wangster

This is probably redundant but oh well...
Who tapes their bars and who doesn't, and why?
What kind of tapes do you guys use?

I tape both my drops on my roadie(duh) and my bullhorns. too slippery without, but I know a lot of fixies ride without tape. I recently bought some generic cork tape but found it to be hard to wrap and just doesn't feel as good as my cinelli tape. I'm switching back and sticking with cinelli.

fixedfiend

No tape here. The Deda Pista bars I have are just too fat by the stem to put anything. I usually like the feel of my bars to be uniform throughout.

HereNT

I have cinelli, too, but that's just because it's celeste...

I think the naked bars are to show off sexy bars. Chrome.... As long as you have gloves, the bars aren't usually too slippery.

It might also go to the whole simplicity thing - no gears, no brake, no wrap, no bottle cage...

I ran without tape for awhile because I was getting too drunk and wrecking the bike too often and tearing up the tape. I figured it was cheaper to just thrash the bars, since they were usually getting thrashed anyways.

labratmatt

I tape.

1. Pads the bar and provides some comfort.
2. Keeps my hands from slipping.
3. I don't have bars with a nice finish, so the tape makes it look better.
4. Tape is a great insulator. When it's cold out, I need the extra layer of insulation.
5. I don't feel the need to look like a cool track hipster.

habitus

what about the "grips" option?

fyi: i use riser bars, cushy grips aplenty. eff drops.

adamkell

chrome nitto bars with clear oury grips at the stem. I'm planning on putting keirin grips at the stem under the ourys that'll extend onto the shoulders. My hands are usually at one of those two positions -- in the drops only for sprints and climbs.

ostro

Last spring i rode with tape off for the first time, then i taped for the winter, now its spring again, thinking about taking the tape off, but i think i like the extra girth for better grip. Not sure yet,

jim-bob

Two layers of cloth tape.

matt swindell

i know that your not looking for recomendations(sp?), but i will give one anyways. for the people who have beefy bars already, and maybe not so huge hands or whatever, i use hockey tape from dicks sporting goods, and its cloth, and the back is adhesive, and a roll(i've had one roll and wrapped 5 bars double wrapped) costs $2.99!

FixednotBroken

bare bars look better. not always practical, however - they suck in the rain

hyperRevue

i have generic black tape on my pista track bars, which i chopped to bullhorns, and i have plain black leather/rubber grips on my motobecane's straight bars.
i cant deny that tapeless looks sexy but i think it's wholly impractical.
unless you wear thick gloves, i find it's just too cold and slippery when wet.

necklous

yup...im with hyperrevue. sexy but impractical.

skitbraviking

No tape.

Kerin grips.

bostontrevor

Tape.

It's inexpensive for something that should last you six months or more (discounting frequent wrecks, drunken or otherwise), it's warm when it's cold, it's grippy when it's rainy, it's ergonomically good providing a large cushy object instead of a tiny hard one, it's comfortable over bumpy surfaces.

Yeah I like tape.

Shiznaz

Tape is just another great way to accessorize! Like annodized nipples and sidewall material. Kinky!

misterherman

track drops with tape but only on the lower half of the bars, showing just the right amount of bare bar, "sexy", if youre into that kind of thing...the best of both worlds.

infestedguy1

yeah, i use tape on my drops only about as much as the keirin grips would cover. it usually doesn't get cold enough here to worry much about the bar getting cold, plus i would be wearing gloves anyways. and not having the bars completely taped hasn't bothered me on long rides. i think a good poll would be for those that don't use tape, do you use bar end plugs? a friend of mine that lives in brooklyn recently had an accident where the bar end of his drops tore into his leg so deep you could see his muscle. he had to get two layers of ten stiches it was opened up so bad. he doesn't use tape or bar ends.

sbeatonNJ

Tape

I do a lot of long training rides and am planning on doing a century in May on my fixie so I need some cushioning. I just rewrapped my bullhorns the other day and put a thick layer of Cateye cloth tape on the flats and than taped over the whole bar with Cinelli cork. I like the way it came out, it feels great and the flats look like an oversized bar compared to the rest of the bar. I think next time I tape my bars I might throw some Primo (Degroot signature with the naked ladies of course) grips on the flats and then cork tape over the whole thing.

adamkell

re: no tape -- bar plugs

I use shiny silver bar plugs that appear to match the chrome bars, unless you look closely. I ride without brakes and without a helmet but the line must be drawn somewhere.

My ex is a geologist so I've seen too many core samples being taken....

danger_man

bare bars get super cold in the winter. even with gloves.

nocoins

On my bullhorns I have one side taped, the other is bare. I love each side equally.

jacobs

black cinelli cork tape on my chopped bullhorns. i tried riding them bare when i switched from my drops (with had benotto-esque tape on them for the whole time i had them), but even with glove liners and fleece over-gloves, it was just too cold working with them in boston.

Msngr

hey, good idea! i am jumping on my horse and going to the sporting goods store in ten minutes. works well, i trust?

wangster

yeah and you can tape it like a hockey stick too with extra grip

phidauex

Does duct tape count?