Why would you want to reuse bar tape?

Typically not worth it, but conceivably.. you wrap a bar and cable breaks the next week?

Well, maybe some guy on some forum tells you you've been wrapping your bar all wrong, and that 99.99% of other cyclists wrap theirs the other way around

You snap one half.

It slips.

Oh, ...




I'm trying to psych myself up for this.

Carpet tape is double sided so it is under the bar tape out of sight.

can't be more difficult than cloth tape-just prepare for about 3 times more time,very doable.

I put a short bit of tight inner-tube on the bar, folded double close to the stem, before wrapping. After it's done at the top the inner-tube bit gets unfolded over the free end to hold it. Works great, no sticky,

You can also use electrical tape sticky-side up. The Park video suggests doing this on the drops.

while we are on this tape thing, i would like to put in a plug to a product that another forum member mentioned in another thread,

i bought a set and they are killer!

might be just the thing for the heavier tapes.

https://domaincycling.com/collection...ebar-end-plugs

i use Velox old fashioned tape over some nylon lined 3/16" neoprene on the top surfaces of the bar, learned this from Spence Wolfe at Cupertino Bike Shop back in 68.

i put the nylon side up to resist rain.

Lizard Skins tape wears out quickly whether you stretch it or not.

I wrap a length of dental floss around the end of the tape, between the plug and the end of the bar. As I push in the plug, I tighten the floss. Pop out the floss, or trim it off. Works great.

That's ok. I am already sick of it.

I just put mine on, so start the clock. At least I did not snap it in half.

It does, however, look like an amateur hack job. The Bontrager gel gooey crap I put underneath it surely doesn't help.

I used the Park Tool video tip for the bar ends. Now it looks like crap in a new and different way.

I've read from bike fitting articles and threads that excess padding can cause the hand discomfort it's trying to solve. The padding can encourage a tighter grip, putting pressure on nerves, and well as directly pressing on the places the nerves pass through.
I opt for thinner tape and gloves with grip but no padding (when i can). Loose hands!

That's because you cut it after you wrapped it. Cut the taper first, make sure you don't put the cut edge on the end of the bar...see my photos earlier in the thread. Use the finished/thin edge of the tape at the end of the bar and wrap over the taper cut you make.

uncle sam i hear you on the padding, so we wrap the tape down pretty hard which gives the neoprene a whole new coef. of compression. in other words, this takes a lot of the sponge feel out of it,

been using this stuff for about 50 years now. a lot easier on the hands than cork tape etc,

No it is worse than that. I cut it before. I did it backwards.

I just installed new Lizard Skins tape yesterday after watching the installation video from this website:


dressing up a vintage '83 Raleigh never looked so good. Now if the snow was gone I could do some riding!

Arrggghhhhhhh...that sucks.

My brain no longer functions.

I could unwrap both sides and switch them, but then I would have them cut wrong at the top (which at least would be easier to hide -- maybe I should).

After a fit of boredom, and watching a few different "how to" videos on bartape installation, I noticed for the bottom to top normal way, that it's not far from a 50/50 split on whether to wrap away from the bike, or toward the bike when starting. Does the answer on what's correct depend on how one routes the tape at the levers (type of figure eight, or using a strip)? Or does this really not matter?

The other day I was trying to wrap a Campagnolo hydraulic lever my traditional way: inside out from the bottom and reverse direction at the lever; and couldn't reverse the tape at the lever due to the shape and size of the lever body. The shows the tape outside in from the bottom so I did it that way.

The lizard skin video has some shortcomings. I put the clamp cover tape on first and cut it so there's no overlap onto the shifter body. I never have to use a figure eight wrap. The trick there is for the wrap to end closer to or slightly overlaping the lower edge of shifter body. Some shifters allow the tape to slip under the body slightly. Then, only a single wrap will cover everything. The other mistake comes near the end, where the angle is cut at the end. The tape should be held at the wrap angle and the cut made perpendicular to the bars, with the end of the tape just slightly narrower than the electrical tape and the length of the tape ending under the bar, behind the cables. Cut the proper length first, then the angle. Since I always use black tape, carefully applied electrical tape, with about 1/16 inch hanging over the edge of the bar tape creates a perfect edge that curls over the bar tape.

The plug installation is exactly what I do, except that it should be done after only a couple of turns. Is something doesn’t look right, that's the time to fix it.

Duck tape and glue 😄

I shift like I have ADHD and break rear shift cable strands within 2500 miles so I proactively replace them every 2000 miles. With housing going high friction in less than two cables I swap it at the same time.

Conversely, I get at least 8000 miles out of Cinelli cork tape before it tears.

So I save time and money only unwrapping to just past the shifter then rewrapping after I've installed new housing.

This thread reminded me that I need to wrap the Spectrum. I've got off-white and yellow, and have watched a few videos on how to do harlequin wrap. If I get it right, there's a can of amber colored shellac to finish it off with. This is for top down and no tape.

I've been meaning to do this for a while. The reason I haven't is because I'm scared.

I did wrap the bars on my new Ritchey Swiss Cross V2 today. Easy peasy going bottom up and finishing with tape.