robertj298 

I've slowly been working on the 1989 Ironman and I'm ready for new bar tape. I believe the hoods in the picture are original and cleaned up nicely after the photo was taken. I took off the old black bar tape. So do I replace it with black or use white? The seat will be black.

tyrion

White.

Andy_K 

I'd use black in that case. The frame has a lot of white already. Black tape would connect visually with the saddle and the headset.

Slightspeed

Not fond of black, even though it doesn't show dirt. I would start by trying to match the blue/green/teal or whatever that is. White, if you can't match the other color.

Old Yeller

Maybe yellow to help make the Ironman decal pop.

Last ride 76 

Black doesn't add a thing. If you are conservative, go white. But if you're an Ironman, let the world know. The Ironman logo is... Yellow.

Go with yellow cable housings, yellow bar tape and paint the flutes of the seatpost, either the matching yellow, or alternate the yellow flutes with blue (should be one of the shades used on the frame.) With a bold but light colored paint scheme, black just looks heavy and clunky.

Now that is settled, go with whatever makes you happy when you look at it. If you don't like it, change it

GrainBrain

Second on matching the blue or close to it.

Andy_K 

There had to be some use for this tape:

robertj298 

Can you send me that? lol

tiger1964 

Repaint the bike a different color?

Insidious C. 

I might try gray on that bike. Or maybe a gray pattern.

SurferRosa

You don't often see the non-aero aero cable routing.

If I didn't have the funds available to wrap the entire frame in real snakeskin, I'd just go with black Fizik for the bars.

zeult

+1
Yellow tape and saddle

canklecat

My '89 Ironman (same color scheme) currently has generic black foam tape. It's comfortable when my hands are dry. But a bit slippery with sweaty hands and I don't usually wear gloves.

I'm leaning toward Arundel Synth Gecko wrap. I've already tried the yellow on my Trekenstein and liked it -- just the right amount of wrong against the Trek's purple frame. It's the most comfortable and grippy bar wrap I've tried, even with sweaty hands.

I might try white Synth Gecko on the Ironman. Usually I avoid white because it gets dirty so easily. But the Synth Gecko is easily washable. Arundel says it's 100% silicone. Tough stuff, reusable almost indefinitely, and can be removed and replaced easily -- there's no adhesive backing since the wrap is self-sticky. And I've found some cheap oven/grill cleaner in a pump spray bottle that's just ammonia and surfactants that cleans up those grimy white Ironman hoods.

Only downsides to Synth Gecko:

• It's pricey at around $30 a set. I lucked into a set for half price at the LBS because nobody wanted yellow.
• It's hard to wrap flat. It tends to look like sausages, or a gooseneck lamp neck, that articulating adjustable metal sheath. I can live with the chunky look for the comfort and grip.

Arundel makes other grippy rubbery tape that does wrap flat. But it's not quite as tough as the Synth Gecko.

I'll decide after redoing the cable housings soon. I'm using blue at the moment but it's poor quality brake cable housing that keeps compressing, so I need to adjust the cable itself once a week or so. I plan to switch to good Jagwire, maybe white, maybe their fancy metallic pattern stuff.



Hi-viz yellow Arundel Synth Gecko bar wrap on the Trekenstein 5900. White would look good on the '89 Ironman. The Synth Gecko cleans easily and can be removed, washed in the sink, and rewrapped pretty much indefinitely.

Last ride 76 

7:11 EDT Two people had a particularly similar thought about a particular question, about a particular bike, on a particular forum...


Just who the heck are you, old man?
The answer, by the way is 42.

P!N20

Black, blue and yellow harlequin wrap is the only sensible option

Fahrenheit531 

+ 1/2 (Another for yellow tape, but it's gotta be the right yellow. Not so sure about the saddle.)

canklecat

That's on my to-try list too, with cloth tape. A friend did this for his touring bike and it looked great.

GreatShake868

If you leave it as black will it make you ride faster or will it stop working? (joke)

canklecat

Depends on whether it's the rare None More Black tape. That's the answer.

markwesti

You’re saddle and bar angles are killing me . But to answer your question , please if it’s not too late , black .

mpetry912 

Very pleased with this "Natural Cork" color bar tape from Cinelli is really nice - really "pops"

especially if you have a tan saddle :- )

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

SeanBikes

Yellow seat and this:

Or this if you are keeping black seat:

uncle uncle

https://www.amazon.com/Supacaz-Super...550298892&th=1

(paired with a black saddle)

Bianchigirll