Bicycle Mechanics - Tape for handlebar tape

Does anyone have any recommendations for a specific type of tape to secure the end of handlebar tape? My LBS says they just use electical tape. I was thinking of some of the colored 3M plastic tape, white to go with white bar tape. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Raymond

Assuming you have started at the ends of the drops and worked inwards, you need to snip the end so it is straight and butts up against the shim, then tape it with pvc electrical insulating tape. You need to be a bit more generous than the skimpy "Italian Flag" bits of adhesive tape that you get with bar-tape.
As for colour, be a little creative. Have you ever seen the two-tone bar-taping scheme. Looks cool , but its harder to do.

Thanks, Michael! Yeah, I was hoping to get blue and white, but I could only find blue/yellow, blue/celeste, and solid blue. The blues weren't quite the right shade so I opted for plain white. Maybe next time.

I was planning to emulate the two or so complete wraps the LBS used when they taped the new bar they put on my bike.

Thanks again,
Raymond

Try Scotch 33 electrical tape, its the best and should be readily available at your local electrical supply house. Also, I think that Home Depot has started stocking some of the name brand electrical stuff so it may be there as well. The Scotch 33 is available in a rainbow of colors for coding wire and should be available in a color to match your scheme.

Huffy(You da)Man,
Thanks! That sounds like a plan. As luck would have it, a new Lowe's opened just a few blocks from my house. I am always glad to have an excuse to ride over there. :)
Rainman

Carry a partial roll of electrical tape in your saddle tool kit, too. If you're attacked by marauding Krispy Kremes or Twinkies (see thread on "Self Defense") you can often subdue the critters and immobilize them with the tape till they can be...disposed of.

You're CRUEL Jon!

You think that's cruel? I prefer to drown them in milk.

Start at the end of the Handle bar going inward then when your about 1 1/2 inch to the center or 2 inch it defends on your taste, used a glue to paste the end of the handle bar tape, I have done it this way, I just copy the way my favorite bike shop does it, and the the plug a that goes with the tapes, just insert it in the hole at the end of the handle bar, no need of those so many kind of electrical tap or 3 M tape........, be sure that the end of the tapes your glueing is underneath the handle bar, so it will look like it has been done by a pro-mechanic

Thanks, Oscar. What type of glue do you use? Rubber cement? Shoe Goo? My LBS uses tape.
Thanks,
Raymond

You could use a dab of silicone sealant. That stuff will adhered to any clean surface better than anything I know. I wouldn't have thought of it except for Orguasch telling about using glue.

I used the " Shoe Glue", it will come out like it has been tape by a Pro.....

Thanks, Oscar! As I get to work on my Salvation Army Schwinn, I will give you reports.

No problem Rainman, its alway a pleasure to help a fellow bikeforum members,

Nylon reinforced "strapping tape" over the finishing end, under the electrical tape, ( 4 to 6 in.) does work very well, especially when when holding down some brake cables. I always stretch my handle bar tape a bit to keep it in place better and to have enough tape to finish the job , be very careful particularly with cork as it splits very easily and the other types can do the same. I always wrap my tape a bit beyond the stem/bar joint reinforcement and wrap the reinforced tape where I want to cut it off to use as a guide and to hold it in place, then I cover it ( the RT) with electric tape for a "cosmetic finish".

Have your ever used "colored" electrical tape to finish your wrap? I keep several colors on hand to compliment the various colors of tape I use, ( red with yellow, blue with red etc. etc.)

There used to be some great tape called "The Tape" that cushioned well, lasted forever, stayed in place no matter what the temperature, and you coud re-use and re-wrap it when you needed to switch bars, install levers etc. because it didn't use any adhesive. "Off The Front Tape" seems to be a reincarnation of "The Tape" and maybe even better!!!!

I've used contact cement, (Barge) under plastic handlebar tape to hold it in place on the curve of the bars near/inside the brakes, especially for hot seasons, but always found it difficult to remove :p

Originally posted by pat5319

I've used contact cement, (Barge) under plastic tape to hold it in place, especially for hot seasons, but always found it difficult to remove :p
That's also a problem with silicone sealant: it's difficult to impossible to remove, and I would never want to use it on a painted surface. On plated or bare metal, it would certainly hold, but you might have to scrape it off if you ever wanted to get rid of it.

The colored electrical tape sounds like a great idea. I've had outstanding luck with regular electrical tape exposed to heat and rain--just keeps on holding.

I realize I'm resurrecting a - HOLY COW - four year old thread...

I'm about to install a set of Albatross bars and may be taping them. (haven't decided yet)

As a finish, I have some LARGE heat-shrink tubing to hold the ends of the tape down.

My local electronics warehouse has this stuff in all sorts of colours and sizes... easily large enough to fit over a wrapped bar.

Food for thought. (the stuff is permanent unless you cut it off with an Xacto.)

Chris

I realize I'm resurrecting a - HOLY COW - four year old thread...

I'm about to install a set of Albatross bars and may be taping them. (haven't decided yet)

As a finish, I have some LARGE heat-shrink tubing to hold the ends of the tape down.

My local electronics warehouse has this stuff in all sorts of colours and sizes... easily large enough to fit over a wrapped bar.

Food for thought. (the stuff is permanent unless you cut it off with an Xacto.)

Chris

I'm guessing that the downside of using heatshrink on handlebars is the same as using it on electrical splices.

Of course, what I'm referring to is REMEMBERING to slide the heat shrink on at an early enough stage in the process. If you wait until after, there's just no way.

I'm guessing that the downside of using heatshrink on handlebars is the same as using it on electrical splices.

Of course, what I'm referring to is REMEMBERING to slide the heat shrink on at an early enough stage in the process. If you wait until after, there's just no way.

Totally right - gotta be proactive or you're SOL with heat-shrink tubing. It's a major PITA to have to de-solder stuff if you forget it (been there) it makes more sense to use that paint on electrical tape in that case.

I haven't put it on the bars yet because I want to ride the new bars for a bit and see if I've got everything positioned comfortably.

On the plus side, it's SO easy to take the shifters and brake levers off these bars, it's not a burden if I want to add the tubing later. See this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=133389) for pics. :)

best stuff on the planet is elect tape comes in lots o colors too. works every time.

The 3M tape that comes in colors is 3M No. 35. It comes in 1/2" and 3/4" widths. Cheap and easy to find at any electrical supply house. Electricians use it to color code cables. Check out Parktools site's article on bar wrapping for multicolor striping your finishing tape.

The new bars look great installed, have fun getting everything sorted. It's a real plus that all the goodies are easily removed/installed. OTOH, if you slide on an extra heatshrink sleeve per side, you have a bit of room for error. If everything works perfectly, you can either cut the extra sleeve off, or shrink it over the first one. If there's a problem, you have the second sleeve in reserve. Not that it's a big deal.

Glad you mentioned the heatshrink. Definitely an interesting detail.

I manage a smalltown hardware/feed/fuel store and this is spot on.

I've tried every tape in the place, and the Scotch electrical line is the stickiest on the inside, and the NOT stickiest on the outside - in other words, it isn't like friction tape, but STICKS like friction tape.

And it comes in about 6 colors.



Try Scotch 33 electrical tape, its the best and should be readily available at your local electrical supply house. Also, I think that Home Depot has started stocking some of the name brand electrical stuff so it may be there as well. The Scotch 33 is available in a rainbow of colors for coding wire and should be available in a color to match your scheme.

Good to know. 3M makes some very cool products - hadn't heard of that one but I'll check it out.

Went for a short ride tonight - loving the bars so far. Doing a longer ride tomorrow - maybe up to 30km or so. :)

GIVE US PICS OF OTHER HAND POSITIONS!

We demand it?



Went for a short ride tonight - loving the bars so far. Doing a longer ride tomorrow - maybe up to 30km or so. :)

*laughs* I'll see what I can do. So far I've tried the one you see, in the front-most bends and right next to the stem. Having palms "turned in" seems more comfortable than the single axis you get on a set of flat bars. I suppose bar-ends on flat bars help but they don't let your hands move forward or backward much like these ones.

Getting ready for that 30km ride shortly... more when I get back!

Scotch 23 rubber splicing tape. It's self vulcanizing so it permanently bonds to itself when stretched but does not stick to other materials like the bars. No adhesive residue to clean off later. Only in flat black though.

Nylon reinforced packing tape. Doesn't stretch, Light, easy to work with.