Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Best and Worst Bar Taping jobs

Here in SSFG we have all have a keen eye to even the smallest detail on our bikes (and everyone elses:innocent:) but the one thing that can make even the worst bikes, or break even the best is the bartape :rolleyes:

so let's see the good :thumb: , the bad :cry: , and the just plain ugly :twitchy: from your own bikes and everyone elses that you hay have snapped a pic of.

if you've ever botched a tape job, we want to see it, and if you ever got the tape so absolutely perfect then let's see that too.

wish I had a pic of the first bars I tape, my god the random bulges and bald spots was frightening

my first attempt was when i was twelve, i had bought some horrid blue and black tape without a sticky backing so that i could re-do it as many time as possible. somehow i did it with the tape inside out, so the beveled ridges on the back of the tape were on the outside of the bars :p

I will try to get a better shot tomorrow, but for now I have this
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu132/gavriel_bucket/photo4.jpg

I have added more dewaxed shellac and cleaned edges around the shifters and tops.

-edit-

a couple shots with a fresh coat
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu132/gavriel_bucket/photo1-2.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu132/gavriel_bucket/photo2-2.jpg

Hawt.

I've never felt bars that looked like that. How do they feel?

Feels great by touch but no padding sucks. It forces me to wear gloves for padding, which I should be doing anyway in case I fall and scrape my palms (I have and it is terrible). My gloves aren't fancy or heavily padded

I should take a picture of "followed instructions", "did it my way" bartape job.

a decent bartape job
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100320/100_4381/web.jpg?ver=13147061210001

bad bartape job
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2376/web.jpg?ver=12600216540001

Looks so cool but I'm not coordinated enough to pull it off:

http://www.wastedlife.org/bike/harlequin/har15.jpg

How-to instructions: http://www.wastedlife.org/bike/harlequin/index.html

http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/rimages5/harlequinbars.jpeg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/4973049207_b951846a21.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3548/3573681713_c4801e894d_z.jpg?zz=1


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2255/2343443784_b635098d2f_b.jpg

Following the instructions
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/bike%20parts/neo01.jpg

My way.
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/bike%20parts/neo02.jpg

Some sharp people might notice the end plugs being different and that's because the fizik plugs are too fat to properly finish off the ends by tucking them inside. fizik actually tells you to cut the ends, but this just results in terrible looking ends.

i think i like all of our own ways better

and i agree AEO, the Fizik plugs are way too difficult to slam into the ends with extra tape

http://www.pedalroom.com/p/st0p-cycles-eta-3712_21.jpg (http://www.pedalroom.com/bike/st0p-cycles-eta-3712)

Lizardskins and brooks are my favorite... It goes on soo easily!

http://www.pedalroom.com/p/st0p-cycles-eta-3712_21.jpg (http://www.pedalroom.com/bike/st0p-cycles-eta-3712)

Lizardskins and brooks are my favorite... It goes on soo easily!

i love those lizard skins next to that frame, it's just such a bright contrast

i love those lizard skins next to that frame, it's just such a bright contrast

It was a tough decision between red or blue... Eventually Blue won, noting that if I take the panniers off, blue still looks great... Red just made it look too fall'ish

@hairnet: check your tire's rotation.

*edit* oops, you fixed it already in the other photo.

:lol:

Does it really matter anyway?

bad bartape job
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2376/web.jpg?ver=12600216540001[/QUOTE]

You could catch your ears in those brake cable housings...

i think i like all of our own ways better

and i agree AEO, the Fizik plugs are way too difficult to slam into the ends with extra tape

I managed to do it with the Fizik plugs. Used a rubber mallet. Yes the tape is properly tucked in the ends.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6233/6356264171_b55de6e0ff.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/misskaz/6356264171/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/misskaz/6356264171/) by kazbo (http://www.flickr.com/people/misskaz/), on Flickr

Wrapped with fizik several times and I always leave a bunch of extra to tuck in. It's hard to get the plug in, but not crazy hard :O If you can get a tire on then you can get the plug in. Plus, I actually like how tight it is!

Don't have a pic of mine so here's a graphical representation:

http://i.imgur.com/19fgh.png

First tape job on a set of bullhorns and somehow I had a small flap (I'm guessing it slipped out from underneath the next layer) at the end. >_<

There's also some bulging under the bend which I wasn't sure how to smooth out as I was wrapping.

fresh wrap... don't mind mah toes...

234475

Y'all put my tape job to shame. To bad I can't take a pic from the other side of the equator, or I would show the first example of a BAD tape job.

my first effort with Fizik tape, this took way more time than i care to admit and i covered the bad end tape with the levers

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6704725609_9fce7b8acd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/74418531@N03/6704725609/) DSC00711 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/74418531@N03/6704725609/) by SkeH14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/74418531@N03/), on Flickr

not to mention my f-stop was chosen to disguise the tape as much as possible

http://imgur.com/WT5F8,YVBSH#1

I was so stoked to wrap my bars with my glow in the dark tape, I have this thing with perfection and after a long time of wrapping I closed shop for the night and when I was riding the other day and noticed it. FML

minutes after fresh bar tape, wind knocked it over:
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad90/jdgesus/bernsi006.jpg

minutes after fresh bar tape, wind knocked it over:
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad90/jdgesus/bernsi006.jpg

looked so perfect too :(