Originally Posted by
Salamandrine
Before cork tape came out the big thing was spenco gel handlebar covers. They were kind of like a thin version of grab ons. And there was actually a thin version of grab ons. Prior to that there were at least a one or two varieties of rubber tape in the 60s in and 70s (Bailey above), though most people used cotton or plastic.
Just last year thought to try something different on my 80's Trek tour rig. Installed thin Spenco grips and then outer wrapped with Newbaums cloth bar wrap. I like it.
On topic, I also acquired actual cork duct tape. Very nice quality. Have yet to try it. The width is ideal where one could wrap an older narrow bar in parallel vs. winding around. Menards was selling it for $5 a roll.