If Bo Diddley was still alive and rode a bike, I think he'd approve.

DISCLAIMER: No 'gators were harmed in this expression of pimp-e-ness, not even the one from my front yard.

The one with a cottered crankset. :innocent: I suggested you should send your bars my way. ;)

Should Kurt, start a new YouTube show? "C&Ver's Pimp Their Ride!" Now, what should I wear?

I've thought about trying soaking in water. I'll cut a test piece section from a scrap, soak it, and try stitching it onto the bend.

This leather is very different from the other goat and sheep skin hides I've used. Those are very stretchy, so are perfect for making bar covers and lever hoods. The finished croc or 'gator side is very stiff, almost like a thick plastic coating.

I am satisfied with how the hood turned out. I paid no attention to the gator pattern when I traced the shape on the backside. I'll remake the one pictured and the other hood and try to have the pattern align better with the bar cover.
'Gator bar cover, hoods, and saddle bag definitely are not for every roady. :D

I needed to get back to my bike leather projects after spending a big chunk of November and December making my wife and daughter their Christmas purses.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5199d06fc8.jpg
(The other purse is red)

Now all their friends are bugging me to make them one. If only I could charge $15,000 and up per bag like Herme of Paris does.
Where I lived in NH was just a few miles from where Stephen Tyler of Aero Smith has his summer home. I met him several times, and I think he'd approve, as long as I added scarves as streamers from the bars. :)
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fb0812e3c6.jpg
@cudak888 needs this one in his Ride-Share museum.

That looks soooo 1970s.

Well, you could try selling them on AliExpress for 15,000 Yuan...

That's still north of $2k...someone might bite :P

I was about to say...bike share bike. Don't recognize it offhand though, especially the solid orange fender.

-Kurt

Do I need to correct "Ride-Share" to "Bike Share?" :p

Maybe I could persuade Stephen to autograph the purse to drive the price up! :innocent:

I've always found the variety in taste to be so.........


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Interesting

However, 'gator bar wrap seems to have caused a loss of words! :p I believe we all understand why. :innocent:

Fess up, pastorbobnlnh. We know you ripped that off the roof of a Challenger at the Mopar Nationals.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...02315f9008.jpg


-Kurt

"Ride share" is that thing where someone in a GMC-badged office building with blue and pink lights in the window picks you up and silently worries about their health insurance as they drive you to your destination.

Better yet, autograph the bike share bike... :P

-Kurt

That's sew cool looking!

Perfect for this guy's bike!

https://www.google.com/search?client...id:BWNQTqMkezc

'Gator Update:

Saddle bag:
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...171d4784b6.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...579b850d65.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...349c087b71.jpg
Finished the saddle bag to match the bar sew-on covers and brake lever hoods.

This afternoon I stitched the right side of the bar cover. I made the width a 1/4 inch shorter and soaked in warm water for 15 minutes before mounting. I also added the hood and this time I cut it with the 'gator pattern in mind. The left side will also receive a newly cut hood.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8f69ad6bb8.jpg
While there is still puckering in the bend, it is better than the left side which I installed several days ago. I'll remove the left side, shorten the width by 1/4 inch, and remount with the new hood.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...439cfcc96d.jpg
Installed wet and with 1/4" less width (fewer puckers)
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...11d032d9a9.jpg
Installed dry (more puckers)

Beautiful work, pastorbob! Funny but there's a well known artisan whom does custom seats and bags for 'very high end' show motorcycles, goes by the name Alligator Bob. The details and what goes into his work is amazing.

Well, that's purely coincidental! I had no idea; I was just running with [MENTION=476187]jdawginsc[/MENTION] 's thread about the bar tape. I've had the gator leather for over a year just wondering how I'd ever use it. This tread provided the necessary inspiration.

Alligator Bob's work is awesome.

I finished re-doing the first bar cover and installing the final hood. [MENTION=476187]jdawginsc[/MENTION] had asked what bike and I only gave a hint. The past several months I've been slowly building this 1975 Schwinn Voygeur II. It is running a 27" rim, 1951 Sturmey Archer AM 3 speed IGH, which I purchased from [MENTION=45088]nlerner[/MENTION] this past fall. The crankset is off an early '50s Schwinn Superior. The front wheel is a 48 spoke laced to a Phil Wood hub.

I'd been on the fence about bar wrap, and this thread pushed me in a direction I had not considered--- but I am now quite pleased.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...625c85297b.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...901cfb13f1.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6b9ba17331.jpg
Should I use the blue cable housing or go with black to match the Sturmey Archer barend cable?

My vote is for the blue to bring out those gator stripes.

That really looks neat.

Even for the cottered crank...which brings flashbacks...

Serfas brand woven bar tape, installed last night on the Pelizzoli. Not many orange options out there so thought I'd try this.
Looks neat but am doubtful about durability given the number of small threads involved.
We shall see.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...be72ec52de.jpg

That's wild! But do you have the cycling shoes to match......?

I hadn't given shoes any thought. But I have an old pair that maybe I can deconstruct and replace the original uppers with the blue-black 'gator.

BTW, here's the final build. I completed it mid-week and only had a chance to take a couple laps around the neighborhood. As can be seen I went with the blue brake cable housing, but I shortened the SA barend shifter housing to a stop near the front of the top tube.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...720&fit=bounds

[MENTION=170517]rccardr[/MENTION] , I like your bar wrap. However, I recently picked up a piece of orange leather to make my daughter and her friends University of Tennesse orange dog collars. Would you like a set of bar covers?
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7fc6da2936.jpg

They have some cool patterned stuff for the bars...

PB,
I offer an alligator skin grip for golf putters and it sells for over $200 per grip. Not many takers for this luxury item but there are a few. Finding the real thing in a skin is a bit hard, but it can be done. Your work with the leather is very good so my kudos! Smiles, MH

I'm gonna put this here as it is a bit interesting nowdays to me, I had some NOS Bennoto that seemed perfect for this even though I am not a fan, I need way more cushion.

So I put some thin cushion underneath and it turned out ok I think. ;)


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...991763b759.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0aef3638fb.jpg

The Serfas tape is pretty close to the BTP tape,
https://btpbartape.com/

I always thought they were the same basic company, or at least supplier.

This one is super cool.

https://btpbartape.com/product/bt-cok08/
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bdd9149b22.jpg