Shellaced and twined cloth, mostly. It's a LOT more work, but it lasts forever.

I'm a little more country...could be why my Shellac jobbers have moss.

A cross between choices 2 and 3. Not necessarily "matching", but a color that's appropriate to the frame and/or decal colors. Still, I try to find it on sale / cheap. I tend to buy stuff line that on opportunity, squirrel it away, and then hope to remember "yeah, I have some yellow tape that would look good on that bike" when the need arises.

I only use the very finest bar tape I can buy for $2.00 a roll on eBay.

I only use white wrap. Cinelli Cork is my favorite, but I'll use other brands as long as there's no gel. BTW: I never clean it. If your wrap isn't dirty, you're not riding.

I haven't wrapped the bars on my bike since I built it in January

It will probably get some used fizik that was hiding under a mountain of electrical tape on a Fuji 450 SE

ohh my GOD I think I can write better bar tape poetry than that no offense meant

Velox on anything pre-1975. Bike Ribbon or Benotto on later models. Matchy-matchy and twine belong on Pinterest or Etsy.

My hands? They ain't the boss of me. I tell them to toughen the heck up.


I fluctuate between perfect tape and what I have on hand. I'm always on the look out for good tape buys (ie as part of combined shipping on eb...)

My rain bike (also my daily rider recently), has a tear at the inside of the right brake lever. and sometimes starts to unwrap. I got it that way 2 years ago. Definition of cheap, (and lazy).

I thought a yellow saddle, cable, tape and painted highlight scheme would be perfect on my rebuilt '74 Ron Cooper (repainted in the original British racing green). The yellow Tressostar tape was too egg-yolk for me, so I tore it off, changed the cables to white, saddle and tape to black. Boring, but will do untill I get it right.
White Saddle and tape?

that is rap man..... get with it you have to say it out loud with with attitude (or is that wrap? )

On drop handlebar racy bikes. Cloth.
Affordable, colors, easy to wrap, multiple vendors.
Definitely vintage racer.

For other bikes -- how would I know???? Get creative with the whole cockpit. IMHO.

Cloth, It doesn't have to be black, white, or padded!
Only 3 of mine.

Matching and squishy if at all possible. I like white when the bike color will support it. I don't like cotton unless the build demands it.

*queue beatboxing*

first time I wrapped my bars, I said this is entrapment
what the wrap meant would escape me, it hated me!
I fought with tape and cable, i wasn't able
but shape of cold alloy didn't bother me

then I saw a white to red fade Miyata
I said that's sick, i got paid, I gotta
bike in the shop found my shade was yellow
30 minutes top, now my bars say hello

Cotton only. One layer only. Wrapped from tops to bar ends only. Two coats or more shellac. Color is whatever looks best for a particular bike according to my jaundiced eye.
Some things can never change.

Signed: Grouchy old fboatsb

Mods please change thread title to "wrap battle"

Squishy tape would help hide that cable.

Thats more like it...... better than mine (not that it would take much) hey if there is a pirate metal music genre we can have a "C&V Wrap" genre

who's up next

Mine sorta fits all the options.
Currently 2 of my 4 bikes have inner tube wrap. The other 2 have black wrap. But as soon as they bite the dust I'm changing to tube wrap.
The tubes are cheap (as I have about 20 used ones) and it just takes one. They're somewhat spongy and grippy which I like. They only come in black (although I do have a clear one) so I match the saddle and generally the cable housing.
A BF member said the tubes smell bad, another said they don't last long. So if you try it I suggest you:
Cut them in equal length and slice them down the middle.
Wash it to get rid of the smell and allows the wrap to grip the bars better.
Pull tight so they don't move but not so tight they lose there sponginess and longevity.
Instead of tape finish off with vulcanized glue for a neater look.
I'm not a cheap bastud I'm a poor one, (there's a quality difference).

My used wrap. These are Ironmen, for goodness sake.

RT you're a class act.
But I prefer the tube wrap. Coming out of the swim, your hands are wet and glove less, those tube wrapped bars feel great.
Here's a pic.

BITD only Velox, usually red because, well, red! My red (ahem) Mercian wears the thinner Fizik perforated which I really like, big improvement over all the corks. I put honey Brooks leather on my Chartreuse International and I really like that too. Slippier but not slippery. Definitely feels luxurious, like the grip on a vintage tennis racket.

Tape - I've tried everything over the years except cork tape, which I have an aversion to for no real reason.

I like shellacked cotton for commuting and city riding. I'm kind of over it. Is it snobby to not like it now that other people know what it is? Probably... Anyway, I've come to prefer uncoated cotton for most of my bikes - not that I have a big fleet. Besides liking the softer feel of plain cotton, I get bored and cloth tape doesn't last long, so it works for me.

What about ... Grab Ons!! You know you want them.... Oddly enough, they're still in business. I used their racing grips once BITD. They were OK if I recall. https://www.grabongrips.com/bicycle.php

I have some Hunt Wilde sparkle tape I'm saving for something. I'm tempted to hoard some more before it becomes impossible to find.

Here's my Mercian wearing summer clothes - white soft touch Fizik. A truly bad idea but I like it.

Apologies to Billy Gibbons....

Brooks seat, Conti tires
Gonna set the ladies' hearts on fire.
Gum hoods, Fizik wrap
Makes all them other bikes look like crap.

When they come lookin' they say "ooh I like..."
'cuz every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed bike.


Apologies to.... er... whoever invented the limerick....

Are my fingers sufficiently facile?
Or will alternating wrap be a hassle?
Is my old wrap (Benotto)
straight enough for a photo?
Should I plug the right end with a tassle?