MADE IN AUSTRALIA: Frameskin

Founded in 2007 by Alan Vogt in Canberra, Frameskin has provided fully custom frame protection for over 15 years. If the name sounds familiar, Alan is also a key figure within the Kowalski Brothers volunteer trail building group, so he’s not afraid of a busy schedule! 

AMB: What was the motivation to begin Frameskin? 

Alan: ‘Frameskin started by accident. I designed a frame protection kit for my pride and joy (a carbon Ibis Mojo) and was chuffed with the results. I posted photos on an MTBR forum and immediately began receiving messages from people asking if they could buy a kit for their bike. Clearly what mattered to me in terms of protecting my bike mattered to lots of other riders out there, so Frameskin began as a pure internet business and my first customers were in North America.’ 

AMB: Were you able to get started with the equipment you had, or did you need to invest to get things up and rolling?

Alan: ‘I did buy equipment specific for my workflow, but the software was what I’d been using for 15-20 years as a graphic designer anyway. The craft of hand tracing shapes and developing custom patterns for bicycles is painstakingly detailed and that took time and patience to perfect. Bikes are so much more complex than cars or motorbikes. 

In 2009, I began to get serious and devote space in my house to Frameskin. In many respects I started off custom frame protection for bikes as it wasn’t being done at the time, which is something I’m proud of.’ 

AMB: There are many more frame protection brands now; do you think having over 15 years’ experience is an asset for Frameskin?

Alan: ‘Experience is essential, as is an eye for detail and a passion for quality. New models of bikes are being released constantly and new bike brands too, so the demand to develop new designs is relentless. I’m not daunted though, because the design principals I’ve used for 15 years produces consistently excellent results.’  

AMB: With new bikes and brands constantly coming out, how do you go about creating custom kits for each individual bike, and how long does it take to create a single Frameskin product?

Alan: ‘I wouldn’t expect any brand to share 3D models of their products as that’s their closely held IP. Anyone hoping for that would be quickly disappointed. For me, the process of designing frame protection starts with having a bike in my workshop using traditional tracing and pattern making techniques. It’s a particularly hands on craft. 

To design a kit for a new model of bike normally takes a day for a simple design, to two days for a more complicated design, and then a half day again for each additional frame size for that model. I don’t charge for design as this is part of developing an inventory. Once I’ve got the kit designed and ready for output, I take about 3-4 hours on average to install a kit onto a bike. I am fastidious about fit.

In terms of keeping on top of new models and sizes, I’ve got long standing relationships with shops, and there’s also a plethora of customers who come to me. I am constantly going to and from bike shops as I develop kits for the latest models. 

I don’t generally have the time to be proactive with new brands, but the kind of customer who’s an early adopter and has just bought the latest brand or model is absolutely a Frameskin customer. They’ve done the research on the bike they’ve just bought, and they want to protect their investment. More often than not they’ve begun to reach out before I’ve heard of that new brand or latest release model.’

AMB: Tell us a bit about Frameskin’s Australian Made credentials, is the entire process onshore?

Alan: ‘All of Frameskin’s kits are designed and manufactured by me, so without doubt we are Australian made. We aren’t connected to an offshore company from an intellectual property or production perspective either so there are no fees, commissions, or franchise style arrangements at play here. Our domain name (frameskin.com) has confused people at times, but that all stems from my very first customers being in North America, and it never hurts to present bigger than you are!

The premium paint protection films (PPFs) used in the industry aren’t made in Australia so I source my roll stock from specialist manufacturers in the United States. I’d love to use an Australian Made base material (like with my Dirtsurfer products), but in the absence of that I’ll keep sourcing premium products from suppliers I’ve used for many years, as that way I can be assured of highest quality and performance. Frameskin is a premium product, so I will only buy the highest quality products. I’m not comfortable sourcing from Asia as quality products and reliable supply are quite variable. I simply won’t risk it.’

AMB: You also run another brand, Dirtsurfer, tell us a bit about that and its Australian Made credentials?

Alan: ‘I launched Dirtsurfer in 2018 after closing operations on some large mountain bike events I’d been running since 2008 (Mont 24 and Kowalski Classic). It’s a related but quite different business to Frameskin. Dirtsurfer products are all about colour, personalisation, and branding. One size will fit any bike. 

Dirtsurfer was a very deliberate exercise in developing high quality Australian Made, environmentally friendly products, and I’m very proud of that. 

AMB: Juggling both Frameskin and Dirtsurfer must be a huge workload for you, how do you manage it?

Alan: ‘Like all things there’s an ebb and a flow to working for yourself. I have a 50 square metre workshop on the side of my house that’s custom built for Frameskin, so I’m only ever one turn of a doorhandle away from doing some work. A public holiday, a workday, and a weekend all look the same to me. I squeeze rides and sneaky trail sessions in and around my work.’ 

AMB: Tell us about the custom order jobs you do, how frequent are these and what do they offer the customer additional to your regular kits?

Alan: ‘Every frame kit we make is a detailed custom kit but if I’m installing it as well the customer generally wants the full protection service which includes a kit for the frame, forks and cranks, crank boots and often a classy Dirtsurfer out front. Occasionally, people wish to change the colour of the logos on their bike or add some kind of graphic flourish, which I can also help with, but it isn’t my core business. They do look cool when I do them though!’

AMB: What can people look forward to from Frameskin in the future?

Alan: ‘I’ve developed a range of graphic frame protection products for retail distribution, so a bit of a departure from the traditional ethos of seamless, optically clear, invisible frame protection. It’s a response to the fact that increasingly bike owners want to personalise their bike. The key difference between my graphic protection range to custom-shaped products is that they will be a one size fits most style kit. Full graphic custom-shaped kits would be way too niche!

AMB: Can customers buy Frameskin for their new bike through their local bike shop?

Alan: ‘Yes, but not really from the hook. I have dealer shops who will order a kit and install it for the customer before they collect their new bike. I also have some shops who send me a frame or bike because they have customers’ needs that are exacting and perhaps they’re not comfortable to do it themselves, or I’m close and can pick up and drop it back when I’m done. I offer a pickup and drop off fitting service for local stores so they can focus on what they do best.’

AMB: Are you nervous with these frames that are sent to you to meet the customers’ high standards?

Alan: ‘No. I’ve always maintained the view that every kit I design has to be the best I have ever made. I think this is something that’s stood me in good stead across my working career. When I was delivering mtb events, our philosophy was to make sure the event was the best people had experienced, that the trails they rode were mint and the course they travelled was fresh and memorable. I look at it from the customer’s perspective and ask myself ‘would I be happy with this standard of work if it was my own bike.’ The answer must be ‘yes’ every single time. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I have designed and installed thousands of kits since 2007.’

WORKSHOP: How to fit Frameskin

AMB: What is your proudest moment with Frameskin to date?

Alan: ‘Offering a consistently high-quality product for my customers is a constant source of pride. Seeing peoples’ reaction to the exquisite detail and seamless finish of the installed kit when I hand their bikes over never gets old. In 2015/2016 I did win a couple of export awards, at the time 40 percent of my sales were exports. That has pulled back now as there are a number of frame protection companies in different countries nowadays, but there were none when I began. So, I’m also quite proud to have pioneered this industry segment when I started in 2007.’ 

So who else is making Aussie mountain bike products? Read our interviews with Shingleback Offroad and Rubber Side Down.