Handlebar Tape for an Early 50's French Bike
 

For my early 50's Terrot that I just getting started building up, I am going to have to choose some handlebar tap. So I have two questions, one factual and one that will lead to all sorts of opinions I am sure, but here goes:

1. What handlebar tape would have been on a French racing/rando bike in the early 50's? Cotton? And part B, if so, is there a way to make it more comfy?

2. I wanted to make this bike retro, but I assume most old style tapes will be uncomfy. This will be a rider. Total opinion, but do you say screw it and go with a more modern and comfortable tape, or stay retro? Or is there a happy medium that looks retro, but has modern comfort?

I will start a build thread soon for this one.

Thanks - Chris

You can wrap cloth over cork tape and get a bit more padding.

Leather tape would look nice.
There are pictures of shellaced natural colored cork tape that look awesome. But, That finish is then a maintenance item.

Maybe split the difference and use cotton tape but with some thin padding underneath it like neoprene or old inner tubes?

You would probably be able to achieve a nice skinny bar look but still have a bit of comfort.

Personally, I hate how most modern tape makes the bars look puffy (especially modern "cork" tape :twitchy:), so I just deal with a single layer of cotton only and sacrifice hand comfort a bit.

I have thought about leather, I think that is an option and I assume leather was used in the 50's, right?

Funny thing, I bought a bunch of French stuff at an auction a couple years ago, well before I even thought about this frame and there was bunch of NOS cotton tape. A bunch! But I said I would never use it and sold it here on BF. Alas...

Fortunately I sill have a bunch of stuff from that purchase including a French NOS leather saddle and Lyotard pedals, among other things.

That's exactly what I do. Old skinny 700c tube split down the middle, wrap and tape in place, then cotton and shellac. Not so much for padding, but to increase the diameter of the bar. I find a skinny bar "cuts" into my hands - fatter is more comfortable.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0971af6fe6.jpg

That was going to by my suggestion. Nothing says "traditionally French" like shellac.

now promoted newbaums bar tape adds a cushioned backing to their cotton twill tapes.. product line..

https://www.newbaums.com/web/image/p...unique=acb4fd7

Glad you pointed this out. I don't have adequate threading on my fork to add to the stack height, and this would be an excellent solution to my issue.

Are you asking as someone who for sure dislikes cotton cloth tape, or have you not used it before? Some people can be comfortable on thin cloth wrap.

If you're uncomfortable on it, the next question is why. Thin hard wrap can dig into your hand more, so a cotton-wrapped bar can be more sensitive to a good handlebar choice and fit. If your hands don't mind the hardness but need the bars to have a wider diameter, you can double-wrap the cloth, or wrap something else below it. If your hands want the grip to be squishier, you can wrap something squishier below the tape.

If the bike is a rider and you end up having a hard time getting cloth tape to be comfortable, definitely switch the type of tape.

French style shellac originates with cheapskates. 3/4" cotton twill tape at the notions counter of the local fabric store is usually about $0.25/yard when purchased in full rolls. This leaves no concern about getting good overlap or about building it up thick. First element of comfort is primarily how fat the 'bar is. When/if the tape gets old and tired, or if you want to change color, you can split off the top layer and leave behind the layer/s that gave the thickness. Give the base layer a good drenching coat of shellac and a full overnight dry before proceeding. The shellac itself is the only adhesive needed. For one friend who wanted a seriously fat grip I went to five layers of tape. At that point there were voids between the repetitive layers that created some cushion. That one has held up quite well.

Back in 50s French, English, everyone had rubber grips. Sort of like rubber pipes with a variety of ribbing patterns. For a while there were repros of some of the English grips. I think "keirin grips" still exist and some of those have an old timey look. Taste varies. Have seen some originals that still looked presentable, definitely not rideable. If anyone knows of something good that can still be had...

I don't know if leather is authentic, but I really like it. Since you can remove it and reapply it, it lasts for years. It ends up being economical as well as comfortable, even at $50/set. I have moved it from bike to bike.

The Terrot would have likely, originally, worn Tressostar cotton bar tape. If you find the bar too hard, wear padded or gel type cycling gloves. The other previous suggestions may also work well for you. Keep in mind that fresh cotton tape feels like you are grabbing sand paper if not wearing cycling gloves.

Yes, Tressostar is the stuff I sold. I had a whole unopened shop carton of them. While I feel a little bad I did not keep it, it was all black (I have never used black tape of any sort). On this one I plan to be a bit more colorful. I always wear gloves by the way, though I hate the gel in anything. I don't like the squishy feel.

Maybe I should have you to it for me! I can probably figure it out. Thank you again for this lovely frame by the way!

Like most stuff it's really simple. Wrap the cotton sewing tape around the bar. It stays put by itself long enough to get to shellacking. Use a 1/2" chip brush, preferably from dollar store, otherwise from hardware store. Use lots of shellac.

It's simple but there is always more to find out. My latest discovery is fresh mixed shellac from flakes is even easier to apply. And comes in colors. Just did some bars in ruby shellac, which is more of a chestnut or cordovan with highlights in red, blue, purple. Also you can get clear that is really clear for the white tape, pre-mixed clear is always yellow. Take a look at the galleries at cycles-alex-singer.com. There is a lot of calculation in the colors he is getting. Would have to tape a whole lot of bars to figure all that out. Oh, fresh mixed in exotic colors and suddenly not so cheap.

Flakes mixed with denatured alcohol is the way to go, imo. Wellermart.com is a good source.

That padded Newbaums looks pretty neat. Has anybody used it? The picture looks like it lays pretty flat on the edges which is important to me. AND, it is only 15 bucks! Nice.

When I want to look at period details in high quality photos I look to the Speedplay Museum
Go to the bikes in the years of interest.
leather, shellac, padded do not appear to be represented.
I have used very thin coats of clear shellac on cloth tape. It is unobtrusive and is used to prevent the tape moving. Yes, the tape was installed damp after immersion in water. The tape dries and tightens up. The clear shellac was to act as an insurance policy to limit rolled edges.
It has worked, and with use, the tape is acquiring a gentle change in tone to show my hand placements.
Also available were rubber grips (reproductions are available) and sleeves such as the ones made by Dare. I have not seen reproductions of the sleeves. I have installed a NOS set on one 1952 bike.
Have a good look at the bikes in the online Speedplay Museum, particularly the ones kept in as last raced condition.

I've been around a number of French touring/rando bikes from that period in original condition. They all had shellacked cotton tape. It is the French thing.

It's pretty clear from old pictures that French racing bikes of that time used cotton tape with no coating.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was some patented rubber tape or something from that time, but I've never seen it. Anyone recall Bailey (?) rubber tape from the 70s? I'd like to see some pics of these rubber grips mentioned. Were these like an early version of Grab-ons? Is it something different than the regular bar grips that the were often seen on drop bars pre war?

Yes, same as the pre war grips. Usually a set that covered bar tops, blank space allowing a wide choice of brake lever location, a second set to cover the bottom of drops. Continued a long time after war. Late versions in the 60s were often plasticky and hard. For a '53 correctness could go either way. For a bike to be ridden cotton and shellac unless you came up with something in time warp condition. And who knows if you would like the old stuff?

Except for Englishmen, who are daft and proud of it, the rubber grips were not used for racing, as big thick slabs of rubber are heavy. By late 50s and 60s the grip sets were more for basic bikes like PH50s. Remember roads were much rougher and some rubber to grab would have looked good to many.

Current Tressostar and Newbaum's don't look anything like Tressostar of the past. The tape sold at the notions counter is much closer. When I see real thing - and after the bike has been re-taped how many times and the shellac has gone to muddy brown - what I can see looks extremely various. But the fabric store product still looks closer to historical.

So, personally I find cotton tape comfortable and shellac-coated tape more so. Be that as it may, have you considered simply two layers of cotton?