ok, I give up...
 

I've been trying to figure this out on my own but still haven't got a clue. what's the deal with the little-bump-of-electric-tape on the top tube? everyone's doin' it and I am so out of the loop. is it so you can tell your bike apart from the other bikes on the racks?

it's so your bars don't swing around and ding the toptube.

protect the top tube from the bars swingin back and hitting it

To keep you from dinging your paint with your fashionably-untaped drop bars.

jinx.

to keep your top tube from getting dinged when your handlebars swing around and whack the top tube. doesnt happen on geared bikes cuz of all the cables, i guess.

handlebar tape also solves this problem unless you are rollin' those little trackstar grips that only cover the drops.

my handlebars are covered in grab-ons, so i took off my toptube protector. however I still have one (a bit of bar tape) around the downtube, where the barrel adjuster of my front brake hits on its orbit.

though I think you summed it up best when you said "everyone's doin' it." i personally am working on a little toptube jacket for my bike. chimblysweep knitted a cozy for hers.

http://www.businesscycles.com/graphics/tubeprotect2.jpg
This Kashimax top tube protector is designed for the same purpose. They are about $30, much more than the electrical tape, but also much more handsome looking.

There's one on my bike that I think is built into the top tube. Considering that my winter road conversion has a dent in that exact spot from the thicker steel in my bars from a wreck in Feb, I'd say it's a good thing. The BET is over the top of something that's metal...

Nevermind - I just checked and it was all BET. But there are no dents there...

i've got the fuji set up with a couple of wraps of cork tape on the tt, held on with electrical tape; it's not as clean-looking as the kasimax protector, but it didn't cost me anything, and i bet it works at least as well.

I just moved mine forward about a cm to line up with the bars better...

I have part of an old innertube wrapped a few times and then covered with tape. I am sure that since I used heavier rubber instead of light cork, I will now lose every race I enter. Dammit...why am I so stupid? :rolleyes:

I'm going to blame the weight in my bag for any races I lose...

hey, so do you think the thick cinelli cork I have on my bars is enough to cushion the top tube from it? if not I might consider that bling-kashimax-bling thing.

just realized – while the handlebar hits the top tube on the left side, the brake hits the down tube on the right. now I don't see anyone protecting the down tube. what gives?

Brake? Huh?

I do.
no top tube dealy for me. i've got bar tape

klaaannngggg

http://www.e-framebank.com/photolist/5330/SANY0059.JPG

my street bike has a brake, and i have protect the top tue and the down tube.