Classic & Vintage - Brooks leather bar wrap

Hey everyone,

I just bought some leather bar wrap from Brooks. I have seen many photos and think it will look great on my vintage build. I have read that you should soak the leather in warm water before you begin to wrap and others say that you just need to wrap it just very tight with out soaking it. Also regarding the cork caps, I have seen many photos, like the one below, where the cork itself has also been wrapped instead of just securing the leather. If anyone can forward me to a good clear set of instructions on how to properly wrap the handlebars using leather grip tape that would be great, a video would be better. I just feel that the leather grip tape is very different from regular grip tape and do not want to ruin my new purchase. Any advice will be much appreciated! Thanks!

I did not soak mine in water and I left the caps exposed. I did wrap it very tight. I started from the bottom and worked to the top.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p71/pastorbobnlnh/Cannondale/1996%20SR%20500%20Silk%20Road/SR500BrooksVioletWrap.jpg

Same here. Did not soak,wrapped tight. I started the wrap on the inside of each side of the bar, wrapping counter-clockwise on the left hand side, clockwise on the right hand side. After wrapping I put on a coat of proofide.

I wrapped mine dry and it came out nice.

197660

Once you've gotten them on (and they do go on like any other handlebar tape) carefully inspect that it's "perfect". After just a little bit of use they'll take on color. You'll NEVER be able to re-wrap and match it up. Mine have been on for a couple of years. Also, invest in a couple of bottles of wine -- the corks will make great replacements when the supplied ends fall out. I use Lexol -- also for my saddles -- but I'm known to be heretical.
>@<

Invest in a couple of bottles of wine - there's the best advise i heard all day! Shame those colonials mostly ship their wine with screwtops or plastic "corks". Barbarians. Even though screwtops are quite the solution to "damn I forgot my screwpull at the picknick situations"
.

i wrapped my Brooks leather tape dry and had no problems. i never heard of soaking them first, but then again I'm not one to read directions when it comes to bar tape. :p

Got it! Thanks everyone. I think I was over thinking this process too much and doing more research than needed.