Taping road bike drop bars

[k08]

Hi there,

I'm about to retape some road bike bars for the first time and, while the taping part looks easy, I'm wondering about running the brake cables under the tape. The cables currently come out of the top of the brake - can I just fix them to the bars and put a new brake hood over the top, or am I stuck with the cables sticking out the top?

Thanks for the help!

 

[tafi]

If the cables come out of the top of the lever, you are stuck unless you get a replacement lever with the cable exiting from the rear.

 

["A"]

Use electric tape to secure brake cables against handlebar.
Start taping from the handlebar ends towards the middle, start tape from inside of handlebar towards outside, tighter you wrap (without ripping it apart) more secure it would be.. takes some practice.. but i like tape without any adhesive.

 

[alfeng]

If the cables come out of the top of the lever, you are stuck unless you get a replacement lever with the cable exiting from the rear.

This is correct.

Short of drilling a NEW hole for the cable/housing in the brake lever body, the brake cable housing cannot be realistically bound/strapped to the handlebars.

TEKTRO makes replacement brake levers.

 

[k08]

Thanks everyone. Yeah, after spending more time researching it, I get it now re brake levers. I spoke (on the phone) to a bike shop, and they said there could be some compatibility issues - it's an 86-87 Bianchi...thoughts?

If I take it in to have new levers put on, would it require new brake cables as well? Thanks for the help - I just don't want to get suckered at the shop.

 

[alfeng]

Thanks everyone. Yeah, after spending more time researching it, I get it now re brake levers. I spoke (on the phone) to a bike shop, and they said there could be some compatibility issues - it's an 86-87 Bianchi...thoughts?

If I take it in to have new levers put on, would it require new brake cables as well? Thanks for the help - I just don't want to get suckered at the shop.

Almost any ROAD brake levers you buy will work with your Bianchi's brake calipers ...

The EXCEPTION are the v-brake specific levers made by TEKTRO.

This is a DIY change over and, IMO, it is also a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with either mail order OR eBay ...

Figure, $25 (after shipping) for a set of new, Tektro levers which are modeled after the 'old' Campagnolo levers ... some others (e.g., Diacompe) may cost less.

You may-or-may-not need new housing & cables -- it really depends on how they were cut, orignally. Cables are problematic because of the condition of the ends which you will have to feed through the housing. You may be able to re-use your current cables & housing ...

You will probably need a 5mm Allen wrench whose shaft is at least 2.5" long (a 3.5" long shaft will be more convenient ... a short shaft can be a nuisance).

Handlebar tape will set you back about $10+.

I use MASKING TAPE to strap the cable housing onto the handlebars.

BTW. Are you making the change for cosmetic reasons OR for mechanical reasons?

 

[k08]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm making the change for purely aesthetic reasons. I upgraded (yes, this is an upgrade for me haha) to this bike recently, and don't mind putting the money into it.

You definitely make it sound easy, but I may still take it to a shop for this one - taking levers on/off seems like something I could do, but I'd be worried about messing with the cables 'cause I'm not sure how to tell if it needs replacing. Thanks though!

 

[k08]

The money-saving aspect is making me consider DIY. Would anyone be able to point me in the direction of instructions or a good online store for parts? (I'm located in Canada). It looks like I do need new housing as well. Thanks.

 

[alfeng]

The money-saving aspect is making me consider DIY. Would anyone be able to point me in the direction of instructions or a good online store for parts? (I'm located in Canada). It looks like I do need new housing as well.

Unless you are riding to the bike shop, then you can see how easy-or-difficult it will be to change the brake levers by removing & re-installing what you currently have.

If you take the brake levers off & can't reassemble them, then have the shop make the adjustment.

THE THING YOU WILL WANT TO NOTE BEFORE DISASSEMBLY is how far away from the brake surface the brake pads are ... some people like the pads only a millimeter away from the rims, I prefer at least 2x that distance.

OBSERVING THE CURRENT ADJUSTMENT before disassembly is a good idea for for other components, too, BTW.

You may want to ASK your shop how much they'll charge you to install the parts ... I'm going to guess $30 for the levers, $10 for the tape, $10-to-$25+ for the cables & housing + $20 (?) for the labor.

If the cables are FRAYED then they may need to be replaced. The housing will probably need to be replaced before the cables.

The ONLY (?) part that is tricky is cutting the cables & housing ... and then, filing the ends of the cable housing smooth (which I'll bet MOST SHOPS probably don't do).

FYI. The BEST stranded-cable cutters that I have (and, that includes Snap On wire cutters) is on the set of 7-Pliers-for-$20 which you can buy at HARBOR FREIGHT. Harbor Freight also has files & 90% of the non-bike-specific tools you'll eventually need.

IMO, only SURGEONS & HAND MODELS or PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS should have other people do their bicycle maintenance ... unless dropping your bike off for a day-or-two/more at a shop + travel time aren't somehow an inconvenience OR you don't mind the possibility (regardless of how remote) of having a mechanical breakdown on the side of the road which you cannot 'fix'.
​

A copy of ZINN AND THE ART OF ROAD BIKE MAINTENANCE is probably available at your public library ... and, definitely available from book stores & eBay.

 

[alfeng]

Would anyone be able to point me in the direction of instructions or a good online store for parts? (I'm located in Canada). It looks like I do need new housing as well.

FWIW. No assurances as to the quality of service OR pricing:

1. Peter Freeman: Bike Shops in Canada
   
   GPX file of all the bike shops along the route in Waypoint format. ... Below is a list of all of the bike shops in Canada as of March 31, 2008. ...
   members.shaw.ca/codriebergen/sports/cycling/bikeshop.htm - 235k - Cached
2. BIKEsutra.com: Bike Shops in Canada
   
   Bicycle Shops in Canada. Bastion Cycle & Ski - Nanaimo store selling and servicing ... Bike Works, Saint John - Full service bike shop located in downtown Saint John. ...
   www.bikesutra.com/shops_canada.html - 30k - Cached
3. CanadaBicycleParts.com
   
   Canada-based online bike store that sells road and mountain bicycle components, accessories, and apparel. ... Canada Bicycle Parts - Online Road & Mountain Bike Shop ...
   www.canadabicycleparts.com - 25k - Cached
4. Canada's Online Bike Shop :: Bike Basement
   
   Bike Basement is a rider owned Canadian online bike shop built using customer input! We carry components, frames and parts from brands such as: Atomlab, ...
   bikebasement.ca - 68k - Cached

Of course, there are other links which you can find by inputting "bike shop Canada" into the search engine of your choice.

 

[alfeng]

BTW. For online instruction, you can check WWW.PARKTOOL.COM.

Of course, they want you to buy/use their tools ... some PARK TOOLs are better, some are inferior.