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Complain or just patch it

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Old 09-21-25 | 06:39 PM
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Complain or just patch it

Had this wrapped at shop and only about 30 hrs on it. Either patch it and move on or take it in and complain.


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Old 09-21-25 | 06:44 PM
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The real question is: On what forum do you ask which socks to wear every day?
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Old 09-21-25 | 06:52 PM
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I know tape is a wear item but with so few hrs there has to be something defective.

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Old 09-21-25 | 07:19 PM
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It should last longer, but it's $30 tape...move on. Why would the shop be responsible for how you wore down your tape thru your use?
Buy something different thst is made of a different material/compound, and wrap it yourself. It takes 10min on each side.
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Old 09-21-25 | 07:28 PM
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To be fair, even a professional mechanic can’t wrap a handlebar properly while holding some doofus‘s helmet.
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Old 09-21-25 | 08:03 PM
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Well...knowing your post reactions, I'm sure you're gonna complain...
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Old 09-21-25 | 08:43 PM
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Originally Posted by MikeDeason
I know tape is a wear item but with so few hrs there has to be something defective.
Yeah, the rider...
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Old 09-21-25 | 09:43 PM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
It should last longer, but it's $30 tape...move on. Why would the shop be responsible for how you wore down your tape thru your use?
Buy something different thst is made of a different material/compound, and wrap it yourself. It takes 10min on each side.
This, gotta be one of the easiest repair jobs, Google how to do it.
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Old 09-21-25 | 10:21 PM
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That tape has seen abuse. The big patch, then the smaller cut on the next wrap and another cut across two wraps. If the mechanic at the shop did those, you could have pointed them out and refused to pay.
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Old 09-22-25 | 03:26 AM
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Get some black hockey tape and patch it up. Looks like user error, bar tape even a cheap one should last a lot longer than 30 hours.
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Old 09-22-25 | 03:59 AM
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That does not look like normal wear and tear to me, that looks like it was cut, it is not frayed like normal wear and tear... I would just replace it and move on.
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Old 09-22-25 | 04:08 AM
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I put together my bikes and do all of my own maintenance. If I screw anything up, I don't have to go far to register a complaint.
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Old 09-22-25 | 05:36 AM
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I ordered tape off Amazon. Will patch and mention it at season end service appointment.
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Old 09-22-25 | 05:45 AM
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Probably should not have used a razor blade to clean the mung and drool off of the bars.

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Old 09-22-25 | 05:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Zara Sp00k
This, gotta be one of the easiest repair jobs, Ask AI how to do it.

There fify.

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Old 09-22-25 | 06:00 AM
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I think it's a sliding friction point in the way I hold the left hood, as I've worn the tape in a similar spot before, albeit after about 100hrs. This is the only spot the tape ever wears prematurely.

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Old 09-22-25 | 07:11 AM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
It should last longer, but it's $30 tape...move on. Why would the shop be responsible for how you wore down your tape thru your use?
Buy something different thst is made of a different material/compound, and wrap it yourself. It takes 10min on each side.
It’s not “worn”. Tape doesn’t wear in 30 hours.

It looks like it might have been cut/sliced. There’s another apparent small cut/slice just below.

If it was a cut/slice and it was done by the shop, it doesn’t seem likely it would have shown up 30 hours later.
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Old 09-22-25 | 07:13 AM
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Originally Posted by MikeDeason
I think it's a sliding friction point in the way I hold the left hood, as I've worn the tape in a similar spot before, albeit after about 100hrs. This is the only spot the tape ever wears prematurely.


It’s not the same as that and it’s too localized.

(The damage in this second photo isn’t really “wear”.)

The damage in the first post appears to be a cut/slice. There’s another apparent small cut/slice right below it.
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Old 09-22-25 | 07:14 AM
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Originally Posted by 79pmooney
That tape has seen abuse. The big patch, then the smaller cut on the next wrap and another cut across two wraps. If the mechanic at the shop did those, you could have pointed them out and refused to pay.
Yeah, that was my thought as well. Looks like something sharp(ish) rubbed on it. If I had to guess it was either while riding, maybe a ring, or carrying something in the hand, or while moving it about the garage, maybe something falling on it. We had a parrot that loved stripping handlebars and cable housings.
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Old 09-22-25 | 07:52 AM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
It’s not “worn”. Tape doesn’t wear in 30 hours.

It looks like it might have been cut/sliced. There’s another apparent small cut/slice just below.

If it was a cut/slice and it was done by the shop, it doesn’t seem likely it would have shown up 30 hours later.
I said 'worn' because I dont know how it happened. I agree that it seems more like a slice than wear.

As for saying tape doesn't wear in 30 hours, I'm gonna disagree on that. I have installed multiple brands of tape that started fraying, peeling, and scuffing heavily in less than 500mi. It's happened with common shop brand Bontrager tape, expensive Supacaz tape, and offbrand Amazon tape.
It doesn't happen for me, but I rode for years with people whose tape I installed and would see the quick destruction in weeks/months.
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Old 09-22-25 | 08:20 AM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
I said 'worn' because I dont know how it happened. I agree that it seems more like a slice than wear.

As for saying tape doesn't wear in 30 hours, I'm gonna disagree on that. I have installed multiple brands of tape that started fraying, peeling, and scuffing heavily in less than 500mi. It's happened with common shop brand Bontrager tape, expensive Supacaz tape, and offbrand Amazon tape.
It doesn't happen for me, but I rode for years with people whose tape I installed and would see the quick destruction in weeks/months.
Yes. Mine starts to wear pretty quickly on my touring/commuting bike in the exact same place. I patch it with electrical tape.
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Old 09-22-25 | 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by MikeDeason
I ordered tape off Amazon. Will patch and mention it at season end service appointment.
Is this the place where you cancelled the end-of-year service because they wouldn't baby-sit your helmet?
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Old 09-22-25 | 09:24 AM
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As posted, I found a shop that has no problem holding my helmet when I come in for service.
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Old 09-22-25 | 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by 13ollocks
Is this the place where you cancelled the end-of-year service because they wouldn't baby-sit your helmet?
Keeping his stories straight is not one of the OP's strong suits.
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Old 09-22-25 | 09:58 AM
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I posted several times in that thread that I switched LBS

i guess replying to threads before reading them is not one of your strong suits.

lol
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