Just rip them f*ckers out. At least, that's how my old ones came undone. I undid the old tape and yanked on the end the plug was on and they popped. Just make sure you stretch the hell out of the tape. also, clean any old adhesive off the bars with rubbing alcohol.

/not Scrod.

I am a handlebar wrapping master at this point. Like just about anything, the only way to get better is to keep doing it. A lot of great info can also be found here.

You remove bar end plugs by pulling them out. I can usually get them started with my fingernail but you may need to get them started with a small screwdriver or something if they're being stubborn.

Awesome. Thanks!

Two flat head head screwdrivers under opposite sides of a plug will remove it without damaging it.

/$0.02

That would work great too!

The reason why I ask is I'm tired of my red splash tape and I'm thinking of going for LizardSkins or that camo tape that Hairnet had.

I'm a fan of using Park Tool's "advanced" version. Not really that much harder than normal, but I like the way it works better. Just takes practice. For the same price as having an LBS do you, you could buy a couple of rolls of cheap cork tape and wrap it 3-4 times with one roll until you get it how you like it, then practice again with a fresh roll (not all stretched out) and then use your good tape when you're good and comfortable.

Awesome. Thanks!

don't do this. you want to stretch it a little, but not a ton. there's a happy medium there. also a bit of personal preference.

take your time and just try and make it as even as possible. when u finish w electrical tape (assuming that's what you do) make it nice. 90% of bikes i see have 3 widths wide of sloppy taping. looks like ****. sit down w a brew and get to it. sometimes it takes me 15-20 min to get it just how i like it. im a little ocd about it though. i figure you stare at it all the time while riding, might as well make it look nice.

Soma Thick and Zesty. goooooooood stuff
+1 I have taped my bars about a millions times because I'm obsessive about my bar angle, hood placement, and feel of the tape, if I decide I do not like something I cannot ride until I fix it. There's no harm in going a few steps back and re-wrapping

I was told to stretch the living crap out of it. It's always worked for me. I have a feeling other people on here have taped more than I have though, so listen to them, not me. Seriously.

Can you reuse tape?

I have rererererererereused tape. After a while the tape feels flimsy, depending on the tape, and you replace to change color.

zomg i lovelovelove taping bars. its pretty much my favorite thing about building a bike i have no clue why. i have also rererereretaped bars with tape, especially cloth tape. or tape without any sticky backing.

generally for aesthetically pleasingness on tape i make sure the space between wraps is exactly the same, although that changes around bends.

tight even pull is ideal, but not extremely tight. kind of also depends on what kind of tape....i find with cloth tape super tight is nice, with cork medium tight is good, although sometimes cork tape is nice when its wrapped a teeny tad loose (but still tight) so its a bit thicker and squishier.

oh wait im not scrod mahbad

RB-021 or the Hood Rat compact drops?

I want bulls for better climbing leverage, etc. But I've had a few people say that the RB-021's drop is a little extreme for bullhorns and are uncomfortable since the tops are really narrow. I don't have hoods or anything, but the flat part of the Hood Rat seems really comfortable, and would leave more extra $$ to purchase a longer stem.

use the extra cash on hoods

Getting all my measurements down for my wheel build, and plugging the pertinent info into a spoke length calculator I get a result of 294mm. Does this spoke length hold true regardless of nipple length, and can I go up or down 1mm in order to get the spokes I want? Bear in mind these measurements were done by hand, and not the result of plugging in manufacturer's dimensions, so the measurements themselves may be _slightly_ inaccurate.

RB-002, beautifull and confortable

Why not the Nashbar aero bars and a longer stem?
/notscrod

Scrod, what's a one-liner to post in the comments of this video?

.be

I love my Nashbar pusuits. They flex more than a wet noodle but they are still alright.

I agree. RB-021s look nice but I find them to have too much drop, which is also my reason for getting rid of my Deda Lowriders. Compact drops have proven to be pretty amazing - even without hoods - but if you want bullhorns, go for RB-002s.

That's insane, and quite funny.

In my experience, it's always better to round down if need be because new spokes do "stretch" slightly and you may need the extra mm or so when you retension your wheels after riding them for a bit. If you want me to check your components and get the right spoke length, shoot me a PM.

Dear Scrod,

When wrapping LizardSkins tape, how much should you stretch it? I've heard everything from not stretching it at all to pulling it really hard.

You need to stretch it a little bit but if you do too much, the top layer will deform and you'll end up with wonky looking LizardSkins after a few rides.

Coolio.

:lol:

I think I'm going to go Compact Drops with a new stem and hoods. If only you had lizardskins in black Scrod :C

Should be here this week! Oh wait...we're not supposed to talk about this stuff here. :lol: