. They do not do it for a living. It’s like working w/ model glue, etc… it’s not all the time. Riding your bike in heavy traffic every day to work is not good for you. People still do it. Mechanics in a garage work with chemicals all day long. Most wear gloves but almost none wear face masks.

A home repair kit w/ limited usage in a ventilated area will not kill you. It’s the prolonged exposure to chemicals and carcinogens.

Quit justifying your bad attitude.

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UnfilteredDregs
UnfilteredDregs
9 years ago

I wonder if you buy enough of these could you build a bike?

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Collin S
Collin S
9 years ago

The epoxy has some nasty stuff in it, however what Gringo and Chris L is more about the carbon fiber dust. When carbon fiber is broken or cut, dust from nano tubes to your more macro particles are released. Dust masks are worthless as they rarely have a tight fit/seal on the face. At my work and many other labs simply do not allow them in the building because they are nearly impossible to test if its fitting right. With a cartridge mask, you can test the functionality (typical method is the Banana Oil method) and every time you put it on, you need to do a positive and negative pressure test to make sure its adjusted properly. With everything in this world, one single act does not kill you however, repeated exposure can lead to issues down the road. Using simple PPE can reduce the risks.

<- My companies safety "Pusher"

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Ryan
Ryan
9 years ago

12″ x 6″ isn’t long enough. Wouldn’t even wrap around twice on some downtubes.

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von.kruiser
von.kruiser
9 years ago

Collin S – Thank you for the detailed explanation of carbon dust. Good to know.

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Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen
9 years ago

Also required: DIY self plastic surgery kit, after your bike folds in half and “rubs” all your teeth out of your skull.

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Fatso
Fatso
9 years ago

Lawsuit waiting to happen. This is likely an amazing kit and probably works very well. However the person who is smart enough to use this kit is also smart enough to source their own materials for quite a bit less than $100. Everyone else should leave this to professional repair like Predator or many of the others.

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OldDoc
OldDoc
9 years ago

I’ve only done one DIY bike carbon repair.
It was a seat stay on a Superfly that had cracked. So, clueless as I was, I followed the directions.
It’s still doing great.

I’m sitting on a Air 9 carbon w/ a cracked seat tube. It’s marinating in my head as to how best to attempt that repair. Much weirder angles than the seat stay.
The Amazon kit I ordered was a whopping $50 but came w/ more carbon. And most of the other stuff too.

Just saying- one self taught repair is still working.
And from what I read online- there is plenty more where that came from.
My experince is that this is easy stuff in some cases to work with.
(now… about keeping it wet. Crap. Too late cough cough…..)

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gringo
gringo
9 years ago

I never said anything about epoxy fumes. I am saying he should be worried about carbon dust, as Collin points out. bad stuff. if you dont like my delivery then you are more than welcome to sand carbon without a mask, and take your higher ground.

Just trying to keep he uninformed from doing themselves harm.

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CL
CL
9 years ago

This is in no way legit. Zero typical practices, procedures or rules of thumb of composites repair were followed.

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Aesop
Aesop
9 years ago

Carbon is nice but too fragile for MTB’s… I like my Alloyminum.

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Tyler
Tyler
9 years ago

@OldDoc

That’s great, I encourage you to try out the kit on your Air 9. Since you are aware of the risks, there is no reason not to try it.

However, I would warn against putting too much weight into success stories, yours or otherwise, and using them as a basis for recommendation. Just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you, and vise versa.

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Oliver
Oliver
9 years ago

What’s the difference to this kit?
http://www.easycomposites.co.uk/Products/carbon-fibre-fishing-rod-pole-repair-kit.aspx
or this one:
http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Products/fishing-rod-pole-repair-kit.aspx
at less than half the cost…

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Aesop
Aesop
9 years ago

Consider a Carbon-Kevlar fabric and lay it up with an Epoxy called G-Flex. This is the strongest repair you can make in the home environment. If you are a Mr. Wizard type you can make a vacuum chamber out of a pressure cooker with a hose fitting and a vac pump. (Harbor Freight) When you mix the epoxy, put the cup in the vac chamber and pump it out. It will get all the air bubbles out of the mix…

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/g-flex-epoxy/
http://www.fibreglast.com/category/carbon-kevlar-hybrid-fabric

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jonas
jonas
9 years ago

Gringo,

Do you have a link to any trustworthy website that classifies carbon fibre dust as poisenous or carcinogen? I know all the stories floating around, but then all my research so far showed that all sources I would trust (like government websites or medical studies from universities) classify it as inert dust or not dangerous.

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TonyBurns
TonyBurns
8 years ago

I’m trying to order order a carbon repair kit,what is the best way to place my order?

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