I made some bike grips using a noodle. I would like to put a rubber sleeve over them.
The outside diameter is 2.25 inches.
I thought about this but am afraid it would be too wide.
Inner Tube, 26 X 4.0
Looking for suggestions.
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Sign up to join this communityI made some bike grips using a noodle. I would like to put a rubber sleeve over them.
The outside diameter is 2.25 inches.
I thought about this but am afraid it would be too wide.
Inner Tube, 26 X 4.0
Looking for suggestions.
It's not exactly rubber, but heatshrink sleeving makes for a good grippy surface. I've used it to repair and bulk out grips on tools for example. It's normally used for electronics, and is available glue-lined (normally black) and in many colours. I buy mine on eBay.
You buy it oversized, and heat it with a heat gun to make it shrink by a factor of about 2 (or less if there's something in the way). A hot hairdryer will shrink it to some extent but not fully, and may not activate the glue. Larger sizes are sold by flat width rather than diameter, so you would need a shrunk size of π×d/2 for diameter d. Your 2.25" (57mm diameter) will need about 90mm after shrinking, so something like 150mm (6") flat width before shrinking. The ends can be cut slightly long and shrunk fully. Note when looking at the larger sizes, you want the stuff that looks dull and rubbery, not shiny. The shiny stuff is less grippy and thinner.
Another option is to tape it like drop bars, either using bar tape, hockey tape, or even an old inner tube. You'll need to secure the outer end, which is normally done with an end plug but you don't have that option. The inner end is normally finished with adhesive tape but your foam is soft enough that the tape won't work too well. Glue-lined heatshrink would make good finishing tape in this application.