ilovecycling

This has always been the most difficult bicycle maintenance process for me..it's embarrassing.

For starters, when I wrap the end of the drops I always end up with a slightly onion shaped bar end. The bar ends don't stay in securely either. I do my best to tuck in the excess tape, but it's difficult to do.

Also, I can't seem to get the sides of the hoods to not feel hollow without using too much bar tape. The end result is a bulky feeling brake hood.

Finally, the spirals always end up in the same direction on both left and right sides. I know it's clockwise on the right side and counter-clockwise on the left, but it still ends up screwed up. I think I get confused once I get to the brake hood and start the whole figure 8 thing.

The only thing I am doing right is keeping the tape tight as I wrap it. The tape isn't budging and the spacing is good.

mazdaspeed

Doesn't look too bad, I wouldn't worry about it.

Spookeay Bird

Yea that's ok. Also it will settel down as time goes on. Just remember to pull it tight...It will take more pull that you think it will if you have some excess, try to pull it apart. Stuff it pretty stout. On a side note. any thing with lettering or designs is always going to be a female dog to get to look good.

ilovecycling

I'm really not too worried about the logos lining up. I'm more concerned with using minimal tape to reduce the bulk around the brake hoods, while still filling up all the space underneath the hood flaps so there isn't that hollow feel from the sides. I don't know if any of you know what I'm talking about, but the side flaps of the hoods seem to create a little hollow pocket.

I think I need to get some more tape and try it again. This Arundel tape loses the adhesive strip rather quickly if you try and redo a section of the bars. The adhesive strip is pretty sticky, so it sticks to the bars and comes off the actual tape. Then it twists and becomes a pain to work with. However, I'm guessing most tapes will do this.

valygrl

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...ation-drop-bar

Spookeay Bird

OK on that. If you take a some bar tape and wrap it around the brifters attachment point and then U a short strip under the base of the clamp. Maybe some black tape to help hold it in place then wrap over and around that under strip you wont need to bulk up so close to the clamps as you warp it.

M_FactorX19

here man watch this not the best video but it addresses your problems. i think you might have went around the hoods to many times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs7BY4wKHTM

ps. it will get easier the more you do it.

Velo Gator

Is the little é on the top tube painted on?

carpediemracing 

https://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.co...ebar-tape.html

You're missing just a few tricks and you'll be all set.

ilovecycling

Thanks for the links guys. I'll have to pick up some new tape and try it again. I really want to get it right because handlebar feel is pretty much everything to me as far as comfort goes.

I'm at work right now so I can't really check, but I want to say it's a little clear sticker. I'll check tonight.

Velo Gator

Mine is too. Just wondering, yours looked like it was under the clearcoat.

Duo

i just got done taping an old Giant Road bike and it came out better than i expected.

The LBS had some cheap tape, so i used that so as not to waste good tape on a first try. The tape was all black in color and i overlapped it from 1/3 to 1/2 as i went. Started at the bottom and went up; at the end i just used some electric tape to finish the job and hold it in place.

Bicycle Maintenance and Repair is the book i used; excellent tutorials on tons of stuff. It seems that this job takes some patience and i had my wife help me with the roll as it went around.

Some have said that this is a difficult job, so i had some initial uneasyness about it. After doing it right, well 'piece of cake'. It takes a little more skill in the curves and the book advises some extra precautions in that area. No mention of clockwise or counter clockwise.

Fingerless gloves are what i wear, so the comfort aspect of tape is lessoned. My touring bike has some nice tape on it, so may eventually get the good stuff.

Probably best for newbies to just get a beater bike and repair/maintain it front to back. This has taught me more than my book and the bike forums. After that, i was able to repair my good bikes with confidence.

valygrl

Bookmarked, thank you, great info.

WhyFi

OP, I'm with you - I think that that's a hideous wrap job.

My zen/"you're thinking about this too much" take - I find that, whenever I'm working with my hands, it's helpful to be mindful of the material that I'm working with. It's not simply a matter of bending something to your will - the best work is done when there's a give and take. With bar tape, one thing that I find to work well is to concentrate on the spacing/overlap on the outside of a curve, but let the tape/shape of bar dictate the inside of the curve.

miyata man

Without even looking at the Aki link, I can say it will lend itself to meticulous practices sure to correct what you did wrong. And you did do it wrong. You should not need new tape unless you cut off a ton before you put the electrical tape on.

Just take it in small steps. Find a nice overlay that lets you get a secure and neat seal with the bar plug. Do overlap less at the end of the bar unless you hold on there regularly. Try to keep the same amount of tension on the tape despite it being so long at the start. Get the inside curve of the drop as symmetrical as possible where you will leaning into it. Use the little area above there to sneak into another low overlap pass that lines up a simpler line around the shifters ( I rewrap this at least a couple times and flip the hoods down in between to critque comfort and aesthetics). Next is another good place to lay it on thicker to match your preferred hand position. From here on in it is just managing the amount of tape left to still get a nice comfort zone on the flat part of the bar.