Questions tagged [handlebar-tape]

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18 votes
8 answers
24k views

How to clean white handlebar tape?

I have bought not so long ago (about two month) brand new and the shiny white from my handle tap have become pretty dirty: I am tempted to just change the tape to another color - that would be ...
Chmouel Boudjnah's user avatar
17 votes
9 answers
3k views

Uses for leftover or used handlebar tape?

Every time I wrap road bike bars, I generally have about a foot of brand new bar tape leftover from each side if I trim the end square (i.e. cut off the part that was tapered to end the wrap). Two ...
SSilk's user avatar
  • 4,199
17 votes
1 answer
954 views

How do I wrap a road bike handlebar?

What is the best way to wrap a handlebar? Specifically: Should I start near the stem or at the bar ends? wrap clockwise or counter-clockwise? How to wrap (e.g. how many times) around where the brake ...
David LeBauer's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
1k views

Is there a way to wrap bullhorn handlebars to avoid unwinding both in the center and on the sides?

My handlebar tape keeps looking messy because of an incorrect direction, and I can't find an obvious solution to it. Maybe someone can advise? The direction of the wrap for handlbar tape should be ...
goose_lake's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
4k views

Should I rewrap my peeling handlebar tape? Is this a job for a bike shop?

So after a couple of years of use or around 2000 miles, the handlebar tape is looking a bit worse for wear. Should I change it before it gets worse and is this a simple job or best to get a bike shop ...
Dan K's user avatar
  • 1,098
11 votes
8 answers
6k views

Can replacing my handlebar tape help reduce finger numbness?

Despite changing hand positions often and switching to more "cushiony" gel gloves, I'm still experiencing intermittent numbness when I ride (sometimes I get tingling and sometimes not). Are certain ...
kmm's user avatar
  • 1,645
11 votes
3 answers
7k views

Is it worth it to reverse the wrap direction of handlebar tape at the brake levers?

The Park Tool Handlebar Tape Installation guide suggests that the direction of wrapping can be either self tightening or prone to loosening. Its basic instructions make the tape self-tightening on the ...
amcnabb's user avatar
  • 7,095
9 votes
1 answer
7k views

Does handlebar tape go inside the bar, under the bar-end shifter, when using bar-end shifters?

I'm installing bar-end shifters for the first time (Shimano 9-speeds, for what it's worth) and was wondering if I should be running the tape over the bottom of the handlebar with surplus to insert ...
tommy_o's user avatar
  • 303
8 votes
9 answers
5k views

Shock absorbing handlebar tape - recommendations?

Any recommendations for shock absorbing handlebar tape? I have a very harsh bike with drop bars (cheap alum frame and HD wheels, frame limits tires to 28mm) so I'm doing what I can to minimize the ...
obelia's user avatar
  • 1,116
8 votes
2 answers
13k views

How long should I expect handlebar tape to last?

I assume that if handlebar tape is grimy, torn, or peeling, it should be replaced. How long should I expect handlebar tape to last before it needs to be replaced? How often do most cyclists replace ...
amcnabb's user avatar
  • 7,095
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

Need a method to wrap H-bars with handlebar tape

I've gotten good at wrapping drop bars, using conventional cork tape: You start at the end and work your way up, keeping the tension even and watching the overlap, and it works perfectly for me. But ...
Goodbye Stack Exchange's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
5k views

Tape or grips for bar ends?

I've just added a pair of bar ends to my handlebar. I feels surprisingly good, except that they are too thin, compared to my grips. Are there any options to make them more comfortable? Maybe I can ...
k102's user avatar
  • 2,308
6 votes
3 answers
3k views

Can I buy handlebar tape in bulk

I have a couple of commuter bikes with bullhorn handlebars. When I replace the tape on them, I always have heaps left over, since the bars are much shorter overall than standard drop bars. There's ...
Mac's user avatar
  • 9,126
5 votes
3 answers
477 views

What is a good grip material for heat insulation?

As mentioned here earlier, an alloy handlebar works like a heatsink. Even with nicely padded pogies and with lobster gloves, silicone grips do a lousy job of insulating the heat. They slowly transfer ...
Sam7919's user avatar
  • 9,112
4 votes
7 answers
2k views

How to best prevent handlebar tape from unraveling at the inner ends?

Usually I apply handlebar tape from the outer ends of the handlebars inwards. (There is an alternative slightly better way requiring more work and estimation where the handlebar tape is begun from the ...
juhist's user avatar
  • 18.6k
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Spots on bike bar tape after wet ride

I recently went on a ride which partly involved a light rain and after that I noticed that among other things there were a lot of mud colored spots on my bar tape. I presumed it was grit and mud stuck ...
Karthik T's user avatar
  • 541
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

What brands of handlebar tape match the Brooks B17 Aged saddle?

This is kind of a frivolous bike question, but I am rebuilding a 1980s road bike to look like an old French porteur bike. The frame of my bike is a light silver blue color and I'd like to swap out the ...
MNRC's user avatar
  • 303
4 votes
1 answer
3k views

handlebar under-tape (extra layer)?

I'm going to be re-taping my bars for the first time soon, and I was thinking about a putting an extra layer of tape for just slightly increased diameter and padding. I have big hands, but I don't ...
obelia's user avatar
  • 1,116
4 votes
2 answers
529 views

Which way to wrap handlebar tape

Seing this thread showed me what the tape should be wrapped up from the outside of the handlebars (left side handle wrapped clockwise seen from behind, and vice versa) but looking at some videos at ...
chwi's user avatar
  • 243
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

How do different types of handlebar tape do in the rain?

I'm planning to replace the handlebar tape (nonabsorbent, basic plastic tape with no padding) on my commuter bike, and I was looking to switch to cork tape. However, I always park it outside and it ...
PunctualEmoticon's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Reversing handlebar tape direction

Based on the Park Tool guide on how to wrap drop handlebars, the bottom of the handlebars should have the tapes installed with an outward direction and reversing directions when it's on its way to the ...
dork's user avatar
  • 827
3 votes
5 answers
4k views

Homemade handlebar tape?

Because road bikes are usually ridden on smooth surfaces, the pedals scraping against the asphalt/gravel/cobblesones/tree roots/sand/mud/dead branches seem to protect the frame and drivetrain against ...
Vorac's user avatar
  • 13.7k
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can I use bar tape on my (non race bike) bike with flat handles (not drop bars)

My handle bars are slippery so during the drive they often start sliding off. Could I use those nice cool tapes on my handle bar? If so, which ones should I buy?
Vladimir Despotovic's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
286 views

A DIY question / handlebar / build

I'm looking to replicate the montage in the photo, which involves attaching an epoxy beam to a bicycle handlebar (it's a science project), as I show in the drawing. The beam must be very well fixed ...
Julien's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
2 answers
837 views

Interrupter (cross) brake lever cable guide wedges?

Interrupter brakes require the brake cable to angle away from the bar to meet the lever at the proper point as shown in the picture below. You can see the handlebar tape doesn't carry on closer to the ...
obelia's user avatar
  • 1,116
2 votes
2 answers
738 views

Easy Clean Handlebar tape

My white handlebar tape is an absolute nightmare to keep clean even using Sprint Spitfire Spray and I don't have time in my life to keep on top of it. Are there any bar tapes out there that are very ...
usainlightning's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
280 views

Why is my bar tape wearing out quicker on one side?

My bar tape has been wearing out on the left where my palm meets the bar with I ride on the hoods, but not on the right. I've noticed the same thing on the gloves I usually wear. Is this cause by how ...
Mick's user avatar
  • 41
1 vote
3 answers
2k views

Best colour for handlebar tape [closed]

I am planning to change a new handlebar tape as its getting worn off. I was thinking if it is alright to get a new colour besides black (which is a default colour I would say). What colour for the ...
Acuityo's user avatar
  • 177
1 vote
2 answers
986 views

Matching color bar tape to replace dirty white tape? [closed]

My father has one a Trek 4.3 Domane from 2014 with white bicycle tape that is very dirty now and could use to be replaced(christmas gift for him). What color tape/product should I get that will still ...
rowdy's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
2 answers
884 views

Adjusting road brake levers

Recently I got my bar tape, brake cables and brake levers changed, but when I picked up the bike I noticed that the brake levers were to low (at the tip of the drops) is there any way I can put them ...
Miguel Angel Alarcon Bustos's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
360 views

What brand of bar tape does Raleigh use on brand new bikes?

I really liked the bar tape my bike came with, but I don't know what kind it was. It has a distinctive texture and a sort of tacky feel to it. Would like to find the same bar tape again. My bike is a ...
dinosaur's user avatar
  • 103
0 votes
0 answers
315 views

Folding electrical tape around the bar tape as it reaches the middle of the handlebars

So.... I saw a bike parked up at work with drop bars and bar tape that looked interesting. As the bar tape reached the middle of the handlebars rather than wrapping electrical tape around the end to ...
Adam Jones's user avatar