White bar tape?
 

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

I like Cinelli white cork tape, or you could also get Fizik bar tape, which is leather-like. But best of all, I like just classic white cloth tape, with a layer of clear (not amber) shellac over it.

PS: The colour scheme of your bike looks great with white tape!

I do not care for cork tape alone as it does not seem to last. I use cheap cork-like tape as a base layer, then wrap in cloth and shellac.

I like Cinelli cork tape. I like Bontrager Cork tape too (not the Gel Cork). Keep your current plugs, though, cuz the Bontrager has ugly plugs. I have some chrome aftermarket plugs that last forever compared to the ones that come with tape.

Leather seems like it'd be the best thing ever but I haven't splurged on it.

(Cloth tape is too thin and rough for me, as I typically ride sans gloves April-October.)

fizik microtex, it will actually come clean.

You mentioned white leather. You might like it. I wouldn't call it cushiony, but it's not rock hard either. Like you, I wear gloves. So it's not a problem. The tape looks good and is straightforward to install, even for first-timers like me. What I don't have a good feel for is how well it wears. When I ride, my hands are almost always on the brake hoods.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/...a56f0b13_b.jpg

Where did you source your leather wrap?

In white, I've used Cinelli cork, Bontrager cork, Bontrager gel, Forte cheapo, and the thick Fizik w/the holes in it.
I'm not sure if it's the microtex or not. I think I've also used Deda in white.

I often buy wrap locally when I pop into shops just to say hey. It's more expensive there, but worth it in the long run, for goodwill.
Few shops around here carry much of a selection. Trek sellers are handcuffed to Bontrager, and there isn't much sense in small shops carrying a wide selection of bar wrap, so they have white, black, and sometimes other stuff, but not much.

The Forte (Performance) is cheap, non-adhesive, and easy to wrap. It works fine and cleans up OK.
I don't use it but I wrap a lot of it. People make their trips to Performance and bring the stuff to me to use, and it's fine.

The Cinelli cork has the best feel, to me. I don't wear gloves and it has good grip. It doesn't clean that well and has less cushion, which is a drawback for me, because I ride the drops. The adhesive isn't the best, which is a good thing for re-wrapping.

The Bontrager cork is my choice in most cases, because it's available, $7 cheaper than the Cinelli in this area, and has a little more cushioning. It cleans up better, wraps fine, but doesn't look as good as the lightly speckled Cinelli. I do not like the strong adhesive on it, because if often tears on removal/rewrap. I really don't care for the Bontrager logo on it.

The Bontrager gel is easy to clean, easy to wrap, thick as all get out, and has great cushioning. It doesn't look very good, with that logo on it and the thick padded smoothness is incongruous with a fine steel bike. It really looks like dookie on a wider carbon bar, almost like a diaper. Stretch it to look thinner, and it will tear.

I've wrapped one bar for someone else in the thicker Fizik with the holes in it, and it felt amazingly smooth, took a little practice to get it looking right, but I've never ridden it. The owner of the bike loves it. I have another box of it, and will use it on my modern bike with carbon bars. I only wrap the drops on that, so I get double the use out of one box.

The best wrap I've ever seen is Lizard Skin, but it's expensive. I do plan to wrap at least two bikes in it this year. You have to take your time wrapping, but the grip and cushion are the best I've ever seen. Not sure if it comes in white, and it cost at least $30. If it wears well, I think it's worth it.

I like Bike Ribbbon Professional.

It's inexpensive
Extremely durable
Easy to wrap
Easy to clean
Padded - but not gooshy.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...-1983barsa.jpg

White tape would look cool on Capo #1, but I have always worried about keeping it clean and nice-looking. Black tape hides the dirt very well.

Slightly less expensive than Brooks and available in colors is Handlebra leather wrap. It comes in a white.

http://store.handlebra.com/v/vspfile...egories/51.jpg

http://store.handlebra.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=51

I bought it for my modern Cannondale road bike in blue to match the blue Brooks Professional. I installed it over last winter and put a lot of miles on it this past riding season.

Here are some of my observations:

I used waxed blue hemp twine to finish and secure the end. This works well and makes re-wrapping the bars easier. This is important, because I must have re-wrapped at least three, maybe four times. Because there is no adhesive on the back of the leather, it slips, gets out of place, and exposes the bar.

My guess is this has as much to do with expansion. I first wrapped in my cold basement over the winter. Hot days in the summer and hand warmth probably make the leather expand and loosen. If you can wrap the bars in a nice hot sauna, or send them to Old Fat Guy or RFC in AZ to wrap in the sunshine at high noon on a 110F day--- problem solved.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...urBrifter1.jpg

I've just got white Brooks bartape for my Competition. Haven't been home to install it yet. It's got white Fizik on there now, and I haven't managed to keep it clean. My chain fell off, and that's all she wrote - stains won't come off.

I'm a little worried about the Brooks, but I've put it on my International (green) and my wife's comp (honey) and been really, really pleased with the results. I've darkened it up with oil and it looks great. A few edges have rolled up, but I flattened them down with a few drops of Tear Mender. I am sure the white will get weathered, but since the honey and green look so cool weathered, I'm not too worried. It's not like all the white rubber accessories I have on the bike are all still bright white, so it should wear in fine.

I use cotton tape under the bars to pad it, and I cut each side in half and wrap starting on the ends, ending under the hoods, secured with a small piece of duct tape. Looks fantastic, and no twine or electrical tape cluttering things up. It's scary to cut $50 bartape in half, but I couldn't get it to look good wrapping it around the brakes - it's too wide and it's not stretchy like cloth or plastic.

I got it here: http://www.ciclodicuoio.com/

It's available in several colors. I think it was about $60 for the kit, which included needles and thread.

snarkeypup, Here's a pic of the Sampson tape I mentioned in the other thread. It's now about ten years old and cleans up well time after time using Simple Green. It's non adhesive and has been through at least one rewrap.

Happy New Year,
Brad

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=184166

+1

Me too. Seems hard to find these days.

In the 70s we used cloth, and when it got dirty we'd throw on another layer. When you got to 5 or 6 layers is started getting comfortable.

I don't care for cloth these days, or cork.

+1, ESPECIALLY the white.

I have not had good luck with white tape...it looks great the day you get it...and that's the last day it looks great. I just don't want to spend time cleaning tape either. That being said...your bike is SCREAMING for white tape.

OFG rec'd this extremely awesome looking white leather tape from handlebra. If I were getting leather, this is where I'd go...it's on par price wise with Brooks.

http://store.handlebra.com/

Do you have a cheap source for this tape? I like it from what I can see.

+100 I'm getting ready to order two more sets of this in white today.

I order from Loose Screws - quicker shipping for me. Also have seen it on Excel Sports web site for $7.95. Loose Screws is at $9.00 if I remember right.

^bikeman.com


*opps, scozim beat me to the punch... it was like $14 with shipping from bikeman...

Speedgoat cycles.

I have a weird fetish for white (and brown) tape, but since both of my bikes are black, white is the option I always go for.

I've had white Cinelli cork tape on one of my bikes for the past two years and I love it. Of course it gets dirty, but I don't mind a little dirt, and it's pretty easy to clean. It's been on my bike for two years, it's seen some dirt and water, and it still looks nearly new. I can't remember exactly how much I paid for it but I don't think it was expensive.

With a white saddle, white tape is always the way to go!

I use to prefer cloth over anything else but I've just recently started to us the perforated Fizik on my Opus III and my Raleigh Pro. It's very easy to wrap, stays clean and has just enough softness for comfort.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...I/IMG_4917.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...I/IMG_4953.jpg

Scott

Scottryder,

If I may ask, how old is the tape and how many miles ridden at the time of your picture? And how often do you clean it. The bike I'm working on needs white as well but I just don't know how clean it will stay.