bar wrapping question
 

I picked up a Schwinn Paramount this week in South Bend ,Indiana and need to wrap the bars.I want to try the hockey tape with shellac.My question is:how does the shellac hold up in the heat?does it get sticky?Is it mostly for show?Any info as to how you do this is welcome.Thanks

I must have missed the whole shellac your handlebars thing. Why do it? What does it offer? What are the up sides? What are the down sides to it?

I live in Ohio, so I imagine we have pretty comparable weather. I have have not had a problem with the shellac on my bars getting sticky in the heat. You will want to wear some good gloves though, for comfort.

does cloth tape hold up OK without shellac?

yeah, but depending on the color and how picky you are it gets dirty quick. I had gray cloth without shellac and I wiped it down with a soapy rag after each ride.

I am sure black cloth would be very easy to keep nice.

If you don't go crazy with the # of coats, shellac won't give you a shiny, sticky mess. It will deepen the tape color, more or less depending on whether you use clear or amber. It helps hold edges down, which is especially good if you happen to wrap your bars top-down. And, as noted, it will help keep the tape cleaner, longer.

+1 I did 4 coats and it still has texture and it's not glossy, and top down is the only way to go with cloth!

4 coats of clear over white:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3619/...a9dc533d_o.jpg

How does the Pro ride, stable, twitchy,...? How is it when braking from speed on a downhill?

Hockey tape? Will this work? Or do you mean cloth bar tape?

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...4&postcount=14

Are you referring to the hockey tape applied to the business end of the hockey stick?

I saw several colors on the shelf at a local hockey shop (Komet Korners) here in town and thought that the orange could be an option for a project that has been in the wings, but decided against as the tape seem narrower and the thread along the edges split as a sample was provided for a color match by the store manager.

I thought possibly the issue was caused when wound to the roll. That maybe 12" or longer tape widths are wound onto the core, and then cut. If not wound straight then thread splits could occur while applying to the bars.

This tape is thinner than bar tape I have worked with as well, or at least the cloth tap I have removed from one of bikes that is under construction.

Is there color you need? or is it cost saving measure?

You should also share picture of your Paramount with details of year and frame size:thumb: Congratulations on your new bike.

In the limited experience I have on it, it feels solid going down a hill. I suspect that it is less lively than other steel frames but I don't have much experience on higher end steel bikes. I can ride it without hands without any issues (I don't often, I would hate to crash it). Sorry I can't offer a better description, I can say that it feels much more "alive" than my bonded aluminum Trek.

Send the bike to me. I'll wrap the bars and send them back.

You wrapped from the top-down! Very nice! No gob of electrical-tape. Cloth-tapes are great for wrapping bars this way.

^ I think you had talked me into it in the first place. Glad you did too, it looks so nice that way.

Are you actually using shellac (as in bugs and alcohol), or a polyurethane or other modern coating?

Shellac... the real deal.

I use that stuff on vintage Victrola / Victor / Edison cylinder restoration. It produces a nice hard finish, but I find it to be a bit brittle. Does it hold up well in this app?

Yep... it holds up well. When it gets to looking a little worn, you just brush on another coat of bug juice. I've heard tell of cloth tape lasting for decades when cared for and covered with shellac.