What did I do wrong? These have about 500 miles on them max. I used Novara Gel because it's thick and cushy and inexpensive. I think I used the Park Tool video instructions. Can you folks tell the error by the symptoms?

Not wrapped tight enough

And not overlapped enough. Cute dog though.

Try to overlap an average of half the width of the tape, and stretch it good as you apply it.

There's no limit to the pains you can take with this job... the top-down method you've used is less durable than bottom-up, and when doing so you should probably wrap forwards over the top rather than backwards for a better angle on the tape where it cops it hardest.

I go top-down cause it's neater, but I apply an extra strip of double-sided tape under what will be the exposed edge of the tape, before I wrap it on. Then I peel both backing strips as I wrap the tape. I also cut a long triangle off the start of the of the tape, so it doesn't bulge.

Not wrapped correctly, as in the correct direction.

I used to always have my tape unravel on me, an I was told by someone I raced with that if I wrapped in the other direction it would not unwrap. I was wrapping top-down, because it seemed to be neater and intuitively correct. But then I started wrapping bottom-up and finishinf with a peice of electrical tape or twine and now the tape stays on so long I have trouble taking it off.

Also, I believe when you start wrapping at the end of the bar, you should be going inward (toward the centre of the bike) over the top of the bar, and when you get to the top you should be wrapping backwards (towards the rear of the bike) when going over the top. The theory is that the normal hand motions while riding will tighten the tape instead of loosen it.

Perhaps either one of these methods is actually the solution to the problem and both are not necessary, but I have not tried to use only one. Perhaps wrapping tighter is the solution, but I used to wrap what I thought was tight and it unravelled, but others have obviously had different experience with this.

When you wrap from the top down your hand catches on the exposed edges of the tape as it tends to slide down and toward the outside of the handlebar. Wrapping from the bottom up cures that problem.

If you start from the bottom of the bar, pull the wrap up and toward the outside. That way as you grasp the bar you will tend to tighten rather than loosen the bar wrap.

There is a knack for how much tension to use when wrapping bars. If you're using Cinelli cork, for example, you want to pull it until it ALMOST breaks. That feel only comes with practice. A couple of times, I've used a little too much tension. Then you have to utter some words that only bicycle mechanics are allowed to say and go buy a new package of bar wrap.

Top-down is the neatest way to do it, and I've addressed the durability issue.

So you can have your cake and eat it too, but it's a PITA.

I start at the brifter and wrap both up and down from there.

But that point aside, if you don't mind it being a PITA when you change handlebar tape, you can put sections of double-sided carpet tape around the critical slip areas of the handlebar, then wrap the tape snugly. The tape must be scraped off when you decide to change it, but it won't move even under heavy side load.

Or you just use electrical tape sticky side up. If you run that the whole length from the brake to where you'll stop taping and overlap a little, it's not going anywhere.

I can't see how that's going to stop the edges of the tape curling.

I never tried the electrical tape trick. I know some folks swear by it. How does it hold up under wet conditions? My concern with it is that with the non-stick side facing the bar, it grips in dry conditions, but get moisture underneath, and it's like a lube. But if that's not happening, then it might be a good compromise between the pain of scraping off double sided sticky tape when changing handlebar wrap.

Alright, we need more discipline here. For starters, it sock, sock, shoe, shoe when putting your shoes on. No double-dipping the picante sauce, and finally, you wrap the bars starting at the end, not the middle.

Does nothing for the edges, but keeps wholesale motion to a minimum.
Don't know as I rarely ride in the rain. So far it hasn't moved much. It is what Park recommends in the advanced techniques section, so I figure they must know what they're talking about.

We each have our ways. Think about barcons and the loop of housing coming from the barcon shifter. You'll understand immediately why starting at the hoods makes sense. You can't start at the bottom with barcons. And starting in the hoods can work for all setups, not just for barcons. It does take more experience to start wraps at the hoods because beginners will tend to overwrap the hood area making an ugly bulging mass there, and they may lack the experience to judge how much tape to go up top and how much tape goes below and wind up short on one of the ends, and that's the reason why most folks never learn how to do it. But watching some of the pros working in shops in Tokyo and seeing them start in the middle at the midpoint of the tape opened my eyes to more than just one way to do this.

I don't use tape on other end of my wraps but in your case I think of you overlap half and make sure its tight stretch as you wrap.
I have been wrapping center to ends but that takes some practice but once you figure it out it stays just as good as wrapping from ends to center and using finishing tape but that tape seems to always come off so I stopped doing it that way.

Lot's of good info for me to archive. Thanks folks. I'm going to try this method on the rewrap, then on to carpet tape if I still have problems.

And no argument from my family about "...not being wrapped tight enough..." but that's another issue...

I think the bottom-up guys are right that the edge-curling issue is a dealbreaker. It sure would be nice if I could buy bar tape with the sticky along one edge.

Until then, I'm going to futz about cutting strips of double-sided tape, cause my way > bottom up > top down.

The trick with electrical tape is to ensure the last turn or so is applied with no stretch, and to press it down good.

Good point. Gotta remember that...

Why can't you start at the bottom with barcons? I've always done it that way, on several bikes, and have had no problems. My tape never comes loose and it looks nice and neat.

I start at the bottom with bar cons. It wors fine. You have to arrange the tape to make a little crack for the cable to escape, and this involves doing one wrap with little overlap, but it works fine and stays tight and takes 2 minutes.

If you start in the middle and with the middle of the tape, and wrap downward, there is no need for one loop with a crack or no overlap. You get even wraps. Not saying leaving one turn with little/no overlap doesn't work. It might if you never ride the drops or if you use double sided sticky tape underneath. But for those who want uniform overlap, you have to wrap downward on barcons. It might just be me. I my be somewhat OCD/CDO on the wraps. From far away, no one will notice for sure, but riding in the cockpit, I'm staring at a loop of wrap and it's got no overlap, and I'm looking and looking and looking... I should pay attention to the road ahead. :-)

I wrap my barcons from the bottom up with no double sided tape (I always remove it if it's there), I ride in the drops all the time and my bar tape stays right were I wound it.




This is also how I wrap all my handlebars (bottom up/ no double sided tape) and as I said it always stays but. I do however finish it with electrical tape and then wrap the finish tape over the black tape. As indicated, there are a number of ways to wrap tape and if done right, they probably all work well..

The no-overlap/gap has never unravelled on my barcon equipped bike. The spot with no overlap is just a very short bit and only on the bottom.. By the time you get back around to the top on the very next wrap you can wrap with normal overlap.

I used to lay a strip of cotton tape, for friction, around the top bend,
before starting the wrap
from the open end, when tapes were not sticky on the back..

I find its nice to fatten up the bars , by laying down a layer of older tape
on the top section,
then wrapping the new stuff over that.. from bottom up.