Originally Posted by
Dylansbob
I've tried silicone a couple times. I'm not a fan of the feel, but my problem was it tore on the edge of the brake lever body.
You used to see a lot of Benotto and cotton wrapped top-down. I think one of the problems with that technique is your hands can roll down the edges when riding on the hoods. As bike fit/STI forced more riders to ride on the hoods, the industry moved to "cork" tapes and bottom-up wrapping. I was always taught if you start your tape on the tips and wrap up-and-away as you move towards the clamp, it won't be as likely to roll.
I start at the bottom but roll in the opposite direction so when I am climbing hard on the tops, I am tightening the wrap, not loosening it. (Final turn comes over the top and back.) I cut it just short of the brake cable routing with about a 2" triangle cut out to eliminate bulge. Sometimes I do the same cut at the start.
Most of my bikes have cloth tape. Black so filthy doesn't show. I ride it until I see too much of the HB or, now that I am double wrapping, it looks too shoddy. It is very obvious that bottom up wraps hold up far better, especially just above the hoods.