Bar tape.
 

What is it about the new N+1's that have been posted recently?

They all seem to have white bar tape. Even my n+1 had white bar tape and it may be excused as it does have a lot of white on the frame- but My neighbours bike is Black and red and that even has White bar tape on it:notamused:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=239452

This bike has only done a few rides and you can see how discoloured it is already:eek:

I reckon that is these members from San-Diego that have influenced the Manufacturers- They saw DG's new bike and they all want one like it.

So is it a trend- a Cult- or did the manufacturers buy too much white tape and have got to get rid of the stuff?

I've never understood white ANYTHING on a bike--tape, saddle, even shorts. It looks like crap after one day.

IMO, white looks good on a lot of bikes, but not all of them of course. It is easily changed if you don't like it. Different strokes for different folks.... etc... etc...

As to the "dirtiness" factor, well, some of us are Oscar and some are Felix I guess.

Like the white bikes. Don't like white tape.

I am getting White gloves to wear when I ride.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...lWheels013.jpg

I'll be ordering a Defy 1, 2012 edition, next week on Tuesday or Wednesday. White bike, black tape.

http://www.google.com/url?source=img...zUyOGw5hg7UIIQ

White tape looks good and shows that the rider has class. I do have to remind my Bike Butler to give it a little more attention but that's okay. Least he has a job.

The nice thing about bar tape is, if you don't like it for any reason, it's easy and relatively inexpensive to replace.

I have discovered Red isn't a lot easier to keep clean. Maybe it is the tape I use I don't know. The gold tape on my Lapierre has done pretty well for the last four months and cleans with just some windex. The red has only been on the Klein for a week and is already showing some smudges. And I wash my gloves every other week.

Naaa... just rip off the tape entirely and spray your bars with Rhino-Liner! :eek:

:D

I'm beginning to fall for those white/black or black/white bikes with splashes of red.:love: The white tape looks good to me as well...clean or dirty.

:love::love::love:

The better you get as a cyclist, the more you're likely to use white tape. The top cyclists are very aware of the bike, and are able to avoid touching the greasy parts. A good example is to look at bike racers. The top Cat 1 and 2 riders are always very clean and neat-looking, legs shaved, jersey zipped up, all the sponsor logos looking clean and sharp. Your typical Cat 4, on the other hand, is usually in slightly baggy shorts and dirty socks with grease from the chainring splotched across his leg. Right.

So you earn the right to have white tape on the bike. Enough said!

Luis

Really??? I wonder.


http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/...-kuurne_207392

White tape is not something I would use on a bike, because I ride them, a lot, in all sorts of weather. Our bikes aren't showpieces.

The best tape I have is a silver carbon effect look. Nice smooth surface, but nicely padded, and easy to clean, and cost less than $15.00. Cork and similar tape tends to get grubby, but the blue just gets darker, the light brown gets a certain patina about it, and the black just... stays black.

Black bar tape denotes experience and practicality . I have red on my Ross because it matches the color, but others all have black .

Or ...... its just there when you buy the bike. :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4ByTa7yPJc

Clean it.

How to clean black tape:

:lol:

Now really glad my CAAD 10/4 came with black tape. I haven't used white tape since the late 70's when I could get the Italian tape cheap and changed it regularly. If it ever comes to it I'll put the medium blue cork tape from Specialized on the new scoot.

That bike needs Fizik Dual Bar Tape in black and red

http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pub...7xSXV2aoxV1FSQ

I have the black and blue on Blue Steel and is looks fab. Feels real nice too.

My Felt came with white tape and I have to say that it makes an excellent bottom layer to be covered by my non-white 2nd layer of tape

"white tape is so pro"

http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/2012/0...-cyclists-say/

I'm getting rather fond of torn Celeste patched with electrical tape.

White also shows up better in pictures, especially in days of yore when photog was b&w (right, DG? ;)). Just ask the pros.

In the day that meant black tape. Today you can get electrical tape in all kinds of hideous colors. Haven't seen white though ;)

Seems like it was a few years ago that I became the unofficial spokesman/advocate for white bikes (pointing out why they are the fastest bikes because they pit no additional weight, with no added pigment on the frames, among other reasons), and look what has happened. White bikes everywhere from all the biggest manufacturers.

Now, the debate shifts to white bar tape with the usual objections -- it's too hard to clean, etc. The zeitgeist is shifting, people. The rise of popularity of white bar tape is as inevitable as the rise of the sun tomorrow morning.

Bikes with white bar tape are faster, sexier, reduce flats, prevent rider fatigue by absorbing vibrations better, lead to better pie choices, and have higher resale value down the road. None of that can be debated anymore.

It's time to join the white bar tape revolution.

I have some. And orange. My wife has an orange and cream bike, with white(ish) bartape. I use the white and orange electrical tape to accent the handle bars, and her areo bars, and as pinstriping.
The things we do for love.

So it is you I have to blame? I remember your white bike theory when I got my Masi and my first Lapierre, both in White. I had to carry a clean rag in my jersey packet. After a while I started bringing cleaner, then polish. Soon I needed a back pack for all the cleaning supplies I would have to use and then one day I found I had so much cleaning supplies it was time to start pulling a trailer, in white of course. So to stay as fast as other bikes I had to wear a white jersey and white Bibs with white shoes with a white helmet. Next from all that white the reflected sun started to sunburn my face, arms and legs. So I had to buy white arm and leg warmers and a supply of zink oxide to cover my face. Then I noticed my teeth looked dull because of all of the rest of the white on me so I had to get my dentist to whiten my teeth. Then people started calling me an albino and I lost all my friends and no one would ride white me because I would allow ungloved hands closer than ten feet from me or the bike.

Now that I know who to blame you will be hearing from my lawyer sir.:innocent: