Would it really hurt to make your rolls of tape 2' longer? I mean, come on, guys! There isn't enough tape for a decent overlap and certainly not enough to go up around the brake levers.

In this day and age, why are you going cheap on the length of tape on the rolls? Too short is a BIG deal. A little too long, well,... it's just not a problem as the end can be trimmed.

Does anyone make slightly longer rolls of adhesive-backed cotton tape?

I delayed re-taping the bars for a year because I could tell the rolls were too short. I could tell just by looking at them. I knew it. I was right.

I used to feel the same way. I've worked around it though.

In case Velox is reading this, you may want to edit the length you posted, 2' = 2 feet, unless of course you want to wrap the whole bike...

How would you feel about Newbaum's cotton cloth tape as an alternative to the beloved Tressostar? I believe the Newbaum's is a longer roll.

See this previous BikeForums thread:

Bar Tape. Newbaums vs Velox

Newbaums is definitely long enough. Extra foot or so after wrapping 42cm randonneur bars.

Why would you assume that is what I am doing, given that I am posting in the C&V forum? Just for reference, Cinelli Giro d'Italy bars and Nuovo Record levers.

Thanks for the Newbaum's recommendation. I'll get some.

For now, it'll be four rolls of Velox per bar - one above the brakes and one below. Life is too short to scrimp on handlebar tape.

Velox tape was always short. That's why no one could use it except for us bike mechanics, because we knew exactly how much to overlap it. You guys are spoiled with your long tape.

My first Velox wrap, the first side of the bar I had to back off all the way past the brake levers and go skimpy on the drops to make it work. The second side of the bar, I nailed it on the first try. I guess I'm a fast learner on stuff like that

Pretty sure I didn't have any extra to cut off.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/X756ei]

I can make it work. I know how to do it,... but why???

Thanks to all of you for reading my rant and helping me solve the problem - two rolls of Newbaum's or four rolls of Velox (never again!).

I've always ended up with left over tape when using Neubaums.

Oh I was just riffing. I don't know why they're so stingy. Actually, I do, but I don't think it's a good thing.

Speaking of which, what *should* I do with all this leftover cork tape?

I once received an order of Newbaums in red thru Amazon that definitely were too short. I contacted Newbaums direct and where they replaced the rolls.

That's actually true. After a while you knew exactly how much to overlap. There's at least a couple tricks you pick up that can only come from doing it a billion times.

It's actually just the right length... Excessive overlap is sloppy looking. It was always long enough for the big Cinelli 66 bars on my Masi. Those were the wide ones BTW, and by wide I mean 40cm.

Even BITD there was never enough to do an extra loop around the levers thing, unless you were using small vintage frenchie bars. Cut off a two inch piece to wrap around the back of the levers, and time the wraps so that you cover that area with no gaps in one go round. It's a little tricky but definitely doable.

Back in Schwinn Mechanics' School, Cranbury NJ (I still have my Official Card from 1984), they showed some crazy figure-8-type technique for going around the levers. This was done on the steel bar of a Varsity (?) with that plastic semi-transparent waffle tape that Schwinn used (and was re-used a million times to wrap that bar) - of course there was enough tape. later, when wrapping with Velox, I soon learned the Salmandrine (above) technique of short piece to cover clamp, then kind of just keep wrapping when you get to the lever. Brake hoods were a bonus as they could "clean up" the look. Oh, and stretch as you go helped.

The one and only time I tried Neubaums I got ticked off by the paper backing getting tangled up and in the way. Now I stick to oldbaums.

Think of all that excess tape they're saving from going to the land fill.

Well, I got the bars wrapped, so I guess this rant is over. That's okay, I find something else to rant about soon enough.

I used the four rolls I had on hand. When done, I had the equivalent of about 1 full roll left over.

Admittedly, I was doing a half lap (each lap overlapping the previous by half the tape's width). I did that because the old tape had a lot less lap and was beginning to separate. Also, once i'd committed to using the four rolls, I knew I had enough to be generous.

There is definitely some skill in wrapping bars, getting it to lay flat and be spaced uniformly, no question about it. Using black tape makes it just that much harder, as I could not see that soft, dark, velvety black-on-black very well when I was doing the wrap.

There's the problem

No such problem with Sakae Road Champion bars.

It was always thus.

This:

Been using the stuff for years with no issues.

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In what way is it sloppy looking? Does it slip over time or something else?

If it is done well (uniformly) it looks as good as 1/3 wrap. Uniformity is the key.

I was tempted to try the damp wrap but chickened out.