Commuting - Will tape damage paint/decals?

The question says it all. I've started commuting and every time I lock up my bike I end up dinging or scratching the paint on the top tube. I've contemplated reflective tape anyway, and think it would be good to put there. Isn't there also some clear tape I can use that will protect the paint from scratches from the bike rack?

I have used black electrical tape on "high impact" parts of the frame. It leaves some sticky goo when removed, but does not damage the paint.

I'm guessing that the clear "Scotch" tape, in a wider size, might also work well. And, bike catalogs sell expensive "official" bike tape for this sort of purpose.

lol bike tape thats a laugh i had it peel off a few time i use black tape in layers. to get the sticky crap off use goo gone

You can even avoid having to get the gooey residue off: Use non-adhesive cloth bartape and secure it with electrical tape, but only on top of the cloth, not on the actual frame.

I used clear 3m 2-in tape to protect the top tube on my tandem because my foot sometimes does not quite make over all the time. It last for years. Your right about the gooey stuff so that is why I keep it on a long as I can.. I really do not have to take it off and most of my co riders can't tell it is on until I show them. My front down tube has a black 1-in tape I got at the Pep boys. Very clean and protects very well. At work I stuck on white self adhesive weather tape 2-in with pad on the bike rack to protect my bike and others.

A friend of mine had a nice mountian bike. He taped every inch of it to keep it from being damaged and to not look nice, while living and working on a ship. The tape was on for about a year (black electrical tape) and he took it all off with no damage to the bike.

A more common sense approach is to wrap an old inner tube around
the damaged area using zip ties. Makes the chain damage go away
completely while not leaving goo behind as tape will. It also makes
your bike ugly enough that a thief might not want it. (Make sure to
point the zip tie ends DOWN or ouch!) You could also use formed
foam pipe insulation.

i've got gaff tape on my bike, its a black cloth waterproof tape, i.e. a black duck tape, and its supposed to not leave a residue if left on for 2 weeks but i've had it on a lot longer and replaced it, and no goo. plus you can search for 3M scotchcal, used on autos and motorcycles, its a clear film to protect paint.

I wouldn't count on gaff tape being kind to your bike. I've destroyed some pretty nice stages with good ol' permacel.

My experience with reflective tape is it comes off very slowly, but you can get it off without damaging anything. Use a hair dryer and there is a scrapper called a "chisel" which is all plastic but hard as steel. this combination will take it off if you need to remove it.

get some low residue electrical tape, it dosn't leave sticky.

I regularly use this on the downtube and gravel pinged areas of my road bike, saves paint. As well as covering top tube then covering it with bike/ bumperstickers. The layer saves those really bad scratches from parking signs when your bike gets knocked over. I also use it under Anything that clamps on to a tube (i.e. taillights, lock holders, etc. (It keeps them from slipping and grinding dirt into the frame.))

Also good for securing computer wires to the downtube without using multiple unsightly zipties... oh and securing bar tape,