Sorry man, I guess movie quoted wisecracks don't really read well over the internet. fixed it.

Any my apologies to you. I took your remark out of context and overreacted.

I, too, have been guilty of the random quip and realized that in the limited world of the internet, the message and intent get twisted.

Carry on. :)

Eww, who wants' a jacket made of ass-leather?

I just thought it was a clever shot at the OP's poor spelling.

http://tokyowheels.tumblr.com/image/58012979356
Really it depends on the bike, no?

rhm meant to post this picture:

http://31.media.tumblr.com/01cc664ef...ce1o1_1280.jpg

Just needs a sheepskin seat cover made out of the inside of an old pimps vest.

I at one time thought of that nice leather they used to wrap the handles of golf clubs. Did a search and find they don't make it anymore. Too bad.

I guess I can use this as an opportunity to post the leather I put on this bar. It looks handmade because, well, it's handmade.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7...1c2aaae0_k.jpg

If anyone can outdo the industry with his own two hands, it's rhm.

[QUOTE=rhm;16303267]I guess I can use this as an opportunity to post the leather I put on this bar. It looks handmade because, well, it's handmade.

rhm - can you describe a bit the process you used for these? specifically, how did you do the finishing of the laces and the hoods.

Seriously…very very nice!

Thanks!

In short... I bought a piece of horse butt from Springfield Leather (dot com). You have to cut it a little too small, think far ahead, punch the holes and lace it all up, leaving the thread very loose. Stitch it to the hood part that's already stitched to the lever, then slip it all on to the bar, soaking wet, position carefully, tighten the lever clamp, and then tighten the thread up from one end to the other, repeatedly until it's all right and tight and snug. Burnish with a shiny object and wax... and... well, that's about it!

Rootboy has made some stitched leather covers for brake levers
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=354568

and there is a kit sold out of the UK for the handlebar leather

That kit is a decent deal, and it's something to consider seriously. It's not cheap, and it takes a lot of trouble but it probably takes less trouble (and expertise!) than Rudi's method. Now that I have leather on the handlebars of one of my bikes, I see that leather can be worth the considerable investment. It's more comfortable than anything else, and it might last long enough to justify the cost and expense. Everything other than leather really lasts a short time. Honestly, the second-most durable covering is plain Vinyl, such as Benotto or (gulp) Hunt-Wilde.

You really should check out baseball bat grip tape. Easton sells several types, and when I can get to Sports Authority this weekend I'll be buying two packs, each pack is 39 inches I believe, which if stretched tight will do 1 side of the bar (I just wrapped a similar vinyl set with one-yard pieces). They're about $7.99 each for LEATHER perforated. They sell many types of bat grip tape.

Hey, thanks!

Yes with moderate sewing and leather skills you can buy about $10 worth of raw leather a heavey hook needle and some saddle thread at a leather craft shop and make some damn nice leather bar covers DIY style. Great Job I'm planning on tackling this task for one of my vintage bike this winter to replace the very nice Faux leather Moto coverings that are finally starting to wear out after 30 years.

I used these instructions, two needles, and kid leather.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-G...ther+tools.jpg
and this was the result
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q...bar+covers.jpg

^Nice work.

That's outstanding, and so is the page you cited. That guy waxed his thread. It reminds me that I learned to sew tubular tires using waxed dental floss. I learned that dental floss is exceptionally strong. I've sewn various things with it, and it never gives up. Do you think it would work here?

That does look great -- I'm thinking that method would not work though with modern brake levers, unless they can come off of their clamp/band and I just never knew it.

And the waxed dental floss sounds like a good idea. I'd like to hear how it works if anybody has tried it.

Consider that a tubular tire is pumped to above 100 psi. My only fear is that it could cut the fabric it holds together since it is thinner than other threads, but not much, so maybe not. When I was on my three-month grand tour of Europe, I used it to sew my leather gloves back together. They turned out to be badly made gloves, and one-by-one, I eventually replaced every seam with floss. None of those seams came undone. I should add that I'm a very bad seamster. I know only the overhand stitch and no others. My stitches are uneven and ugly.

But if your stitches are lying in accurately-laid-out awl-holes, you won't have to worry about that. And you can always double/triple-up on the dental floss to make it thick enough.

The waxed thread is relatively inexpensive, I used the prewaxed polyester thread, rather than the linen thread. It also has a more regular cross-section than dental floss.
With the leather being damp, the holes made with an awl, and the need to tension the stitching up as you go; the desire to avoid tearing through the holes is paramount in your mind.
I chose thinner leather than in those instructions and couldn't get the edges to meet up when I used the circumference less 2mm for the leather width. I just cut some scraps and experimented until I was happy.
It also allowed for some experience and confidence to be gained.

I also put some shellac on the bare bars first following this advice
If you don't want to DIY, it look like Almarc are back in business

or just try to pass your work off as the real thing with these decals from Cyclomondo
Philip