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Originally Posted by mazdaspeed
(Post 12006423)
fizik microtex, it will actually come clean.
I love it. Cheap, durable, easy to clean, and looks great. Not for people that like squish, though you can add some strips of cork or gel padding in strategic spots underneath before wrapping. |
seypat ..
The Opus III hadn't been ridden a lot of miles before I took these photos .. I've put a fair amount of time on it since then and it still looks like new. My Raleigh Pro, which I rode quite a bit this fall, looks very good as well. I highly recommend it ... Scott |
Another vote for Fizik microtex, especially if it's white. I have some on my Bianchi Campione, it's great stuff. I accidently tried the hardest test of white bar tape I know of. After handling a chain, I grabbed the white bar tape with a load of dirty, black chain lube on my hand, just didn't think before I grabbed. I wiped it off, no problem, but I missed a spot. Several days later, I found the spot of grease and wiped it off easy, quick and clean. Once I get grease or dirt on cork, I can never bring it all the way back to spotless, but the Fizik is that good. I have a freind who also uses Fizik. After wrecking a vintage Nishiki, he transferred the Fizik tape to a Lemond he picked up. It looked like new after he re-wrapped. At $15-$18 a pop, it's three times what I pay for cork tape on sale, but well worth it.
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eBike stop has Bike Ribbon white tape for $5.85.
Niagara has it for $7.72. - As with all on-line orders, your best deal depends on what else you happen to be ordering at the time. |
I vote for Fizik as well, though I've only used the microtex "soft touch" type. Mine is also a dark silver-gray, so I've never tried to clean it in the several months I've had it. I know a few others that also use it and like it a lot. It's not super thick, looks nice and stays pretty clean on its own (and is easy to clean if you feel the need), and has a good grip. The soft touch feels really nice, like superfine brushed suede or velvet. The regular microtex comes in plain white. The soft touch is available in white too, but only with the fizik logo printed all over it, last I checked anyway.
The Lizard Skins tape is another one I'd love to try, it seems like it has the best grip. It also comes in white, but it's pretty pricey at $30-40, compared to most other bar tape (besides leather). |
Sounds like I should give the Fizik a try!
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Fizik Microtex White is nice, easy to clean, feels leathery (Not the soft-touch)
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Originally Posted by Roger M
(Post 12007682)
Do you have a cheap source for this tape? I like it from what I can see.
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Originally Posted by auchencrow
(Post 12009033)
eBike stop has Bike Ribbon white tape for $5.85.
Niagara has it for $7.72. - As with all on-line orders, your best deal depends on what else you happen to be ordering at the time. |
Wow, I'm gone snowshoeing for a day, and I get two pages of responses! I like the look of the Bike Ribbon. Anyone have a photo of the Fizik? I also loved the perforated one. Great responses so far!
And of course, the tape must be white. I'm going to try out some white tires while I'm at the lbs getting the stem and new tape put on. The old Panaracers are cracking. We'll see how they work. White is the bomb. |
Sorry, I just realized Scottryder's picture WAS of the microtex. I really like the look there, and also the bike ribbon. I'll talk to my lbs guy tomorrow and see what he has in mind, as well.
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Originally Posted by snarkypup
(Post 12010105)
And of course, the tape must be white. I'm going to try out some white tires while I'm at the lbs getting the stem and new tape put on. The old Panaracers are cracking. We'll see how they work. White is the bomb.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...I/_MG_2966.jpg Scott |
Fizik on one of Mrs. Gomango's rides.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/...3c0e2690_o.jpg She likes it. I like it. |
I have the V-O Elkhide in white, I quite like it. Grippy enough, not squishy and nice and thin. Feels real nice without gloves. It got dirty fast and won't come clean, but I don't expect white tape to look new for long. It gets pretty slippery when wet too, which makes gloves necessary.
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Originally Posted by snarkypup
(Post 12006368)
So, I decided this warranted its own thread :). I have picked up a used Nitto Technomic Deluxe 100mm up to replace the Panasonic's current average height 110mm stem. When I replace the stem, I'm going to rewrap the bars in nice new tape. I'd like something, well, nice. Slightly cushy, but not insanely so (I ride with gloves, anyway). Sexy and high-end for this pretty gal. I, of course, fancy the Brooks leather, but I don't know if that's a great idea or not. This is mostly going to be a sunny day bike, assuming I ever finish building up the Shogun, so it won't get wet or particularly dirty.
I like the idea of white leather. I have never used any bar tape other than the stuff that's on the bike, and it's 21 years-old. I'm no bar tape expert. Anyone prefer one tape over another? I read my other thread and saw the recommendation for the Cinelli cork. My lbs guy has something in mind that's plain white. I'll have to nip in and find out what it is. He's going to do the stem install and bar rewrap, as I'm not there yet, skill-wise. Thoughts? Here's the bike, again, because you can never get enough (okay, I can never get enough) of its monumental hotness. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5050/...054e618546.jpg christmasridepics4 by snarkypup, on Flickr |
The Fizik on my crossbike has remained remarkably white even through the mud/sand/dirt of cross season. I have some Specialized stuff on my roadbike in black but it feels really nice.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...ItemId=0&eid=0 |
Originally Posted by ilikebikes
(Post 12011113)
White looks nice.....great actually, but it gets dirty quick and even if you clean it after every ride eventually it starts to look like hammered ****.
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Scottryder, that Fuji is gorgeous! I think the Fizik is my favorite. I'll see about getting some. The 21 year-old tape on there now is cleanish, but sticky as heck. Thanks all!
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Originally Posted by thirdgenbird
(Post 12011215)
As posted above, fizik and bike ribbon clean just fine. I have also had great luck with deda "carbon" tape. In white it looks quilted and at home on older bikes, its durable, cleans with a damp cloth, and wraps great.
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I'm still debating the white.
An idea suddenly popped into my head. Has anyone who wraps over a base layer of some kind tried alternating colors for a candy cane effect? If so how did it look? I'm sure it can't look any worse than the speckled/spackled tape that you see in some of these pictures. Before you start flaming, remember to each his own. The reason for my idea is that this will be my first attempt at wrapping. I figure I could do the first wrap with cheap cloth tape and see how that goes. Then if I get the hang of it I could do another layer with white and leave space between the circles so a candy cane effect would happen. What say ye? |
Originally Posted by ilikebikes
(Post 12011827)
so lets see some pics and let us know how long its been on your bikes. Lets try to keep the replies about "how long its been on your bike" totally honest. ;)
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Seypat, I've seen a few bikes with a zigzag/harlequin patterned wrap, but never the type of pattern you're suggesting. It might work with thin cloth tape, but wrapping two layers separately like how you're suggesting, I think that might get pushed out of shape more easily, and might make the grip surface uneven and uncomfortable. There's striped bar tape out there- less ugly than a lot of that splash-patterned cork stuff. What color combo were you going to do? What bike is this going on?
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Shopgirl,
The bike would be a early 70's LeJeune(Matra Blue color) that I am working on. This is my very first fixup. There is a thread on here about it titled "Another LeJeune To Ponder." The colors I would be mixing would be white and blue. I will start with the cheap cloth tape to get the hang of wrapping. Back to my candy cane/barborshop pole idea, it might be possible to wrap with 2 colors at the same time. Some experienced wrapper could expand on that idea. It might be too hard to do unless you had 2 people wrapping at the same time. Think about it, you start with the 2 colors overlapping and just wrap as you would with one roll making sure your overlaps stay consistent. |
Originally Posted by seypat
(Post 12018985)
Shopgirl,
The bike would be a early 70's LeJeune(Matra Blue color) that I am working on. This is my very first fixup. There is a thread on here about it titled "Another LeJeune To Ponder." The colors I would be mixing would be white and blue. I will start with the cheap cloth tape to get the hang of wrapping. Back to my candy cane/barborshop pole idea, it might be possible to wrap with 2 colors at the same time. Some experienced wrapper could expand on that idea. It might be too hard to do unless you had 2 people wrapping at the same time. Think about it, you start with the 2 colors overlapping and just wrap as you would with one roll making sure your overlaps stay consistent. |
Originally Posted by ilikebikes
(Post 12011827)
so lets see some pics and let us know how long its been on your bikes. Lets try to keep the replies about "how long its been on your bike" totally honest. ;)
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...f/IMGP1282.jpg I rode the bike for a total of 900 - 1000 miles this year, the last time being on November 3rd. The bike has sat in my shop untouched the past two months. Here's how the tape looks today. I've actually had more trouble with the brake hoods and keeping them clean. http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...f/IMGP4935.jpg http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...f/IMGP4937.jpg |
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