Is this going to work?

[I like Skol]

I have just bought a Charge Spoon brown leather effect saddle and being the vain bugger I am, I also bought the matching bar tape. I am planning to use this on my riser bars instead of grips and besides coordinating with the saddle it will also allow me to move the controls inboard a little bit as my big hands have always felt a little cramped between the shifters and the stubby bar ends.

The problem is that because I have bar ends I cant end the tape by tucking it into the end plug which is what I guess would happen with a typical drop bar instalation?

My plan is to start where the controls/brake levers would be and work out. The start will wrap over itself to hold that end and the tape has a narrow self-adhesive strip running along it but when I get to the end I think I will have to add some contact adhesive (evo-stick) to fish off and stopping it all coming undone once it gets used.

Is this going to work/has anyone tried similar or am I wasting my time trying?

 

[Zoiders]

When you start off wrapping bar tape you don't actualy have to put one end inside a bar end with a plug, there is a nack to getting to stay put on it's own, you won't need adhesive either.

It takes a bit of dexterity but you simply start with tape held against the bar at an angle(pointing inwards in the direction of wrap) then you pull it nice and tight and overlap it partialy once to cover up the angled section, keeping the tension as you do this is important, get it right and it stays put all on it's own with no plug or extra glue.

Finish the inboard end with plain old electrical tape, done neatly it looks fine.

 

[I like Skol]

When you start off wrapping bar tape you don't actualy have to put one end inside a bar end with a plug, there is a nack to getting to stay put on it's own, you won't need adhesive either.

It takes a bit of dexterity but you simply start with tape held against the bar at an angle(pointing inwards in the direction of wrap) then you pull it nice and tight and overlap it partialy once to cover up the angled section, keeping the tension as you do this is important, get it right and it stays put all on it's own with no plug or extra glue.

Finish the inboard end with plain old electrical tape, done neatly it looks fine.

Thanks Zoiders, I know the start isn't a problem as you describe. I was hoping for something a little more aesthetic than a ring of black tape (although they do supply 2 short strips of black tape with the kit).

Still think I will try fishing it to a point with the glue then if it starts to lift I can jump in with the black tape. (did entire drop bars in black electrical tape when I was a kid!)

 

[mark barker]

Couldn't you remove the bar ends, tape to the end of the standard bars and then put the bar ends back on over the tape?

 

[biggs682]

i have done it on a few bikes and it worked ok

 

[TheDoctor]

Couldn't you remove the bar ends, tape to the end of the standard bars and then put the bar ends back on over the tape?

All the bar ends I've had are a very close fit to the bars (they clamp onto the outside), and wouldn't go over tape.

 

[I like Skol]

Couldn't you remove the bar ends, tape to the end of the standard bars and then put the bar ends back on over the tape?

I did consider this but they are a close fit and even if they could be fitted on over the tape I think I would end up with bar ends that would spin on the bar given a good tug.

 

[Chickc78]

Could you trim a <1cm slither off of the grips you are removing and use it as a elastic band style retention device? would be neater than tape.

 

[Zoiders]

Tape looks neat if you do it right, it comes in lots of colours as well, I would finish brooks brown tape with orange electrical tape, sounds silly but it's a good match.

 

[MacB]

Don't forget you can put the tape over whatever you want, I like to use tubular foam grips underneath my bar tape, makes it nicely cushioned and means I don't need padding in gloves.

 

[cyberknight]

Don't forget you can put the tape over whatever you want, I like to use tubular foam grips underneath my bar tape, makes it nicely cushioned and means I don't need padding in gloves.

Picture in last years C+ maintenance guide of a pro MTB bike done exactly the same.

 

[zacklaws]

You have to bear in mind that bar tape can be classed as a consumable as it will need replacing eventually when it starts going ragged, usually at least once a year, so I never see the point in doing a "classy" job. I find the supplied tape for finishing off with inadequate and usually drops off in a few days, so I just use red electricians tape and then finish off with a thinner band of black tape so that gives two bands of red with a black band in the middle which is about as classy as my taping jobs look, so long as the tape is cut underneath, its not noticiable. What I have noticed though is, when I remove the manufacturers bar tape, its always been started and finished with double sided sticky tape underneath to secure the bar tape.