Nothing says “amateur” more than an imperfect handlebar tape job, a dirty bike or a nasty grimy chain. Conversely, a clean bike feels faster. And new handlebar tape and a clean chain imbue a rider with extra fortitude and a little extra snap in the legs.
The professionals don’t need to wrap their own bars-they have full- time mechanics who can do it blindfolded. No matter how carefully I did my handlebar tape around shop owner George, he would regard the job, and then cruelly shoot me a look that said “amateur!” I have studied him wrapping tape. It looks effortless and he might also be talking to a customer, mocking a minion, his mind on many things – but the final result is perfection.
This drives me crazy.
It should not be so hard. I replace my tape maybe two or three times a year, just seldom enough to forget how to do it properly.
The Velominati have spent a lot of energy debating bike color co-ordination (see Rule eight) and I had a bad tire/tape issue, so I had to go white (I don’t do black tape). There is no doubt white looks great; the question is how long will it look great?
The bike shop I like to use, close to us, did not carry my favorite Fizik tape. It is bombproof and magically never ever gets dirty. So I bought what they carried, some white Deda tape.
I stripped off the old and tried to put on the new. After three attempts of rewrapping with more tension and less overlap each time, I was still short on one side. The tape was so stretched I might as well have been wrapping my bars with plastic wrap or the old Benotto cello tape. Son-of-a-bee-aatch!! (F’ing Italians, would it kill them to give me another few centimeters? The other side was better – could they be different lengths? F’ing Italians!) The only way to make it even meant both sides ended up short and too far from the stem-completely unacceptable! This put me in a mood most foul.
I called the other shop within riding distance, a Specialized shop, and was told they had three kinds of white Specialized tape. Three kinds- really? Of course when I got there, it wasn’t so-but the one they did carry has rocked my world. Specialized S-Wrap Classic 3 ply fake leather with some sweet dot perforations. It is $25 but supplies more than enough tape for the perfect wrap. It’s mighty fine looking and feels perfect; perfect cushion, perfect grip, oh, I’m in love. But, will it stay white? How bad will it look in a month? Two weeks of fair weather riding leaves the tape still bright white.
Again Specialized has impressed me with their form and function. I have some Specialized S-Works road shoes and a pair of their leg warmers and they are great. Their glue-less inner tube patches: the jury is out. Sure they lose some cachet because their items are made in China not Italy but until the Italians give me a little more tape, I’m an S-Wrap boy.
*Is it wrong to be this excited about handlebar tape? Is it dangerous to ask this question? I’m hesitant to answer either of these. And yes, Rules violations in photo, how many can you find?
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@frank....hmm....let me think. Gotta buddy who does decals, may be able to do something, give me a week though....i will make it happen
Question for the Velominati:
I just received a SRAM Force group - It's an American group (otherwise I would have said gruppo) going on an American bike (Cracknfale) so lighten up Frances - and was wondering what the preference (comfort-wise) is on cable routing since the Force levers give me the option of inside or outside of the bars. I'm thinking of going on the outside.
@Cyclops
I like one in / one out (that's how my Campy is set up)
@Cyclops
I have a SRAM gruppo (can't not say it regardless) and route brake cables on the inside and tracked them underneath the tops. Adds a nice little index for the fingers as they wrap the inside of the bar and thought my palms may hit them if I routed outside which I wouldn't like. But that's just my brake cables as the shift cables route inside the kind of bars I ride (FSA K-Wing). Which now gets me thinking, there is no option on the brake cables, just the shifter cables.
@Cyclops
Depends on round bars or air-foil bars or semi-round. If the tops are scalloped at all or have an oblong shape to them, keep the cables together and try to find a spot where they tuck away nicely and feel comfortable.
If they are round bars, it depends on the size of your hands and how you like to rest your palms. The traditional way is to go front/back like Sgt (AT EASE!) suggests; if you want a little extra "sumpin'" to hold on to, you can go with both in front. I think both is back is out of the question, even if it's technically possible.
In any case, the thing to remember is that you have to go whole-hog on the tape job. Cable layouts need to be absolutely symmetrical and taped over tightly and smoothly smoothly.
Agreed... I have round, traditional (but CF!) shaped bars. And some strategic use of electrical tape to hold the cables in place while you wrap the bars is critical...
On an unrelated note, what happened to my Vuelta polka-dots? Moncoutie is still wearing his...
I went with both cables on the inside (I have perfectly round Easton EC90 bars) and of course I am a tape Nazi so all the routing is completely sano as well as making sure the SRAM logos on the housing are turned so you can read them properly. I also got white tape. I'm pretty anal about my bike and white would not have looked right before but now that I have new Easton EC90 wheels with a lot of white in the labeling and all the white labeling on the SRAM stuff I feel comfortable with it. The seat is still black but as soon as I'm done with my next "project" (pay attention Frank) it will be white too. I'm going to go wash my hands right now so I can wrap the bars.
@sgt
I got there before you buddy!
Curse you Red Baron...