I checked out a bike a while back that had bar tape under the clamps. I asked to have it removed before I would buy the bike and it turned out to have quite a bit of rust underneath.
The seller assured me that he wasn't trying to cover it up and I believed him, but I think it held in moisture. Too bad.
I've also seen a few with what I assume to be wax paper. It did a reasonable job. The clamps were rusted to hell, but the paint was good.
Originally Posted by
embankmentlb
That seems just a bit over the top for me. Are you really worried about scratching the paint on that bike?
Every little bit counts.