Taping handlebars...

[3narf]

Do I have to secure the cables to the bar first?

What do I do with the end of the tape at the bar end? Is it OK to tuck a bit of it into the bar and secure it with the bar plugs / brake levers / shifters?

How do I finish it off neatly at the other (stem) end?

Thx

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Like most things, practice makes perfect.

Use adhesive tape to fix your cables in place first.

Start at the bar end, leaving sufficient to trim and, as you say, tuck in, but not yet. Work towards the stem aiming to overlap each turn by about half the width of the tape. Make sure you keep the tape really tight. A good quality tape should have a degree of stretch which will make it much easier to wrap.

When you get to the levers, take the tape from the bottom of the fitting to the opposite top side, around the fitting and back to the opposite bottom, a sort of figure of eight. When you get to the end, trim the tape to length, then make a diagonal cut so that the tape end is pointed and the longer edge lies alongside the final turn on the bar. Secure with adhesive tape. Trim the bar end overlap to allow sufficient to be tucked in and secured with the bar end plug.

Bar wrapping is much easier to demonstrate than explain. Hope this helps.

Good video here.

 

[John the Monkey]

1) Yes - use electricians tape.

2) Yes - leave some over when you start taping, and tuck it into the bar, then stick the plug in.

3) Unwind a turn or two, then cut perpendicular to the bar (DO NOT CUT TAPE AGAINST THE BAR ITSELF) - rewrap, and secure with electrical tape in your chosen colour. I then like to melt the ends of the finishing tape with a heated screwdriver blade.

For wrapping methods and tips, read here;
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=71
or here;
http://bicycletutor.com/drop-handlebar-tape/

 

[3narf]

Thanks!

 

[TheDoctor]

Now, I seem to have been doing it wrong for 30 years.
I start at the middle, go along till I get to the ends, push the remaining tabe inside the bars and the plug holds it in all tidy like.
No need for insulating tape at all.
I do tape the cables to the bars before I start.

 

[tyred]

Now, I seem to have been doing it wrong for 30 years.
I start at the middle, go along till I get to the ends, push the remaining tabe inside the bars and the plug holds it in all tidy like.
No need for insulating tape at all.
I do tape the cables to the bars before I start.

That's how my dad showed me many years ago and I still use that method. Seems to make more sense IMO.

 

[TheDoctor]

Sometimes the edges of the tape curl over after a while, but normally the tape has been damaged by then anyway...

 

[e-rider]

That's how my dad showed me many years ago and I still use that method. Seems to make more sense IMO.

that method worked fine with the old style tapes but once cork tape hit the scene (ca. 1988) it became necessary to go the opposite way as otherwise the tape easily curled over and got torn very quickly

 

[biggs682]

did my first re tape last month for the first time in 20yrs , now got another 1 to do this week end and the other bike needs re doing aswell .

still cant get it as neat as the pros but it saves spending 20 squid

 

[zimzum42]

It could just be the way that I hold the bars, but I find that the tape slips a bit over time and I end up with gaps. It's really annoying, and seems to happen regardless of whether I do it myslef or someone in the shop does it. Really annoying!!!!!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

It could just be the way that I hold the bars, but I find that the tape slips a bit over time and I end up with gaps. It's really annoying, and seems to happen regardless of whether I do it myslef or someone in the shop does it. Really annoying!!!!!

Do you tension the tape well when you wrap it on? And do you overlap enough tape each turn? Tension will give it grip and keep it all where you put it and the overlap means it'll have to move a fair old way before problems appear.

I've worn my tape out just above my STI lever on the rear mech side. That's just because I'm resting my hand there to change gear frequently enough to have worn it out. No sign of wear on the front mech side tho'. But it sort of means a full re-tape...........

 

[Headgardener]

Some time ago Arch mentioned a good method for finishing the stem end of the tape. That is to use a peice of old inner tube which is first slid up the bar to the stem before fitting the tape then rolled back over the tape ends afterwards. Don't know wether it works as at the time of posting Arch had not tried it out.

 

[3narf]

My next question is: how do I tape my Profile aero bars? The brake cable is supposed to go through the bar... should I start at the end, tuck the end in, followed by the brake lever, then tape the cable to the bar, then complete the bar tape winding? Does anyone have any idea what I'm on about?

 

[MacB]

It could just be the way that I hold the bars, but I find that the tape slips a bit over time and I end up with gaps. It's really annoying, and seems to happen regardless of whether I do it myslef or someone in the shop does it. Really annoying!!!!!

I've had some slippage on the corners/bends as well, possibly not as irritating as yours as I use tubular foam grips underneath the tape as well, makes for a very chunky wrap. But it only took me a couple of minutes to unwrap and re-wrap tighter.

 

[montage]

Shame there isn't a world championship in bar taping, I've managed to get a really neat finish on all of my recent bikes. Start at the bottom and work up - don't finish off one side before you have done the other, instead temporarily fasten it with electrical tape - this way there is less of a chance of "oh balls the left side is shorter than the right so now I need to redo it". Plently of tension, but not so much as to rip the bar tape of course. Do a dry run first - doesn't matter if the sticky backing loses it's stickyness, I'd prefer bar tape not to have it, not needed!