Hello everybody,

I have not been able to find pictures or suggestions on how to do this without it looking awful.

These are the style of brake levers I'm referring to:
https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...es-levers.html

I'm looking to do a harlequin pattern on VO Belleville bars upto just past the curves

Thanks!
devon

I used a grinder to remove the ball end bit. cleans it up alot. also, if you are good/lucky, you can get the line of the lever to continue with the line of the housing.

Hey Markus, not really what I was after.

I'm curious about the actual wrapping of bar tape around the brake lever, unlike drop bar brakes I don't have the hoods to cover up missed sections. I'm thinking I'll probably just stop and restart the tape just past the levers.

ah, fair enough. I went with no tape. One factor in the decision was "...how am i going to get tape under there?". Good luck.

I've done something similar, only with sewn leather underneath. You need to tape the stainless band mount to the bar (with electrical tape or something similar--just need to hold it in place while you wrap), then completely remove the lever assembly (it unscrews from inside) before wrapping. You might need longer M5 screws to go over the bar tape--I keep a bag of two inch screws and simply cut what I need to fit, but most hardware stores have them if you only need two.

I've taped bars with cotton and mounted the lever over top the tape, so the silver clap band is exposed but not the bar. I've had the most success with the older style GB levers since they have a 2 piece band/anchor bolt arrangement. Wrap the bars, clip the band over and mount the lever..1,2 & 3 done.

Where do you get cotton tape? I used to find it at the local DIY chain — made by Nitto Tape. I loved it. I wrapped bars, and I used some of it to retstore vintage audio amp hoods to replace the original material. GONE ... can't find it now.

On old French bikes with the old MAFAC brakes, I've seen the cotton wrap simplY wrapped "past/over" the bands. Functionality more than aesthetics, I know, but true old-school. So, that's what I've done myself.

You mean you can't get Viva or even Newbaums (the best IMO) in Sendai? Maybe a member in Tokyo can send you up some?
If not, I will.

Install the clamp without the lever and then wrap around the clamp, reinstall the lever and no one is the wiser... this is the way I wrap cotton tape since I think it looks classier.

You can still buy it bulk from Fabric supply shops, the last roll I bought was sold to me as cotton webbing. 3M makes a removable adhesive that you can spray apply to the back before wrapping. Also as rootboy mentioned Viva and Newbaums plus there seems to be many sellers of un-named cotton/cloth tapes on e-bay

Or

Are you thinking the old cotton electrical tape that was great for handlebars, baseball bats, hockey sticks? Haven't seen it in years.

Nope ... haven't seen any. Maybe Dawesman can tell me if he has seen any in down south.