jowilson

I was walking down the aisle at AutoZone picking up some parts and I saw a black roll of tape. Thinking it was electrical tape, I grabbed it and threw it in the cart only to find a few hours later that it was friction tape instead of electrical tape. I'm not about to throw it out because it was the wrong item and I'm wondering if it has any good uses on a bike. I was thinking it could be used as bar tape because it'll stick well and has the same feel as bar tape. Are there any other good uses for friction tape? Thanks in advance,

Josh

gregjones

Wrap the blade of your hockey stick.

Velo Dog

Man, I haven't seen friction tape in years. I'm not sure I knew they still made it. When I was a kid we wrapped the handles of baseball bats with it, but I don't wrap that many bats these days.

Velo Dog

Man, I haven't seen friction tape in years. I'm not sure I knew they still made it. When I was a kid we wrapped the handles of baseball bats with it, but I don't wrap that many bats these days...
Just googled "friction tape uses," and besides hockey sticks and bats, all I found was "used as a base before wrapping tape on bicycle handlebars."

Nermal

Two drawbacks I have observed with friction tape: it mostly sticks to itself, and when used for grips some black stuff seems to transfer to your hands.

jowilson

I just read the Wiki page on friction tape and the last thing it says is that it can be used a base for bar tape, but not as an actual bar tape. I think I can wait until another use comes along, ya never know...

Bikeforumuser0017

I would return it if it isn't a pain in the ass. Otherwise, just let it sit in your house; you will eventually find a use for it. I actually kind of like the feel of no bar tape and the metal against my hands.

commo_soulja

Wrap it around your driveside chain stay as a cheap protector.

fietsbob

1st layer under your Real Bar tape. keeps the hammer handle grippy..

dramiscram

I use it as bar tape on almost all of my bikes. It's cheap an easy to put. It's sticky so the grip is very good. After a few week when the tape lose his 'stickiness' you just put another bit of tape if you want or not. When there's too much tape I take it all off and start again.

Here up north it's called hockey tape and it's almost as useful as duct tape (okay, maybe not THAT useful)

Flying Merkel

Good for rim strips.

Nermal

Really? Sounds like it would be too tacky for the tube to settle in without wrinkles.

DX-MAN

Use it to keep from slipping in the bathtub. Clean the bottom of the tub with alcohol, and lay down strips of tape.

Or not.

Phil_gretz

^ Yup. My dad used it on ash handled hammers. It does help if you're hammering all day in the summer sun...

cyclist2000

I normally use electrical tape to hold the ends of cork type handlebar tape when it start unraveling. but electrical tape doesn't hold very well and leaves a sticky residue. I have been thinking of using the friction tape for this purpose instead.