

I could write an essay on my RideWrap experience lmao... for me, brand new bike = tailored (custom cut) kit. $125 USD for a very nice kit that covers your entire frame. A drop in the bucket in the scheme of things to keep the bike looking sharp, for a bit at least.
However, I've been burned on bikes (w/ carbon frames) which have cracked in short order. Pissing away the time and money spent. For example, I'm on my 4th Pivot Firebird frame in 3 years and redoing the film each time got annoying, not to mention fully rebuilding the bike. One of those frames came right before a trip to BC (shore/squamish/whistler) and
I didn't have time to wrap it. Didn't take long before the glossy finish was so scuffed and looking like crap, but that frame cracked fairly quickly (like 2 months). So on my current Firebird I just went with the RW covered kit. Pivot warranty has been really good and I don't plan on selling it. Based on our rocky terrain, my riding and crashing... especially the longer travel bikes, they just take a beating and look it after a season or two.
On my prior eMTB (SCOR), I also applied a tailored RW kit... only for the rear triangle to crack in 6 rides! SCOR could only provide an entire replacement frame. Once again, transferring everything over sucked having to deal with all the "E" parts on top of it. Then the warranty frame cracked in the same spot a few rides later. Yea, I'm traumatized...
The tailored kit is custom-cut, covers more and is more expensive. The covered kit is the opposite, generic cuts, less coverage and lower cost. However, I've found that to "fit" the covered kit to my liking... I spend time placing, marking, cutting the pieces. Doesn't save any time and the finished product isn't as "good" in terms of coverage and look.
I've also used AMS honeycomb film in some higher-impact areas in the past, but it didn't seem to make a big difference in terms of protection. Drop, slide or lay the bike into rocks and you'll likely have some degree of paint and/or frame damage. With a new bike, it just feels right to keep it looking newer for as long as possible.
Save the upgrades for a part II...