Should bar tape have sporadic or constant adhesive?

[Iain Dalton]

I ordered bar tape from Nashbar, and peeling away the protective tape
seems to peel away most of the adhesive, leaving only sporadic strips.
Is this supposed to happen, or should I ask for a replacement? It
looks something like:

==============================================================
-- - --- -- -
==============================================================

Also, the guides I find on the Web say to wrap from the bottom of the
bar, and end by securing the loose end with electric tape. My parents
think I should wrap from the top, and end by securing the loose end
under the cap. This seems more reasonable, but then why do the guides
say to wrap the tape in what seems to me to be the wrong direction?

 

[Nate Knutson]

Iain Dalton wrote:
> I ordered bar tape from Nashbar, and peeling away the protective tape
> seems to peel away most of the adhesive, leaving only sporadic strips.
> Is this supposed to happen, or should I ask for a replacement? It
> looks something like:
>
> ==============================================================
> -- - --- -- -
> ==============================================================
>
> Also, the guides I find on the Web say to wrap from the bottom of the
> bar, and end by securing the loose end with electric tape. My parents
> think I should wrap from the top, and end by securing the loose end
> under the cap. This seems more reasonable, but then why do the guides
> say to wrap the tape in what seems to me to be the wrong direction?

The issue with the adhesive sounds like a defect to me.

The reason not to go top-down is because then your hands tend to make
the overlapped part of the tape flop over annoyingly.

 

[RonSonic]

On 10 Sep 2006 19:16:15 -0700, "Iain Dalton" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I ordered bar tape from Nashbar, and peeling away the protective tape
>seems to peel away most of the adhesive, leaving only sporadic strips.
>Is this supposed to happen, or should I ask for a replacement? It
>looks something like:
>
>==============================================================
> -- - --- -- -
>==============================================================

Possibly defective, but probably unimportant. Many tapes have no adhesive and
work fine. Some adhesive tapes have a bit of a trick to pulling off the backing
off without taking the adhesive with it. Cinelli comes to mind as an example. If
you need a glue to get this right, any rubber cement will do. Just a strip is
enough. It's the tension from the stretch that holds it in place not the
adhesive.

>Also, the guides I find on the Web say to wrap from the bottom of the
>bar, and end by securing the loose end with electric tape. My parents
>think I should wrap from the top, and end by securing the loose end
>under the cap. This seems more reasonable, but then why do the guides
>say to wrap the tape in what seems to me to be the wrong direction?

Wrapping from the bottom up covers the topside of the wrap so that your hand
does not press it back causing it to curl. Wrap from the the outside in, ccw on
the right and cw on the left so that with your hands on the tops or the drops
you'll tend to pull back on the tape and tighten it in normal use.

Warning: while it isn't rocket science, taping bars rarely turns out really good
and neat the first few tries. Read the guides, IIRC the Park tool site is
excellent on the subject, take your time and it'll be okay. If you have Ergo
levers (may apply to others) make sure that the short strips under the brake
hoods and the wraps around the base of the lever do not touch any part of the
shift mechanism, like the lever under the button. It can foul the action leading
to unexpected failures to shift.

Ron

 

[Chris Z The Wheelman]

Ever since I've discovered the benifits of stitched leather back in the
eighty's, I haven't wrapped my handlebars with tape since. I doubt I
even remember how! LOL

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

 

[landotter]

Iain Dalton wrote:

> Also, the guides I find on the Web say to wrap from the bottom of the
> bar, and end by securing the loose end with electric tape. My parents
> think I should wrap from the top, and end by securing the loose end
> under the cap. This seems more reasonable, but then why do the guides
> say to wrap the tape in what seems to me to be the wrong direction?

If you ride the drops more, wrap from top down. If you ride the
"curves" perpendicular bits before the brake hoods, wrap bottom up.
Reason is hand pressure and tape wear, you want to ride "with the
grain" so to speak.

 

[[email protected]]

Chris Z The Wheelman wrote:
> Ever since I've discovered the benifits of stitched leather back in the
> eighty's, I haven't wrapped my handlebars with tape since. I doubt I
> even remember how! LOL
>
>

I was a big fan of Handlebar Hide from Rhode Gear. Do you know of a
source for something similar?

 

[Werehatrack]

On 10 Sep 2006 19:16:15 -0700, "Iain Dalton" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>I ordered bar tape from Nashbar, and peeling away the protective tape
>seems to peel away most of the adhesive, leaving only sporadic strips.
>Is this supposed to happen, or should I ask for a replacement? It
>looks something like:
>
>==============================================================
> -- - --- -- -
>==============================================================

My opinion: Bad tape. I'd return it.

>Also, the guides I find on the Web say to wrap from the bottom of the
>bar, and end by securing the loose end with electric tape. My parents
>think I should wrap from the top, and end by securing the loose end
>under the cap. This seems more reasonable, but then why do the guides
>say to wrap the tape in what seems to me to be the wrong direction?

Other considerations aside, if you wrap top-down and discover that the
length of the tape is a trifle short of enough to reach the end of the
bar, you're in a bit of a bind. The top can end wherever you run out
of tape. The bottom needs to get wrapped right to the tip. The
easiest way to ensure this occurs is to wrap from the end up.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Iain Dalton wrote:
> I ordered bar tape from Nashbar, and peeling away the protective tape
> seems to peel away most of the adhesive, leaving only sporadic strips.
> Is this supposed to happen, or should I ask for a replacement? It
> looks something like:
>
> ==============================================================
> -- - --- -- -
> ==============================================================
>
> Also, the guides I find on the Web say to wrap from the bottom of the
> bar, and end by securing the loose end with electric tape. My parents
> think I should wrap from the top, and end by securing the loose end
> under the cap. This seems more reasonable, but then why do the guides
> say to wrap the tape in what seems to me to be the wrong direction?

Start at the hbar ends...so when your hands push on the tape, you don't
curl the edges up. No adhesive is best, IMO, unless you have a carbon
bar. Stretching the tape a wee bit will keep it tight...trim and tape
the ends up by the stem.

 

[Chris Z The Wheelman]

Group: rec.bicycles.tech
Date: Mon, Sep 11, 2006, 6:39am (EDT-3)
From: [email protected]

>Chris Z The Wheelman wrote:

>>Ever since I've discovered the benifits of stitched leather back in
the eighty's, I
>>haven't wrapped my handlebars with
>>tape since. I doubt I even remember
>>how! LOL

>I was a big fan of Handlebar Hide from
>Rhode Gear. Do you know of a source
>for something similar?

Yeah, Tandy / Leather Factory. IOW, I make my own. I even made a
matching set of brake lever and Bar-Con shifter covers. It's really
quite easy, no special tools required. I was toying with the idea of
adding the directions of how to into my website's "Tech~Tips" column,
but didn't think anyone was interested. Thanks :-3)

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

 

[[email protected]]

On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:10:52 -0400, [email protected]
(Chris Z The Wheelman) wrote:

>Group: rec.bicycles.tech
>Date: Mon, Sep 11, 2006, 6:39am (EDT-3)
>From: [email protected]
>
>>Chris Z The Wheelman wrote:
>
>>>Ever since I've discovered the benifits of stitched leather back in
>the eighty's, I
>>>haven't wrapped my handlebars with
>>>tape since. I doubt I even remember
>>>how! LOL
>
>>I was a big fan of Handlebar Hide from
>>Rhode Gear. Do you know of a source
>>for something similar?
>
>Yeah, Tandy / Leather Factory. IOW, I make my own. I even made a
>matching set of brake lever and Bar-Con shifter covers. It's really
>quite easy, no special tools required. I was toying with the idea of
>adding the directions of how to into my website's "Tech~Tips" column,
>but didn't think anyone was interested. Thanks :-3)
>

Please do. I have some cycles for which that would be appropriate.