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Cork/Shellac or Cloth/Shellac?

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Cork/Shellac or Cloth/Shellac?

Old 05-03-08 | 04:04 PM
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From: Houston we have a problem
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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From: San Francisco, CA

Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, 80's Bianchi Stelvia fixed gear conversion, Marin Lucas Valley hybrid, Guru Newsteel road racer, Rivendell Atlantis touring

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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From: Houston we have a problem
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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From: upstate NY (eastern side)

Bikes: giant ATX 760, Falcon Road Bike (ss) custom marinoni tourismo (full dresser) ,

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"

Last edited by JOHN J; 05-06-08 at 09:58 AM.
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Old 05-06-08 | 12:56 PM
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Bikes: 1974 Schwinn Speedster 3-speed, Raleigh Super Course

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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