I am very curious how you finish off handlebar tape at the stem. For the longest time I used vinyl electrical tape and then put the trim tape usually supplied with the bar tape over the top, but now I am using 3M cotton friction tape (3M Temflex 1755 Cotton Friction Tape). The tape is available at Home Depot and Lowes. This tape was a very different type of adhesive. It doesn't feel stickey but when you wrap the end of the tape with it, it sticks to itself very well and the cotton base of the tape looks good with the cork bike ribbon.

I will add some pictures so you can see what it looks like. How does everyone else finish off their bar tapes?

Electrical tape. As far as I'm concerned, the finishing tape that comes with the bar tape is nothing but junk, supplied only for the purpose of satisfying those who don't have any tape to begin with.
I have always used electrical tape, because it generally works best, looks good, and lasts. I hear sports tape works pretty good too.

Electrical tape stretches, so the wrap-to-bar transition is smooth. The stuff they supply with the wrap is useless crinkley crap.

I use electrical tape, and in my case since I'm so bad at wrapping bars, I have to tape it a the tops, and at the ends in the drops. Here's a pic to what it looks like.

I used to wakeboard, and the handles have polyurethane floatation around the leads coming from each end. Inevitably, these floats tear.

What does this have to do with handlebar tape?

Well, I'd re wrap the torn poly floats with electrical tape like you'd wrap a bar. Now here's the trick:

Put a couple of drops of super glue at the finished end of the electrical tape. It will NEVER come undone, even after being dragged through water at 20 mph for years!!!

I just ordered some Bike Ribbon tape lockrings off eBay, they're little plastic clamps with cutouts for cable routing. Techno-nerd that I am, I'm going to try them on my new build:

https://www.bikeribbon.com/product_de...t=c&subprod=c#

B'Dog

I use nylon string and wrap it tight and then put a coat of polyurathane over it.
Excuse the poor picture.

Picture didn't show up sorry!

I hope you can get that picture up, I would realy like to see how that looks.

Usually it frays, but I've "finished" a couple of rolls by crashing....

But seriously, electrical tape on 2 bikes, but my Dawes came with tape clamp rings that make a very nice finish to the bar tops.

Ed

Hope this works, if picture doesn't show up email me and I will send it to you.

When I wrap the bar myself I use black electrical tape. The guys at Rivendell wrapped my bars and used twine which has a pretty neat look with the natural cork tape...

Scotch 33+ electrical tape.

Nothing exceeds like excess.

One of my friends did that then put a few coats of shellac over it. It looks nice in a Birkenstock/granola sort of way.

Yeah, I've seen that. I like the natural look of the twine enough not to mess with it...

Here are the pictures using the friction tape:
Please note that each image is a link to a larger picture (800x600).

I like friction tape, but it always leaves a sort of icky residue on my hands.

I use electrical tape to secure the end. If some fancy finishing tape is supplied, I just put that over the electrical tape.

Scotch 35 Electrical Tape from Home Despot (just happened to be an exact match…)

- Wil

Waldo, looks like good old Hockey Stick Tape, I have many rolls of that

I hate electrical tape, it may work, but just looks cheesy to me... Like only Electrical tape can.

I liked the the Bike Ribbon tape that comes with their wrap is the best, and I always liked the tricolor Italian stripes of them.

The Cinelli stuff looks nice too.

Not pretty, but functional

To really finish off bar tape, I remove it from the bars, then take it outside and shoot it. If it's still moving after that, I douse it with gasoline then set fire to it. It's usually pretty well finished off by then, but if not, I bury it.

another vote for black electrical tape...

I found black electrical tape by the stem works for me. At the bar ends I put a wrap of 1/16 x 3/8 glazier's double sided foam tape to get it started and then wrap over it. I leave half the width hanging over the end and tuck it in with the end plug. Works for me


Giant TCR2
Miyata 618 GT
Centurion Time Machine

Black electrical tape, starter and finsiher.

I wrap the bar from barends to the enlarged area for the stem/accessory clamps in electrical tape, sticky side out.

Then I wrap the bar in Cinelli Gel Cork tape, tightly and close spacing for maximum padding.

Then I finish off the wrap with more electrical tape, two full circles around and cut at the bottom of the bar, out of sight.

I do all my tape cuts with a fresh razorblade. Nothing else will do when you want an easy and perfect cut the first time.