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Cork/Shellac or Cloth/Shellac?

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Old 05-03-08, 04:04 PM
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Cork/Shellac or Cloth/Shellac?

I need to re-wrap my bars on my Riv and wondering which way to go this time.
This pic shows the bars wrapped in natural cork tape and hit with a few coats of amber shellac.
What I did notice is that the shellac eventually rubs off in the high use areas.
It's a pretty good match to the brooks (well, until the brooks darkened), though I think I remember seeing yellow cloth with amber shellac that also was a close match. What to do... what to do...

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Old 05-03-08, 04:21 PM
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In my experience shellac seems to adhere better to cloth. If you need the cushiness of cork, I would suggest wrapping some cloth over cork and then shellac the cloth.

Have fun!
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Old 05-06-08, 07:21 AM
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First of all, what an awesome custom color for an atlantis! The handle bar tape looks in pretty good shape, in the pic. I shellacked the cork wrap on my atlantis bars, and re-shellac it as needed, as it wears away. But the next time I change the wrap, I think I am going to go with the brooks leather handle bar tape. It lasts forever, isn't as bulky as cork or as skimpy as cloth and it has good gription.
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Old 05-06-08, 07:40 AM
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Thanks! Yeah, that pic is kinda old.
But the problem is that I just replaced the stem with a Nitto Periscopa and in order to do that you have to remove everything from the bars! The cork didn't really need replacing yet. Stoopid quill stems.
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Old 05-06-08, 09:00 AM
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I use Both! I like a fat padded bar.

I use a inexpensive cork/foam tape Pyramid or ??? then go over it with cloth and coat with shellac .

, I was spending a small fortune ordering cloth bike tape 4 rolls to do my 48 noodle at 4 bucks a roll then 8-10 dollars for shipping .

one day a lightbulb went off , I was a hockey player cloth hockey tape would probably work.

I went to a local hockey shop and bought 2 very large rolls of cloth yellow stick tape , also avail in green orange , brown , black...

it worked great, looks great and its like 2 dollars a roll .

one roll did my 48 Noodles. Its a tad thinner than cloth bar tape but its held up fine ESP with the shellac on it.

dont think ill ever order cloth bar tape again.

"John"

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Old 05-06-08, 12:56 PM
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And here I've been debating getting some of the stitch-up stuff for my tourer (LHT) when the Brooks is a little more broken in and weathered. Now I'm back on the fence.
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