fun fact, I've been wrapping bars top to bottom for years. no need for tape on the top to keep it affixed and I find that it grips my hand better. Also, for those who deal with hand fatigue who want to avoid gel inserts may I suggest using an old innertube? cut out the valve, tape it into place, make multiple tight wraps until you get to the end of the bar, cut off excess, use some tape to keep it in place and wrap with your preferred bar tape, works very well.
Depending on how aggressively you grip your bars and where you like to hold the handlebar often, wrapping bars top to bottom tends to leave it more vulnerable to getting unwrapped/rolling over itself from use
There are many manufacturers that use a sticky silicone strip instead of the typical adhesive on the back. Supercaz, Fabric, Specialized, and PRO are tapes that I have used. However, they cost more than the traditional ones.
Does seem to be a product solving a problem that's already solved and I 'd rather have a silicone bar tape with cushioning if I'm riding gravel. Cinelli's gel cork handlebar tape is comfortable, can be re-wrapped and is like $10 a pack
I think the other problem with typical bar tape is that it stretches so once you unwrap it it will never wrap nicely again because some parts are stretched more than others
BBB FlexRibbon is my go to, It looks like the popular "PU" coated tapes but it stretches like cork/silicone/EVA, has the silicone strip rather than sticky tape, lasts ages, supper grippy, and cheap. They do a GravelRibbin to that's more cushy too if you need it. (Not RaceRibbon though that's totally different and crap).
Just an FYI - those of you that have Aluminum handlebars should probably take the tape off once in a while to make sure you can get the bars clean. The salt from your sweat will corrode the bars if left unchecked for an extended length of time causing bar failure.
Interesting, but what? I've been riding many years and have never seen this happen on any of my bikes. I do live in Colorado where it is pretty dry. But I've never seen any sign of this kind of corrosion. Maybe you guys are just extra salty?
@RollinRat I'm genuinely curious how many out of those 1000's/year have that issue. We all remember "that one bike that..." but usually not the ones that were "boring". I've personally never seen it, but, admittedly, my sample size is small, only a few dozens of bikes that were generally well taken care of (though some had thousands of outdoor miles, were decades old, and one that was both and sat out through 2 soggy Oregon winters before I acquired it.). I'm wondering if it is like the Ultegra/Dura-Ace crankset corrosion issue that seems to be pretty widespread, but not generally talked about outside of forums or maybe a certain alloy/brand?
Isopropyl works to get tape gunk off bars. I'm diggin this non-tape tape, like that you dont need electrical to "seal" it at the end and rubber undercoat is a really great idea for bar grip. Rubber band ribs on bars could also be a workaround with actual bar tape-tape if you don't wanna stick the adhesive.
Been using Grepp for a year or two now. Always tinkering on my bikes, and it's just so handy that you can re-use this basically an infinite number of times. No fraying to speak of at all. There is some discolouration (I have both the black and rain drum (brown) colours), but that's basically cool patina anyway. The only downside is that it is so darn durable and reusable that you better make sure you get the right colour, cause there's not going to be a reason to replace it for a loooong time once you have it. Would love to see some patterns, like a collab with Campandgoslow would be epic...
Wrapping top-down is a no-go for me. When the tape is wrapped top-down, you'll end up with the overlap facing the wrong way (up), meaning the overlap will tend flip over after some use, particularly around the brake hoods. Been there, done there, even got the T-shirt. Also, the tape seems to not be stretchy, which will make a nice installation harder and perhaps even frustrating. If you don't like the adhesive, take it out before you use the handlebar tape. Most adhesives are just narrow double-side tape. Or get handlebar tape that has non-adhesive silicone backing.
The extended length alone looks like a benefit of this stuff. Starting from the top and working down means you might not reach the end and have enough material to get it locked down, but this seems like no problem.
@@yarryrob Only downside in my experience is that it can leave black markings on your hands/gloves. No biggie, it washes off, but something to be aware of.
@@DominiqueB i just put very thin tennis overgrip over the parts where I have my hands must and the tubes give it a nice cushion, the tennis grip tape a nice feel
nice vid! When I wrapped my Grepp tape, I went the "normal" way - from the bar ends up to the stem, and haven't had any issues. I also overlapped quite a bit and still had plenty left, on a fairly "normal" width 46cm bar. I used a small strip of Newbaum's to finish it and hold it in place, and the adhesive on the back of that hasn't caused any problems so far. Oh, and I also found using a figure-8 pattern around the lever got rid of the gap without leaving a big bulge of tape or having to cut an extra piece.
That's perfectly fine. Wanted to highlight that both ways are working. We just adopted the other way to get rid of the finishing tape and avoid cutting the tape length. However finishing the tape with a newbaums tape is for sure a great way to make the cockpit shine and keep it clean🤙.
Was looking for a comment like this. Thanks. Because there is a reason for wrapping tape the "normal" way, especially on the top of the bars. When slyding your hands along the bars to the levers, the folds of the tape should not hinder your movement. When you wrap the tape like in the video you will constantly rub against the folds and eventually loosen the tape. But good to hear that it works the "normal" way - I think I will give this tape a try!
This is a great product, reusable, washable, no sticky guage, the future of bar tape! They’d be smart if they had an option for including gel pads with the product. I’m gonna look for this for my vintage Bianchi which needs new tape.
I've had really good luck with Bontrager Gel Cork bar tape, the adhesive isn't super-duper sticky, and it unwrapped and re-wrapped very well one year after I initially installed it. For sub $20 tape it's hard to do any better.
Enve bar tape has a silicone backer that is grippy but not sticky, allowing you to reuse it multiple times without any issues. I've rewrapped my bars 3 times now with the same roll of Enve bar tape and could easily do it again. It's got a little cushion and doesn't get slippery in the rain. Expensive, but worth it imho.
I use leather strips specific for handlebars, local production. 2 years, re-wrapped several times, no sticky glue. Under the tape, for long distance added comfort I use stripes of inner tube.
For future reference - use red scotch-brite pads to knock off the stuck bits on your bars. The red has abrasives, the white ones are nonabrasive, the grey ones are in between, and the green is super aggressive. You can also spray a small amount of citrus cleaner on to help it go a little faster.
Good idea to solve an ongoing issue and it looks nice too. I see someone else reported using old inner tubes, a good reuse option. I used to get rubber wrap from a hardware store meantvfor hammer wrapping. It wirked great, had cushion and could be reused. Downside it was onlynin black. Thanks for continuing to seek out fixes for annoying and expensive bike issues
Uni student in Chile, poor as fuck, used old inner tube as bar tape for like 3 years, a little stiff on the hands and it would stain them with black rubber, but worked like a charm using gloves, eliminating both problems. 10/10 I completely recommend it if you´re broke like I was, Even so, when given the chance I´ll try it again and covering it with a second "normal" bar tape for the extra cushion
I do leatherworking often enough to keep veg tan on hand. As a result, I just cut a long strip when I need bar tape, albeit usually with a seam near the hoods. Super grippy on the hands, natural cooling when wet, lasts years of heavy use. That said...you do have to rewrap it a few times in the beginning as the leather stretches over time. And I wrap it from the top as well. I use a gel pad underneath.
do you treat the leather tape at all ? I have leather tape that's been going on 5 or 6 years already of year-round hard commuting, that never got any oil or grease, and is still looking fine, but wonder if I should, or if there's a downside to that.
In the old days we always wrapped our bars with part of the brake lever clamp showing. I don't remember ever needing to grip the bars where the little gap was in the tape. But times have changed and aesthetics are important.
I had some cloth tape from BTP. It was pretty durable. After a crash, I replaced it not because it was too shredded -- it was just a little shredded -- but because of all the blood on it. I didn't think of laundering it.
Just wrapped with Grepp a few days ago. Its deffo a bit hard on the hand and slightly slippery but also ride with gloves on longer rides. On commutes it doesnt matter really. Wondering what will happen when riding in rain in summer. How quickly will it dry out or feel damp. Considering its not that thick, will probably dry pretty quick in sunshine? Got a yellow one and its for sure bright and slightly shiny at the beginning. Think of buying white sneakers and going out to the street the first day. Blinding everyone. Cant wait to get them slightly dusty and worn in. But easy to wrap and love the idea.
Profile Drive Gel...and it's even longer than the regular Drive tape. Silicone backing, nice stretch, super easy to wrap, nice padding without being too thick.
3:22 that is actually a really useful workshop tip if you are using conventional tape! I went back to using self-adhesive fabric tape a couple of years ago. Sure it isn't padded but I just work out where I need my padding and use scrap bits of old padded bar tape, hold them in place with electrical tape, then cover the lot with fabric tape...
I love the idea of this, and would 100% get on it if I rode with Curly bars. I do use tape on my butterfly bars, but I put some brooks cambium tape on them years ago and haven't needed to change it, but I can swap out controls without de-taping. Great looking product, designed reusability in a product is edgy AF in this day and age
The only issue with wrapping top to bottom, is that the hands will naturally slide down with gravity and try to roll those edges of the tape, like a cheese grater effect (its like if you lay the roof tiles top to bottom, they will catch all the rain water ). but if you replace it often or don't ride too much it's not a big issue..
Same, in my experience. Fizik and Brooks (leather and cloth) don't go to HAM with the adhesive, and are both durable enough products I can get 2 or 3 wraps out of them before it's too mangled to comply. (al biet, after the first wrap, it never looks quite as good and will have fades and warping, but still good)
I’ve had good luck using a heat gun so “loosen up” the adhesive when removing stubborn bar tape. That said, it can still be a pretty unpleasant process on older bars so I fully support this adhesive free alternative!
One can wrap bottom up from the bar ends to the hoods and then top down from the stem to the hoods, hiding the cut ends under the hoods. That’s how I did it when I harlequin wrapped my bars. Come to think of it, one could go the other way round, too. You’d just have to tape or twine both ends.
Like someone said, just like the 60s and 70s. We also started the tape at the top and stuffed the end in the bar. But my hands rubbed the exposed edge. That's how the tape was usually destroyed. I'm interested if that happens on your bike.
I've been using Planetbike organic cotton bar tape for several years. The glue isn't as aggressive as Newbaum's, so it doesn't leave a lot of residue, and I can easily re-use it or re-wrap if I want to change quill stems. In a perfect world removable face-plate quill stems wouldn't be hopelessly out of stock, and apparently NONE OF US LIVE IN THAT WORLD. So I choose reusable cloth wraps as much as possible. I picked up some Grepp Gripper tape recently, Olivine--because I always buy grey tape and thought a change would be nice. But my frame is lilac, so it looks like I was going for a Joker-themed build, and I absolutely hate it. Now I'm hoping that I can adjust the color with amber shellac, but no one seems to be stocking that anymore. The moral of this story is buy grey or brown and that I still don't know if you can shellac the Grepp Gripper tape.
I used strips of thin closed-cell mat. Butt (edges&ends) joined with contact adhesive, plus some stick points to stop movement. Any high wear areas could be easily cut out and replaced.
I've always just wrapper the new tape over what remnants of the ole bar tape was there with no problem. Also never had a problem re wrapping tape. Plus, with no cushioning it's a big ol no go.
Awesome product from the looks of it. I've always used newbaums wrapped over cork or gel tape for the added cushion but that nice cotton feel. And always wrapped from the top for aesthetics
I was pleasantly surprised by some fizik tape recently when it survived an unroll an re-roll without damage from the (actually weak) adhesive. That said, thanks for the info: the machine washable aspect will be the winner here if true -canvas bar tape as just a strip of canvas is around since donkey’s era AFAIK, I didn’t get there yet because they say it’s difficult to get clean once dirty…
This looks interesting, thanks for reviewing it. I’ve been using Bontrager and Enve tape for years and both can be reused numerous times. Enve for the win.
I am late to adding my 2 cents but ESI tape is reusable and can be cleaned. It's a little more expensive but worth it. Also for cleaning the old adhesives left from handlebar tape, use furniture polish with to clean it. I use Old English. It comes right off with the polish and a rag. Furniture polish also is great for removing flat handlebar grips (especially if using the hairspray trick when installing).
Been running this on my road bike for a while and really like it, pretty sure same color. Doesn’t seem to be discoloring as quickly as my previous celeste green tape.
Love my silicone tape without adhesive but my gloves eat up the surface. I was already thinking about adding a protective tape on top, keeping the silicone for cushion and I kind of like chunky grips.
When I worked in bike shops 1978-1984, we always started by the stem, and cut a piece to hide the triangle at the brake lever. Generally easy to finish with bar end plug, except bar-end shifters, you had to minimize the excess. Inquiring when did starting location change?
This stuff looks great! I just removed the cloth tape from a vintage bike from around 1975. I sprayed it down with a citris solvent, let it soak in, and then started peeling. The tape came off in long strands and small tufts of fabric, but most of the adhesive stayed on the bars. I ended up using a plastic scraper to scrape off the goopy adhesive. Yuk. Starting at the stem and working towards the bar end is the traditional way of wrapping bar tape. I think it changed with the advent of these thick rubbery tapes that can't be easily stuffed into the bar ends. And, perhaps, because the electrical tape wrap near the stem helps hold the shift and brake cables in place? (not an issue with bikes in days gone by).
One thing that has intrigued me is that all the videos I've seen on bike cleaning and restorations is that you never see them cleaning the handlebars if the tape is being changed. Great to see a make of handlebar tape that doesn't have adhesive. Well done video as always.
I might have to give this a try. Most of the thick tape I have used eventually compresses and loses its cushion over time anyway and honestly, I never seem to miss the cush factor even without gloves. I couldn't tell how you worked it at the hoods, but you might figure 8 it to cover the small, exposed area. Being able to figure 8 with thinner tape is also a benefit.
Put my Brooks leather bar tape on 13 years ago and treat it once a year at the same time as the saddle. I dig this though, my get some to 'try on my wife's bike'
Being a fabric tape I’m wondering how it does with moisture. If you are riding and get rained on does the tape stay wet longer than a more traditional tape?
I think the cool kids use to wrap with used inner tube. I haven't tried that but it is on the bucket list. Once I've ticked that off this tape looks the go 👍
BTW, that is the way that handle bar wrap was done before the modern "tape". I still wrap all my bikes this way just to avoid using tape on the bars and I love the look.
I NEED THIS. I'm also fiddling with my bikes a lot and swapping parts. I buy cheap tape for that reason but it's still $20 every time I need to remove it. $34 sounds like a good deal to me.
I use Fizik tape and rewrap and reuse it, never had an issue with the adhesive getting extra sticky and making a mess, it also just refuses to crease no matter how I wrap. I get this tape specifically because it's super lightweight and lasts forever, it's also easy to find for less than $20. :) Also a big fan of Zipp and MSW tapes with the gel strips, both very durable and reusable af.
I've had relatively good experience recently with Brooks Cambium: had to redo it after about a month, and it was both not deformed and not too sticky. Also really like how grippy and cushioned it is. Thought about the grepp, but I'm very sensitive in my palms and wrists and feared that even with pads underneath it would be too hard
Great video. I agree on how un reusable the new stuff is. What I do when I am setting a bike... so I may need to undo de tape... I use an inner tube. cut in half... it is great!!! and free... an to add cushioning, I use inside before putting the inner tube tape a piece of foamy materials... no too thick or a pice of old handelbar tape. you can also put it doble (the inner tube tape but two paces) or play with how much tension you use yo put it in place.
Very cool! I personally use silicone grips everywhere I can. Both my bikes with aerobars have them on the extensions and a couple of them have it on the drops. I have one bike with tape from the tops to just below the hoods, then silicone grips the rest of the way down the drops.
might want to try specialized roubaix tape. mine has been taken on and off three times by now, has been in the wash once and it still sticks... a bit... when dry
I love that idea of taking it off and re washing, but also the fact you can buy other colors that you can easily switch when you feel like it. Also at the same time you're not wasting money you get to reuse or sell.
I like the concept, but need more cushioning since I don’t always ride with gloves around town. I have found a few brands of “foam” tape that don’t have adhesive on the back - maybe PlanetBike is my one like this. It’s hard to know if it comes with adhesive or not since most manufacturers don’t say.
seems like the woven rubber bits could either stick to the bar or eventually dry up and crumble. also, why must you wrap down? hand friction can eventually catch the edges and make a mess.
ปีที่แล้ว +1
I had an old bike here in Brazil like 10 years ago, but the bike was from de 70's. Back then, handlebar tapes didn't have glue, you just rolled them and they stayed in place
I also want your experience with removing the end caps. I think that's gonna suck. But there appears to be way plenty of tape to do the double-reverse-diamond-wrap under the brake levers (which would also allow the optimal inside-to-out wrap direction on the drops). I'll go check it out. OTOH, I like to use cheap, bright tape, and change colors every now and then. I guess I could buy a few colors of this and keep 'em in storage... Please update with your experience.
@@PathLessPedaledTV I need a lesson with bar end shifters. I have secondary brakes and bar end shifters. So far have used local shop to wrap bars, but they slide open and use electrical tape gunk up top. I hate the dirty adhesive from electrical tape gooping me all summer. I am interested. This reminds me of Ace bandages for sprains.
@@Ma_Ba can't help with the shifters, but for the shop-applied electrical tape, it's easy to remove it as soon as you get the bike back, before the glue has time to go dark magic on you, and replace with some waxed thread (many video tutorials on youtube to see how to apply, very easy once you've done it once.)
Why from the top? You start from the bottom so your hands don't work against the grain. If the seam on the overlap is upward and also going towards the stem the tape will move and slide easier. That's why you always want to start from the bottom.
This is perhaps true for thicker “modern” style tape. However, with woven tape such as Grepp the direction matters less because you can pull it hard and it lies flat if you wrap it correctly. I prefer the look and there is absolutely no problem if undoing the tape.
The first plastic bar tape I remember was Benotto. Functionally it was pretty rubbish because it was so slippery when wet. But Francesco Moser used it so it had to be good, right? Because cloth tape ends up fraying I bought some leather sleeves for my touring bike, cannot remember the name. It had a pre punched hole to accommodate a Campagnolo brake lever clip, which I did have since they were the best lever available in 1978. The sleeves were expensive, a pain to fit, not long enough, glued in place with Evo-Stick and when it rained the dye leaked so my hands were stained black.
This looks a bit nicer than that shiny stuff we had in the 1980s (which you also wrapped from the top) but I'll stick to padded. Cinelli cork gel and BBB are two brands I've used that usually go back on OK without leaving chunks of stuff on the handlebar.
I am curious to see if this tops my current favourite cheap tape, which is old inner tubes, or my close second which is three layers of hockey tape. ... The hockey tape does have the adhesive problem and is single use.
This was good. I started watching your videos as an aid to replacing handlebars due to numb hands. Your comment about this tape not having planned obsolescence as a lot of recent bike stuff is good to know about. Nice color too. Now I just wait for the handlebars as they travel on the slow boat from China.
I broke both hands grip ND numbness an issue. I ride gravel thousands of miles yearly. My 3 gravel bikes all have the Red Shift stem that isolates my hands better than other product . Love their bars too.
@@Mosely2007 I'll keep that in mind. However as I have an old Quil type stem, I'd need an adapter. I'm on the West side of Michigan and it will soon be ideal biking weather. Hang in there.
@@Fetherko Yes - The bars raised to the max. The handlebar is a straight bar. I tried bar ends and gel gloves, but I have too much weight on my wrists. I think with the new handlebar, I will both have less weight on the wrists as the posture will be more upright. Thx.
When installing new bar tape, I rub the adhesive side on the front tire and it becomes only mildly tacky. I've never had a problem reusing it or having residue on the bars. FWIW.
Great idea! I've been spending the last 3 months developing a break and gear lever connecrtion link to allow hanledbar swap-outs and almost ready to look for manufacture!!
I’ve been happy with rubber “cyclocross” style tapes. They don’t stretch out and deform like foam or cork tapes so I’ve been able to multiple rewards out of them. They’re softer and comfier than cloth tape. Currently using Zipp service course cx.
@@jonamcc it’s definitely true if talking about cork or foam tapes which easily tear or deform when stretched. I think the prevalence of those materials in handlebar tape is another example of planned obsolescence in the bike industry, and additional fodder for the plastic trash problem in the bike industry.
The handlebar grip I've found never had adhesive. I'm sure with adhesive it's easier to fit, but definitely more difficult to remove. In tennis rackets, they never use adhesive on grip tape, it's not needed. You just need to pull it a bit taut so that it'll keep it on.
When I was racing in criteriums, road, and time trials back in the 1970s all the good bikes had cloth "tape". I don't recall any sticky substances. Pulling some tension on the fabric was sufficient. No goo to deal with. The only times I recall not being able to reuse the cloth tape was when wear or inconsistent sun fading made it look sloppy. Plastic and padded bar tapes started to become available in the 70s but back then it was an immediate sign of a department store bike or an unsophisticated owner. WD40 works well at removing residual adhesive after pulling lables off of jars. Maybe it will dissolve the messy bat tape goo too. Bar tape has not been an issue for me for over four decades. Currently I have flat bars with Ergon grips and Moloko bars.
Looks like a great product! Makes so much sense, and really pleased to see it's available from Alpkit in the UK. Consider wrapping the bars in an old inner tube before using the tape to add a "little" cushioning.
I have been using the self adhesive camo tape that hunters use on guns and tools. Not the best cushioning but great grip in all weather and easy to install.
That looks very pretty! It would be interesting to see how long it lasts before starting to look ratty, even after washing. I've been getting ~1200-1500 miles out of "modern" padded tape (including multiple re-wraps) before it is worn out/through. The last time I changed taped on my "good" bike I used the old (Supacaz) tape to replace the stuff on my commuter bike, I swapped sides and wrapped it so that the worn and grimy parts were underneath the cleaner previously unexposed part.
I have leather bar tape on a couple of my bikes. It works well, and it's reusable, so it ends up being more economical than single-use tape, though the purchase price is high. I have Brooks Cambium on one of my bikes, and it's thick and rubbery, and I love it. Some say it's hard to apply, but it didn't give me trouble.
I had leather tape on an old commuter bike, that got very wet very often (Pacific NorthWet ;-), and really liked the feel and the durability. I never did, but always debated, using some leather treatment on the tape. It survived fine 5 or 6 years and many miles, is still looking quite fine, so I guess leaving it alone is quite OK, but always wondered if it would be a good idea to give it some TLC just to make it ever more bombproof. Do you do anything to yours?
Can someone with handlebar end shifters put this on? Should these people avoid "finishing tape," as it might gunk up the cloth at those locations? Which gel inserts are you speaking about? Pls and thanks in advance!
I have one of the new Ribble bikes with tapeless handlebars. The drops have a grippy sandpaper like coating in the paint. While I do enjoy the tapeless setup, if you ride without gloves you'll immediately notice sweat and dead skin building up around the hoods.
Ive never ran a drop bar, they hurt me so i just never ran them, currently running the Surly SUNRISE BAR & i love them but i still wanna set of the Jones aluminium wider bars ta try and they can be wrapped for sum dif pos along w/ grips is why this vid caught my interest💯👍
I'm not a big fan of the super sticky glue on the back of tape either. There are several tapes out there that either don't use a glued back or don't use glue that rips the tape when it is undone. That being said, it is sad, because when a bar is taped with enough tension and in the right direction, glue is largely unessesary (except to hold tape on after a crash). We used to put a strip of double-sided sticky tape down the outside of the handlebar so that tape without glue would not unravel from the bar following a crash that damaged it. Do you know why they claim that this paricular tape should be taped "backwards"? With lots of tapes, as long as the direction around the bar is correct, the direction top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top doesn't matter so much. But, in the past, cloth tapes were the ones that most needed to be wrapped bottom-to-top to keep the edges from rolling with use.
When applying conventional bar wrap, who says you have to remove all the paper covering the adhesive strip? Remove just small sections to keep things in place. How tightly you wrap it in the first place comes into play too.
Just a tip to remove adhesive: try using some cooking oil and put it on some paper towel, then rub. It should do the job. However, I love the idea of not using adhesive. Sounds like this could (in theory) be more easily recycled, reused or cleaned once removed.
my 1976 Soma Competition has cloth bar grips. They are so abrasive! My hands hurt after a good climb which is obviously down to technique, but man it's rough. They are also impossible to clean. I don't ride with gloves because I'm no pro, but if you do it's a none-issue unless you're out in the rain or live in a dry dusty environment like me.
Looks like a decent tape. I have actually had quite a positive experience with those Lizard Skins. The adhesive strip is so weak that it barely sticks, so you can wrap/unwrap a ridiculous number of times. Once I screwed up another tape after a set of Lizard Skins was in the recycling bin for days. Took them out, washed them, dried them, wrapped them (it was like a 5th time) and they served for another bunch of rides 😂 Where I don't think I would love this cloth tape is that I like a lot of grip on my tape. I just can't go without that sticky rubbery feeling. And I only wear my gloves for heating purposes in winter, otherwise hate riding with them. 😅
fun fact, I've been wrapping bars top to bottom for years. no need for tape on the top to keep it affixed and I find that it grips my hand better. Also, for those who deal with hand fatigue who want to avoid gel inserts may I suggest using an old innertube? cut out the valve, tape it into place, make multiple tight wraps until you get to the end of the bar, cut off excess, use some tape to keep it in place and wrap with your preferred bar tape, works very well.
Great tips!
Fixing to put new bar tape on mine….may do this
Depending on how aggressively you grip your bars and where you like to hold the handlebar often, wrapping bars top to bottom tends to leave it more vulnerable to getting unwrapped/rolling over itself from use
That's a great idea
It seems so simple now that you mention it.
There are many manufacturers that use a sticky silicone strip instead of the typical adhesive on the back. Supercaz, Fabric, Specialized, and PRO are tapes that I have used. However, they cost more than the traditional ones.
Does seem to be a product solving a problem that's already solved and I 'd rather have a silicone bar tape with cushioning if I'm riding gravel. Cinelli's gel cork handlebar tape is comfortable, can be re-wrapped and is like $10 a pack
I think the other problem with typical bar tape is that it stretches so once you unwrap it it will never wrap nicely again because some parts are stretched more than others
BBB FlexRibbon is my go to, It looks like the popular "PU" coated tapes but it stretches like cork/silicone/EVA, has the silicone strip rather than sticky tape, lasts ages, supper grippy, and cheap. They do a GravelRibbin to that's more cushy too if you need it. (Not RaceRibbon though that's totally different and crap).
Even most cheap cork take I've bought is just a silicone bead and not a super sticky adhesive.
@@MarlowWhere A lot do seem to be moving away from the adhesive type.
Just an FYI - those of you that have Aluminum handlebars should probably take the tape off once in a while to make sure you can get the bars clean. The salt from your sweat will corrode the bars if left unchecked for an extended length of time causing bar failure.
Especially after turbo trainer season.
Interesting, but what? I've been riding many years and have never seen this happen on any of my bikes. I do live in Colorado where it is pretty dry. But I've never seen any sign of this kind of corrosion. Maybe you guys are just extra salty?
@@erics9214 it's more of an indoors problem in my experience. Outside, the sweat evaporates quicker
@RollinRat I'm genuinely curious how many out of those 1000's/year have that issue. We all remember "that one bike that..." but usually not the ones that were "boring". I've personally never seen it, but, admittedly, my sample size is small, only a few dozens of bikes that were generally well taken care of (though some had thousands of outdoor miles, were decades old, and one that was both and sat out through 2 soggy Oregon winters before I acquired it.). I'm wondering if it is like the Ultegra/Dura-Ace crankset corrosion issue that seems to be pretty widespread, but not generally talked about outside of forums or maybe a certain alloy/brand?
Absolutely! Same with peeling back the hood rubber once in a while and spraying some alcohol in there and then wiping it down.
Isopropyl works to get tape gunk off bars. I'm diggin this non-tape tape, like that you dont need electrical to "seal" it at the end and rubber undercoat is a really great idea for bar grip. Rubber band ribs on bars could also be a workaround with actual bar tape-tape if you don't wanna stick the adhesive.
Just like what we had in the 1960s and 70s. Serfas sells a woven tape.
I was thinking the same thing amd always liked installing backwards, but the wrap won't last long.
Long live the retro-grouch
Been using Grepp for a year or two now. Always tinkering on my bikes, and it's just so handy that you can re-use this basically an infinite number of times. No fraying to speak of at all. There is some discolouration (I have both the black and rain drum (brown) colours), but that's basically cool patina anyway. The only downside is that it is so darn durable and reusable that you better make sure you get the right colour, cause there's not going to be a reason to replace it for a loooong time once you have it. Would love to see some patterns, like a collab with Campandgoslow would be epic...
Wrapping top-down is a no-go for me. When the tape is wrapped top-down, you'll end up with the overlap facing the wrong way (up), meaning the overlap will tend flip over after some use, particularly around the brake hoods. Been there, done there, even got the T-shirt. Also, the tape seems to not be stretchy, which will make a nice installation harder and perhaps even frustrating.
If you don't like the adhesive, take it out before you use the handlebar tape. Most adhesives are just narrow double-side tape. Or get handlebar tape that has non-adhesive silicone backing.
Looks like nice tape. Seems like since since you had so much extra tape you could have increased the overlap to make it a little bit more cushioned.
The extended length alone looks like a benefit of this stuff. Starting from the top and working down means you might not reach the end and have enough material to get it locked down, but this seems like no problem.
I've used old inner tubes before. Worked great.
Same, its a good use for an old tube.
For an under-layer, or as the actual bar tape?
@@matt.3.14 The bar tape, not under layer. It never looked pretty but worked okay.
@@yarryrob Only downside in my experience is that it can leave black markings on your hands/gloves. No biggie, it washes off, but something to be aware of.
@@DominiqueB i just put very thin tennis overgrip over the parts where I have my hands must and the tubes give it a nice cushion, the tennis grip tape a nice feel
nice vid! When I wrapped my Grepp tape, I went the "normal" way - from the bar ends up to the stem, and haven't had any issues. I also overlapped quite a bit and still had plenty left, on a fairly "normal" width 46cm bar. I used a small strip of Newbaum's to finish it and hold it in place, and the adhesive on the back of that hasn't caused any problems so far. Oh, and I also found using a figure-8 pattern around the lever got rid of the gap without leaving a big bulge of tape or having to cut an extra piece.
That's perfectly fine. Wanted to highlight that both ways are working. We just adopted the other way to get rid of the finishing tape and avoid cutting the tape length. However finishing the tape with a newbaums tape is for sure a great way to make the cockpit shine and keep it clean🤙.
Was looking for a comment like this. Thanks. Because there is a reason for wrapping tape the "normal" way, especially on the top of the bars. When slyding your hands along the bars to the levers, the folds of the tape should not hinder your movement. When you wrap the tape like in the video you will constantly rub against the folds and eventually loosen the tape. But good to hear that it works the "normal" way - I think I will give this tape a try!
@@danielblume4173 if you're a fan of the feel of cloth tape, I bet you'll like it
This is a great product, reusable, washable, no sticky guage, the future of bar tape! They’d be smart if they had an option for including gel pads with the product. I’m gonna look for this for my vintage Bianchi which needs new tape.
Grepp, where have you been all my life - I just ordered 3 sets from Crust. Awesome, awesome, awesomeness! Thanks Russ for the tip.
I've had really good luck with Bontrager Gel Cork bar tape, the adhesive isn't super-duper sticky, and it unwrapped and re-wrapped very well one year after I initially installed it. For sub $20 tape it's hard to do any better.
Enve bar tape has a silicone backer that is grippy but not sticky, allowing you to reuse it multiple times without any issues. I've rewrapped my bars 3 times now with the same roll of Enve bar tape and could easily do it again. It's got a little cushion and doesn't get slippery in the rain. Expensive, but worth it imho.
I use leather strips specific for handlebars, local production. 2 years, re-wrapped several times, no sticky glue. Under the tape, for long distance added comfort I use stripes of inner tube.
For future reference - use red scotch-brite pads to knock off the stuck bits on your bars. The red has abrasives, the white ones are nonabrasive, the grey ones are in between, and the green is super aggressive. You can also spray a small amount of citrus cleaner on to help it go a little faster.
some acetone and 800 grit sandpaper works great too.
Lighter Fluid works great..
@@kevinmoorejr.9418
Yes to this. A good citrus cleaner works wonders. I use De-Solv-It
you put some contact cleaner (hexane) and wipe, done
WD-40 also do the trick
The Wolf Tooth supple tape is amazing as well, no adhesive and very thick for cushioning.
A toffee wheel attachment on a drill will sort left over glue or alternatively a cheaper option is Zoff wipes more labour intensive but no scratches
Good idea to solve an ongoing issue and it looks nice too.
I see someone else reported using old inner tubes, a good reuse option. I used to get rubber wrap from a hardware store meantvfor hammer wrapping. It wirked great, had cushion and could be reused. Downside it was onlynin black.
Thanks for continuing to seek out fixes for annoying and expensive bike issues
Uni student in Chile, poor as fuck, used old inner tube as bar tape for like 3 years, a little stiff on the hands and it would stain them with black rubber, but worked like a charm using gloves, eliminating both problems.
10/10 I completely recommend it if you´re broke like I was, Even so, when given the chance I´ll try it again and covering it with a second "normal" bar tape for the extra cushion
I do leatherworking often enough to keep veg tan on hand. As a result, I just cut a long strip when I need bar tape, albeit usually with a seam near the hoods. Super grippy on the hands, natural cooling when wet, lasts years of heavy use. That said...you do have to rewrap it a few times in the beginning as the leather stretches over time. And I wrap it from the top as well.
I use a gel pad underneath.
do you treat the leather tape at all ? I have leather tape that's been going on 5 or 6 years already of year-round hard commuting, that never got any oil or grease, and is still looking fine, but wonder if I should, or if there's a downside to that.
In the old days we always wrapped our bars with part of the brake lever clamp showing. I don't remember ever needing to grip the bars where the little gap was in the tape. But times have changed and aesthetics are important.
I can recommend 100% silicone bar tape, like ESI RTC Wrap. It only sticks to it self and is washable.
I had some cloth tape from BTP. It was pretty durable. After a crash, I replaced it not because it was too shredded -- it was just a little shredded -- but because of all the blood on it. I didn't think of laundering it.
Just wrapped with Grepp a few days ago. Its deffo a bit hard on the hand and slightly slippery but also ride with gloves on longer rides. On commutes it doesnt matter really. Wondering what will happen when riding in rain in summer. How quickly will it dry out or feel damp. Considering its not that thick, will probably dry pretty quick in sunshine?
Got a yellow one and its for sure bright and slightly shiny at the beginning. Think of buying white sneakers and going out to the street the first day. Blinding everyone. Cant wait to get them slightly dusty and worn in. But easy to wrap and love the idea.
Profile Drive Gel...and it's even longer than the regular Drive tape. Silicone backing, nice stretch, super easy to wrap, nice padding without being too thick.
3:22 that is actually a really useful workshop tip if you are using conventional tape!
I went back to using self-adhesive fabric tape a couple of years ago. Sure it isn't padded but I just work out where I need my padding and use scrap bits of old padded bar tape, hold them in place with electrical tape, then cover the lot with fabric tape...
I love the idea of this, and would 100% get on it if I rode with Curly bars. I do use tape on my butterfly bars, but I put some brooks cambium tape on them years ago and haven't needed to change it, but I can swap out controls without de-taping. Great looking product, designed reusability in a product is edgy AF in this day and age
The only issue with wrapping top to bottom, is that the hands will naturally slide down with gravity and try to roll those edges of the tape, like a cheese grater effect (its like if you lay the roof tiles top to bottom, they will catch all the rain water ). but if you replace it often or don't ride too much it's not a big issue..
I really like the Brooks Microfiber bar tape. There is essentially no adhesive to be worried about and can be re-wrapped pretty easily. Worth a try.
I think I might have this on one of my bikes. (I bought it used. It's some kind of Brooks non-leather tape.) Very comfortable.
Same, in my experience. Fizik and Brooks (leather and cloth) don't go to HAM with the adhesive, and are both durable enough products I can get 2 or 3 wraps out of them before it's too mangled to comply.
(al biet, after the first wrap, it never looks quite as good and will have fades and warping, but still good)
I’ve had good luck using a heat gun so “loosen up” the adhesive when removing stubborn bar tape. That said, it can still be a pretty unpleasant process on older bars so I fully support this adhesive free alternative!
One can wrap bottom up from the bar ends to the hoods and then top down from the stem to the hoods, hiding the cut ends under the hoods. That’s how I did it when I harlequin wrapped my bars. Come to think of it, one could go the other way round, too. You’d just have to tape or twine both ends.
A twine whipping knot to finish off the end looks really good. ;)
Like someone said, just like the 60s and 70s. We also started the tape at the top and stuffed the end in the bar. But my hands rubbed the exposed edge. That's how the tape was usually destroyed. I'm interested if that happens on your bike.
I've starting using Serfas silicone tape which also has no adhesive. Easy on...Easy off. And it's very soft and comfortable.
I've been using Planetbike organic cotton bar tape for several years. The glue isn't as aggressive as Newbaum's, so it doesn't leave a lot of residue, and I can easily re-use it or re-wrap if I want to change quill stems. In a perfect world removable face-plate quill stems wouldn't be hopelessly out of stock, and apparently NONE OF US LIVE IN THAT WORLD. So I choose reusable cloth wraps as much as possible. I picked up some Grepp Gripper tape recently, Olivine--because I always buy grey tape and thought a change would be nice. But my frame is lilac, so it looks like I was going for a Joker-themed build, and I absolutely hate it. Now I'm hoping that I can adjust the color with amber shellac, but no one seems to be stocking that anymore. The moral of this story is buy grey or brown and that I still don't know if you can shellac the Grepp Gripper tape.
I used strips of thin closed-cell mat. Butt (edges&ends) joined with contact adhesive, plus some stick points to stop movement. Any high wear areas could be easily cut out and replaced.
I've always just wrapper the new tape over what remnants of the ole bar tape was there with no problem. Also never had a problem re wrapping tape. Plus, with no cushioning it's a big ol no go.
Awesome product from the looks of it. I've always used newbaums wrapped over cork or gel tape for the added cushion but that nice cotton feel. And always wrapped from the top for aesthetics
I was pleasantly surprised by some fizik tape recently when it survived an unroll an re-roll without damage from the (actually weak) adhesive.
That said, thanks for the info: the machine washable aspect will be the winner here if true -canvas bar tape as just a strip of canvas is around since donkey’s era AFAIK, I didn’t get there yet because they say it’s difficult to get clean once dirty…
This looks interesting, thanks for reviewing it. I’ve been using Bontrager and Enve tape for years and both can be reused numerous times. Enve for the win.
yeah most tapes can. he’s smoking something.
I have Brooks leather tape, been on my bike for 10 years now, still looks like new. I use Dr. Marten's Dubbin on all my saddles and leather tape.
I am late to adding my 2 cents but ESI tape is reusable and can be cleaned. It's a little more expensive but worth it. Also for cleaning the old adhesives left from handlebar tape, use furniture polish with to clean it. I use Old English. It comes right off with the polish and a rag. Furniture polish also is great for removing flat handlebar grips (especially if using the hairspray trick when installing).
Been running this on my road bike for a while and really like it, pretty sure same color. Doesn’t seem to be discoloring as quickly as my previous celeste green tape.
Love my silicone tape without adhesive but my gloves eat up the surface. I was already thinking about adding a protective tape on top, keeping the silicone for cushion and I kind of like chunky grips.
When I worked in bike shops 1978-1984, we always started by the stem, and cut a piece to hide the triangle at the brake lever. Generally easy to finish with bar end plug, except bar-end shifters, you had to minimize the excess. Inquiring when did starting location change?
This stuff looks great! I just removed the cloth tape from a vintage bike from around 1975. I sprayed it down with a citris solvent, let it soak in, and then started peeling. The tape came off in long strands and small tufts of fabric, but most of the adhesive stayed on the bars. I ended up using a plastic scraper to scrape off the goopy adhesive. Yuk.
Starting at the stem and working towards the bar end is the traditional way of wrapping bar tape. I think it changed with the advent of these thick rubbery tapes that can't be easily stuffed into the bar ends. And, perhaps, because the electrical tape wrap near the stem helps hold the shift and brake cables in place? (not an issue with bikes in days gone by).
One thing that has intrigued me is that all the videos I've seen on bike cleaning and restorations is that you never see them cleaning the handlebars if the tape is being changed.
Great to see a make of handlebar tape that doesn't have adhesive.
Well done video as always.
I might have to give this a try. Most of the thick tape I have used eventually compresses and loses its cushion over time anyway and honestly, I never seem to miss the cush factor even without gloves.
I couldn't tell how you worked it at the hoods, but you might figure 8 it to cover the small, exposed area. Being able to figure 8 with thinner tape is also a benefit.
Put my Brooks leather bar tape on 13 years ago and treat it once a year at the same time as the saddle. I dig this though, my get some to 'try on my wife's bike'
Being a fabric tape I’m wondering how it does with moisture. If you are riding and get rained on does the tape stay wet longer than a more traditional tape?
I think the cool kids use to wrap with used inner tube. I haven't tried that but it is on the bucket list. Once I've ticked that off this tape looks the go 👍
🤣
I tried it and it's too bouncy for me. The foams do a better job of actually damping vibrations.
BTW, that is the way that handle bar wrap was done before the modern "tape". I still wrap all my bikes this way just to avoid using tape on the bars and I love the look.
But then the tape balls up under the weight of your hands , there's a reason they give you the short bits of finishing tape
I NEED THIS. I'm also fiddling with my bikes a lot and swapping parts. I buy cheap tape for that reason but it's still $20 every time I need to remove it. $34 sounds like a good deal to me.
I use Fizik tape and rewrap and reuse it, never had an issue with the adhesive getting extra sticky and making a mess, it also just refuses to crease no matter how I wrap. I get this tape specifically because it's super lightweight and lasts forever, it's also easy to find for less than $20. :)
Also a big fan of Zipp and MSW tapes with the gel strips, both very durable and reusable af.
Will second the Fizik (3mm tacky for me). Multiple re-wraps without issue. Lasts me 1400-1500 miles before it starts to get worn through.
I've had relatively good experience recently with Brooks Cambium: had to redo it after about a month, and it was both not deformed and not too sticky. Also really like how grippy and cushioned it is. Thought about the grepp, but I'm very sensitive in my palms and wrists and feared that even with pads underneath it would be too hard
Great video. I agree on how un reusable the new stuff is. What I do when I am setting a bike... so I may need to undo de tape... I use an inner tube. cut in half... it is great!!! and free... an to add cushioning, I use inside before putting the inner tube tape a piece of foamy materials... no too thick or a pice of old handelbar tape. you can also put it doble (the inner tube tape but two paces) or play with how much tension you use yo put it in place.
Very cool! I personally use silicone grips everywhere I can. Both my bikes with aerobars have them on the extensions and a couple of them have it on the drops. I have one bike with tape from the tops to just below the hoods, then silicone grips the rest of the way down the drops.
What’s old is new again. And in this case, also improved!
might want to try specialized roubaix tape. mine has been taken on and off three times by now, has been in the wash once and it still sticks... a bit... when dry
Just wondering what handle bars are on your bike that you just taped.
I am about to change my bar tape but have already bought the standard stick stuff. Will certainly look out for this on my next change of tape.
I love that idea of taking it off and re washing, but also the fact you can buy other colors that you can easily switch when you feel like it. Also at the same time you're not wasting money you get to reuse or sell.
I like the concept, but need more cushioning since I don’t always ride with gloves around town. I have found a few brands of “foam” tape that don’t have adhesive on the back - maybe PlanetBike is my one like this. It’s hard to know if it comes with adhesive or not since most manufacturers don’t say.
seems like the woven rubber bits could either stick to the bar or eventually dry up and crumble. also, why must you wrap down? hand friction can eventually catch the edges and make a mess.
I had an old bike here in Brazil like 10 years ago, but the bike was from de 70's. Back then, handlebar tapes didn't have glue, you just rolled them and they stayed in place
I also want your experience with removing the end caps. I think that's gonna suck. But there appears to be way plenty of tape to do the double-reverse-diamond-wrap under the brake levers (which would also allow the optimal inside-to-out wrap direction on the drops). I'll go check it out. OTOH, I like to use cheap, bright tape, and change colors every now and then. I guess I could buy a few colors of this and keep 'em in storage... Please update with your experience.
I popped out the end cap with a screw driver no problem.
@@PathLessPedaledTV I need a lesson with bar end shifters. I have secondary brakes and bar end shifters. So far have used local shop to wrap bars, but they slide open and use electrical tape gunk up top. I hate the dirty adhesive from electrical tape gooping me all summer. I am interested. This reminds me of Ace bandages for sprains.
@@Ma_Ba can't help with the shifters, but for the shop-applied electrical tape, it's easy to remove it as soon as you get the bike back, before the glue has time to go dark magic on you, and replace with some waxed thread (many video tutorials on youtube to see how to apply, very easy once you've done it once.)
@@DominiqueB Found one using twine and option to use shellac old school.
Why from the top? You start from the bottom so your hands don't work against the grain. If the seam on the overlap is upward and also going towards the stem the tape will move and slide easier. That's why you always want to start from the bottom.
This is perhaps true for thicker “modern” style tape. However, with woven tape such as Grepp the direction matters less because you can pull it hard and it lies flat if you wrap it correctly. I prefer the look and there is absolutely no problem if undoing the tape.
The first plastic bar tape I remember was Benotto. Functionally it was pretty rubbish because it was so slippery when wet. But Francesco Moser used it so it had to be good, right? Because cloth tape ends up fraying I bought some leather sleeves for my touring bike, cannot remember the name. It had a pre punched hole to accommodate a Campagnolo brake lever clip, which I did have since they were the best lever available in 1978. The sleeves were expensive, a pain to fit, not long enough, glued in place with Evo-Stick and when it rained the dye leaked so my hands were stained black.
How often do you have to replace bar tape? For me it is a once a decade job.
I'm perplexed
I like it, it reminds me of the Velox cloth tape we used back in the day.
Velox Tressotar is still manufactured. It's a little hard to find in colors other than black, but Velo Orange usually has some in stock.
This looks a bit nicer than that shiny stuff we had in the 1980s (which you also wrapped from the top) but I'll stick to padded. Cinelli cork gel and BBB are two brands I've used that usually go back on OK without leaving chunks of stuff on the handlebar.
I am curious to see if this tops my current favourite cheap tape, which is old inner tubes, or my close second which is three layers of hockey tape. ... The hockey tape does have the adhesive problem and is single use.
This was good. I started watching your videos as an aid to replacing handlebars due to numb hands. Your comment about this tape not having planned obsolescence as a lot of recent bike stuff is good to know about. Nice color too. Now I just wait for the handlebars as they travel on the slow boat from China.
I broke both hands grip ND numbness an issue. I ride gravel thousands of miles yearly. My 3 gravel bikes all have the Red Shift stem that isolates my hands better than other product . Love their bars too.
@@Mosely2007 I'll keep that in mind. However as I have an old Quil type stem, I'd need an adapter. I'm on the West side of Michigan and it will soon be ideal biking weather. Hang in there.
Did you raise your handlebar height in the process? That's where I am now with wrist "nerve pain" . Thx
@@Fetherko Yes - The bars raised to the max. The handlebar is a straight bar. I tried bar ends and gel gloves, but I have too much weight on my wrists. I think with the new handlebar, I will both have less weight on the wrists as the posture will be more upright. Thx.
Handlebar tape is always recycled into chain stay protection in this house. The "bling-er" the chain stay, the better.
Or remains of bar tape if you have aero bar
Do you need to buy two rolls for one full handlebar job?
When installing new bar tape, I rub the adhesive side on the front tire and it becomes only mildly tacky. I've never had a problem reusing it or having residue on the bars. FWIW.
Great idea! I've been spending the last 3 months developing a break and gear lever connecrtion link to allow hanledbar swap-outs and almost ready to look for manufacture!!
I’ve been happy with rubber “cyclocross” style tapes. They don’t stretch out and deform like foam or cork tapes so I’ve been able to multiple rewards out of them. They’re softer and comfier than cloth tape. Currently using Zipp service course cx.
comments are full of people saying stuff like this and it’s because what he says about tape being use is untrue.
@@jonamcc it’s definitely true if talking about cork or foam tapes which easily tear or deform when stretched. I think the prevalence of those materials in handlebar tape is another example of planned obsolescence in the bike industry, and additional fodder for the plastic trash problem in the bike industry.
The handlebar grip I've found never had adhesive. I'm sure with adhesive it's easier to fit, but definitely more difficult to remove. In tennis rackets, they never use adhesive on grip tape, it's not needed. You just need to pull it a bit taut so that it'll keep it on.
When I was racing in criteriums, road, and time trials back in the 1970s all the good bikes had cloth "tape". I don't recall any sticky substances. Pulling some tension on the fabric was sufficient. No goo to deal with. The only times I recall not being able to reuse the cloth tape was when wear or inconsistent sun fading made it look sloppy. Plastic and padded bar tapes started to become available in the 70s but back then it was an immediate sign of a department store bike or an unsophisticated owner.
WD40 works well at removing residual adhesive after pulling lables off of jars. Maybe it will dissolve the messy bat tape goo too.
Bar tape has not been an issue for me for over four decades. Currently I have flat bars with Ergon grips and Moloko bars.
Looks like a great product! Makes so much sense, and really pleased to see it's available from Alpkit in the UK. Consider wrapping the bars in an old inner tube before using the tape to add a "little" cushioning.
I have been using the self adhesive camo tape that hunters use on guns and tools. Not the best cushioning but great grip in all weather and easy to install.
Good going Grepp, Russ. Looks great, drunken wrap technique !
LOL
HAS to be the worst wrap job i've ever seen
That looks very pretty! It would be interesting to see how long it lasts before starting to look ratty, even after washing. I've been getting ~1200-1500 miles out of "modern" padded tape (including multiple re-wraps) before it is worn out/through. The last time I changed taped on my "good" bike I used the old (Supacaz) tape to replace the stuff on my commuter bike, I swapped sides and wrapped it so that the worn and grimy parts were underneath the cleaner previously unexposed part.
I have leather bar tape on a couple of my bikes. It works well, and it's reusable, so it ends up being more economical than single-use tape, though the purchase price is high. I have Brooks Cambium on one of my bikes, and it's thick and rubbery, and I love it. Some say it's hard to apply, but it didn't give me trouble.
I had leather tape on an old commuter bike, that got very wet very often (Pacific NorthWet ;-), and really liked the feel and the durability. I never did, but always debated, using some leather treatment on the tape. It survived fine 5 or 6 years and many miles, is still looking quite fine, so I guess leaving it alone is quite OK, but always wondered if it would be a good idea to give it some TLC just to make it ever more bombproof. Do you do anything to yours?
@@DominiqueB Nope, I don’t do anything, and this is my commuting bike which does see rain.
Thanks. Gotta like leather. (-: Although Cambium is giving it a good run for its money.
I make my own from handlebar wrap from Eva foam and double sided adhesive tape for less than 2 dollars.
I'd be concerned wrapping the "wrong" way means riding in the drops degrades the tape. There's a reason you start from the bottom.
Can someone with handlebar end shifters put this on? Should these people avoid "finishing tape," as it might gunk up the cloth at those locations? Which gel inserts are you speaking about? Pls and thanks in advance!
I have one of the new Ribble bikes with tapeless handlebars. The drops have a grippy sandpaper like coating in the paint. While I do enjoy the tapeless setup, if you ride without gloves you'll immediately notice sweat and dead skin building up around the hoods.
I’ve been using Arundel tape for a while now that doesn’t have adhesive on it and is soft and squishy. I originally got it for the lack of adhesive.
No issues with Fizik Terra handlebar tape. Not superstrong adhesive. I retaped it 3 times, stil 👌🏻
Ive never ran a drop bar, they hurt me so i just never ran them, currently running the Surly SUNRISE BAR & i love them but i still wanna set of the Jones aluminium wider bars ta try and they can be wrapped for sum dif pos along w/ grips is why this vid caught my interest💯👍
I'm not a big fan of the super sticky glue on the back of tape either. There are several tapes out there that either don't use a glued back or don't use glue that rips the tape when it is undone. That being said, it is sad, because when a bar is taped with enough tension and in the right direction, glue is largely unessesary (except to hold tape on after a crash). We used to put a strip of double-sided sticky tape down the outside of the handlebar so that tape without glue would not unravel from the bar following a crash that damaged it. Do you know why they claim that this paricular tape should be taped "backwards"? With lots of tapes, as long as the direction around the bar is correct, the direction top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top doesn't matter so much. But, in the past, cloth tapes were the ones that most needed to be wrapped bottom-to-top to keep the edges from rolling with use.
When applying conventional bar wrap, who says you have to remove all the paper covering the adhesive strip? Remove just small sections to keep things in place. How tightly you wrap it in the first place comes into play too.
Just a tip to remove adhesive: try using some cooking oil and put it on some paper towel, then rub. It should do the job.
However, I love the idea of not using adhesive. Sounds like this could (in theory) be more easily recycled, reused or cleaned once removed.
my 1976 Soma Competition has cloth bar grips. They are so abrasive! My hands hurt after a good climb which is obviously down to technique, but man it's rough. They are also impossible to clean. I don't ride with gloves because I'm no pro, but if you do it's a none-issue unless you're out in the rain or live in a dry dusty environment like me.
Much different the the camp and go slow rattler tape?
Curious to see how it goes with mud and dirt. I don't see myself untapping my handlebar every month to wash it, even if it is easy to do.
LOL - I don't see myself doing that, either
Looks like a decent tape. I have actually had quite a positive experience with those Lizard Skins. The adhesive strip is so weak that it barely sticks, so you can wrap/unwrap a ridiculous number of times. Once I screwed up another tape after a set of Lizard Skins was in the recycling bin for days. Took them out, washed them, dried them, wrapped them (it was like a 5th time) and they served for another bunch of rides 😂
Where I don't think I would love this cloth tape is that I like a lot of grip on my tape. I just can't go without that sticky rubbery feeling. And I only wear my gloves for heating purposes in winter, otherwise hate riding with them. 😅
I like that it seems as if they don't skimp on the length. I feel like a lot of tapes are made with 42cm bars in mind.
Benotto your time has come again, long live Benotto!