Flog00

I received Brooks bar tape for Christmas and put it on my Jamis. I know the Jamis is not C&V, but it will be someday and Brooks is always C&V in my mind. I don't think I butchered it too badly.



IMG_4585 by flog00, on Flickr


IMG_4586 by flog00, on Flickr


IMG_4587 by flog00, on Flickr


IMG_4588 by flog00, on Flickr


IMG_4589 by flog00, on Flickr


IMG_4590 by flog00, on Flickr

rootboy 

looks great.

cyclotoine

fantastic!

vwchad

Very nicely done!

Flog00

I installed it right over the Jamis cork, so it is padded somewhat.
And I bought one of the Nordstrom tool bags in honey.

gsinil

Looks great. Is that honey? I am thinking about using one for my De Rosa restoration together with a honey Brooks Swallow.

BTW, why kind of rack is that?

rootboy 

Ah. That's why it looks so thick and cushy. Well, I think those wooden bar plugs look a little too small for the size of the wrap now. Just in my unsolicited and persnickety opinion of course. Some wood in a diameter just shy of the leather would really look snappy I think.

Gotta go …if my boss sees me looking at that eye candy too long, I'm screwed.

Fahrenheit531 

Very nice looking bike. I too would like to know about the rack. My wife needs one for her mixte and I think something like that would be ideal.

ColonelJLloyd 

I think it would look better without the foam under it. I've never been a fan of those plugs either. I've gone to alloy plugs on my modern bikes and stick with Velox on the old ones. I just installed some Brooks honey tape on the third or fourth bike; it holds up very well.

FWIW, there is no such thing as honey bar tape if you ride it. My honey tape is perfect match to my newer brown Pro after some Proofide and sweat/oil from my hands. The parts where your hands are the most gets really, really dark brown.

orangeology

dang. awesome. your photo just made me place an order.
(Nordstrom still has them at half price, for you folks' information)

Flog00

It is honey...to start. My saddle is also honey but after two years of riding it is becoming brown as Colonel says. The tape was way off the color of the saddle until I proofided it.

I agree it would look better without the cork underneath but I like the feel with some padding. When I can ride it we'll see.

The rear rack is a part of the Aurora Elite package. It reminds me of a Tubus rack Evo or Cosmos but it's a bit different. The rack has a Jamis logo on the straps.

Flog00

I wish the plugs would go in flush. I agree they look off.

ThermionicScott 

I think it looks good. I own bikes to ride, so looks take a back seat to comfort if need be. (My Bianchi Eros has some of that "Bar Phat" stuff under the tape.)

rootboy 

Oh. Is there not a "head" on them? I assumed there was. Maybe there is. Will they tap further in with a soft mallet? Perhaps not. Of course, you may never get them out if you try that.

Say, a question. Does Brooks make that all in one piece? or is it spliced together somewhere? Thx.

ColonelJLloyd 

It's spliced, Scott. VO is the only one who makes seamless leather tape, I believe. And, yeah, there's a head/cap glued on the cork. It comes off easily; oops.

Flog00

I saw no splices. I wasn't looking for splices though. I really pulled the leather tight too.

I did consider pulling the plugs and turning the step/head down.

Scott

noglider 

It's handsome. I have Nashbar leather tape on my Bianchi Volpe. I like it a lot. I'm sold on the concept. Nashbar doesn't sell it any more, so I might buy Brooks leather tape in the future. Now I see that while it's expensive, it's probably worth the price.

Chombi

That looks really good, especially as you mostly avoided getting the usual lumpy look that these Brooks leather tapes usually have when installed. It must be the cork tape underlayment that's helping to keep it from looking lumpy.
I've been on the fence about trying out Brooks leather bar tape on my C&V bikes myself. I'm sure they will look nice and feel great on my C&V bikes but the tape being more of a modern product from Brooks, as I don't think they existed back in the 80's and earlier, kinda goes against the whole "period correct" goals that some of us have on our builds. At this point my brain is kinda locked into just using cotton, padded vinyl and cork tape on my build with only "Almarc" leather covered bars, considered for any C&V builds. But most likely, in the near future, I might eventually convince myself to get the black version of the leather tape for my 70's bike, as I already flexed enough to install Brooks toe clip straps on it....
The black version of the Brooks tape will be easier to accept right away as you will not have to wait for the leather tape to develop a "patina" that I think is essential for the lighter colored versions to look the best on a C&V bike. It's just when they are brand new and still perfect and even colored looking, they don't look as "leathery" as most of us would like the tape to look like.

rootboy 

I'm thinking of turning some hardwood ones to go along with my aluminum versions.
I've got to find something to do with all this wood I have.

ColonelJLloyd 

It's not a continuous piece. It may be that they are able to get some whole pieces long enough, though. The honey tape I have has one "side" that is obviously spliced with different color shade and texture. The texture is quite different on the shorter end of the splice which is a little irritating, but not the end of the world.

Flog00

If I had a Brooks that was obviously spliced, I would be irritated also.

What is the OD of the end of the plugs in your VO tape kit?

ColonelJLloyd 

I can measure tomorrow.

These are what I've been using; nice for the price. FWIW, I don't tuck the bar tape inside the bar.

Reynolds 

Great work, OP.

pastorbobnlnh 

Just as a reference point on the end plug, here is my Brooks Tape wrapped bars without any padding underneath (although I wish it did). To be honest I've been considering removing the tape because it is so hard. I really appreciate "cushy" tape. Flog's approach does provide another option.

ColonelJLloyd 

Have you tried Lizard Skin DSP 2.5? I think it's pretty awesome, though I have heard durability isn't great (I haven't used it long).