Help me choose a bar tape color.
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Help me choose a bar tape color.
After quite a while I found hoods that fir the Dia Compe Gran Compe brake levers on my 84 Team Fuji. A
member was kind enough to send me a set no charge.So now that I have the hoods I need to put new
bar tape on. I want to try cloth tape and I have 2 rolls of the blue tape pictured which isn't an exact match or would you suggest yellow?
member was kind enough to send me a set no charge.So now that I have the hoods I need to put new
bar tape on. I want to try cloth tape and I have 2 rolls of the blue tape pictured which isn't an exact match or would you suggest yellow?

#2
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The blue doesn't work for me. Yellow is kind of obvious I guess, but it's sometimes hard to match, and the wrong shade always looks sort of pathetic to my eye. I would probably just go with black to match the saddle. It's a pretty bike, and an argument can be made for letting the frame do the talking.
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This might be the only time I recommend black, but since the saddle and tyres are already black, it could work.
White is my preferred "neutral" option, and it normally goes surprisingly well with yellow. Being a third color in this case, means it will match perfectly (with itself)
Do you like bright, or dark? White or black, there you go.
White is my preferred "neutral" option, and it normally goes surprisingly well with yellow. Being a third color in this case, means it will match perfectly (with itself)

Do you like bright, or dark? White or black, there you go.
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After quite a while I found hoods that fir the Dia Compe Gran Compe brake levers on my 84 Team Fuji. A
member was kind enough to send me a set no charge.So now that I have the hoods I need to put new
bar tape on. I want to try cloth tape and I have 2 rolls of the blue tape pictured which isn't an exact match or would you suggest yellow?

member was kind enough to send me a set no charge.So now that I have the hoods I need to put new
bar tape on. I want to try cloth tape and I have 2 rolls of the blue tape pictured which isn't an exact match or would you suggest yellow?

I'm here for this thread

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ed over the years
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My Miyata has a similar color scheme and I went with yellow tape. I really like it, especially with the yellow cables, which you also have.

Last edited by davester; 03-18-21 at 03:30 PM.
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#8
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For me, it all goes together: tape, hoods and tire walls. Change one, I might want to change to another.
With an open palette, I would first look at the catalog. It seems, Fuji always made the right choices with respect to these three (or four, because they used different colored/texture saddles as well). Even if you're not a Fuji fan, you gotta admit their catalog pages of their lightweights are pretty sweet.
With an open palette, I would first look at the catalog. It seems, Fuji always made the right choices with respect to these three (or four, because they used different colored/texture saddles as well). Even if you're not a Fuji fan, you gotta admit their catalog pages of their lightweights are pretty sweet.
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White cloth tape becomes brown cloth tape very quickly. I would expect the same to be true of yellow, and to a lesser extent blue. With white tape, it's a good look. It shows the bike has been ridden. With yellow, you're probably going for "pop" and the dirt would take that away in a hurry.
As others have mentioned, "almost matching" colors can look really bad. I think you could probably match that yellow, and I think that would look great, but not with cloth.
My yellow bar tape bike:

The Salsa cork tape cleans up pretty well, but you can see here that it's showing a bit of dirt.
Cloth ends up more like this:

(No, I don't use the drops much, but the camera is hiding some dirt even there.)
As others have mentioned, "almost matching" colors can look really bad. I think you could probably match that yellow, and I think that would look great, but not with cloth.
My yellow bar tape bike:

The Salsa cork tape cleans up pretty well, but you can see here that it's showing a bit of dirt.
Cloth ends up more like this:

(No, I don't use the drops much, but the camera is hiding some dirt even there.)
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You already have the yellow cable housing. The bike has yellow accents. Yellow tape and a yellow seat.
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pink tape would look nice
that's a lovely bike btw
the headbadge and chrome fork crown are really cool
that's a lovely bike btw
the headbadge and chrome fork crown are really cool

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Maybe consider looking for a multi colored tape. Like blue with yellow dots or something. They’re out there.
#15
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Your frame already has a lot of color. While bar tape ~matching the yellow head tube might look okay, you can't go wrong with black.
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#17
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Are you going to shellac the cloth tape? If so, I think you can probably get something that matches the blue of the frame pretty close depending on how many coats you go with. Wrapping bars in bright colors only works if its a bonkers paint job, like a Miami Vice or splatter or something already gaudy on purpose. That Fuji's got a classic, understated look, yellow would be too much. Like putting spinner rims on a old Jag. If not blue, black to match the saddle.
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There's your answer ^.
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If it helps, here's a few from my Team Fuji.
This is with the stock blue still.

And then with the yellow I finally decided on. I did like the look with the yellow a whole lot more.




This is with the stock blue still.

And then with the yellow I finally decided on. I did like the look with the yellow a whole lot more.





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-----
grey
there is so much colour happening already, more colour is overkill
the grey will look good when new and also as it ages/collects soiling
bright colour on casing and bar wrap can often give the completed machine that dreaded "worked on" look...
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grey
there is so much colour happening already, more colour is overkill
the grey will look good when new and also as it ages/collects soiling
bright colour on casing and bar wrap can often give the completed machine that dreaded "worked on" look...
-----
#22
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Bike looks more purple than blue. Blue tape doesn't look right. Yellow is best, black is second best.
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Strange. The only yellow on my Team Fuji is on the headset like in the stock photo someone posted
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Agreed. With the purple tint of the bike blue tape would add more colors and could come across cluttered. I'd go for a color match on yellow for an intense complementary color look, or more discreetly with black (or purple if it goes with the frame color).