Conference noted::bicycle

    
    Nice to see a technical subject in here again, free of emotional
    overtones!  :-)  :-)  :-)
    
    I've never heard of both-ends-towards-the-middle (brake hoods) scheme,
    but it sounds like a good idea.  I imagined that tape was wrapped in a
    preferred direction to minimize tape-slide (exposing the handlebar).
    The sticky tape would *help* but it would probably fade in the stretch
    - i.e., the adhesive would melt under strong sun in warm weather.
    
    But it's worth a try.  I rely on tensioning (the stretch of the vinyl)
    in the tape to hold it.
    
    BTW, after using Bike Tape for a while, and similar brands, I'm now
    using Ambrosio (model name) when I can find it.  The color doesn't fade,
    and the padding doesn't compress very much over time.  It also cleans
    easily because it has a smooth surface.  In warm weather, your bare hands
    would slip around a bit, but gloves take care of that.  I found out
    about Ambrosio only because the shop slapped some on a bike they were
    building up for me to try out (the Kestrel).
    
    -john

    The last time I taped my bars I think I used Bike Ribbon, and I taped
    from the end to the stem as the directions say.  The reason for taping
    in this direction is so that when you are on the brake hoods you are
    attempting to push one layer of tape over another instead of pulling
    one layer out from under another.  It's also slightly beneficial to get
    the proper direction on each bar (clockwise on right, counter clockwise
    on left) so that the natural action of your hands on the bars would
    attempt to tighten the tape.
    
    I just put aero bars on my bike and I had to peal back a bit; quite a
    bit easier to do when the ends are near the stem.  I'll probably end up
    replacing all of it when I get aero brake levers as I haven't had too
    much luck with taking the tape off without it tearing.
    
    Rich

    Last year I tried a different tape called 'OFF-THE-FRONT' and it's
    excellent!  It is made of a thermobonded rubber and uses no adhesive.
    I never had tape slip all season for the first time.  It's not much in
    the padding department, but hey, thats what gloves are for.
    
    It wraps neat too.  I justed started at the top and wrapped down to the
    end of the tube, plug'n the excess into the handlebar tube.  No
    adhesive tape holding it anywhere.
    
    The bike I have it on will probably re-use it again this season, and my
    other bikes will be 'upgraded' to this tape during their winter
    re-build (which I really should get started on).
    
    Cheers,
    
    ...Ed

    NAHHHH, weighs too much!  Makes the bike heavier.
    
    Bah,
    ed
    
    :-)  :-)

    Thanks to .2 for pointing out the correct direction for the tape.  
    
    I have always wrapped from handlebar to stem ever since I discoverred the
    wopnders of insulating tape.  It comes in nice colors and sticks
    well..

Well, I guess I'm a bit odd, 'cause I have always wrapped my tape from the stem
to the end of the bar. That way, you can put two wraps near the stem, to stop
the tape from slipping. Then, to finish, you just cut away any excess tape,
slip it inside the handlebar and pop on the plug. It looks a lot neater and,
because you can wrap the tape either way around the bar, there is no problem of
the tape unravelling as you ride.

I have never understood why anyone would want to put those little patches of
tape on, when they are unecessary and can only cause more problems.

The other alternative is to use an ATB, I guess. Anyone have any hints on how
to wrap the bar-ends?

Tim

    I wrap from the handlebar to them stem. It is the recommended method.
    Some mentioned earlier that it conforms to the natural action your
    arms and hands take. 
    
    When you wrap from the stem to the handlebar end you have the tape edge 
    exposed so that when you're sliding your hands toward the brakes, you
    can get a "furling" effect. When going the opposite way (bar end to
    stem) that problemm doesn't exist on the tops. "Hand sliding" is vir-
    tually nonexistent anywhere else on the bar except the tops.
    
     I use cork tape (Cinelli). It isn't very durable, but is very
    comfortable. It's also very light * > Ti maybe???
    
     I guess the most critical point in the process is to insure it doesn't
    get caught in the spokes or drive-chain!
    
       Chip

    Anybody got any ideas for aerodynamic handlebar tape?  I imagine some
    kind of silicone surface would be needed, then we'd have to figure
    out which wrapping method provided better results.  Heck, just painting
    the tape on might work best.
    
    ed

     I know... Upholsterized handlebars!!!! Sheesh, simple when you think
    of it and the materials and color combinations can be endless!
    
      Chip

Hmm, you can get cans of the plasti-glop that tool handles (pliers, wrenches)
are sometimes dipped in to provide a non-slip surface; maybe you could
dip your handlebars?
                           ken

     Ken, I think there's a condom joke in there somewhere...
    
       Chip

>     Ken, I think there's a condom joke in there somewhere...
    
Shoulda known I could count on you, Chip - for that, in your honor, I
do believe that when I get the HB-dip worked out I'm gonna call it....

                     Chip's Dip

sounds like a plan to me...
                                             ken

    <<< Note 2188.1 by SHALOT::ELLIS "John Lee Ellis - assembly required" >>>
                         -< heat, sweat, and Ambrosio >-

    > Nice to see a technical subject in here again, free of emotional
    > overtones!  :-)  :-)  :-)
    
    
    	Dream on...

    Re .7:  That's a good point you're making about stem-outwards tape
    wrapping leaving edges that might be curled by slipping hands. I
    noticed yesterday that a friend's bike came with stem-outwards tape,
    but it seems to have survived the first season without bad effect.
    If mine doesn't work, I promise I'll own up to it here...
    
    
    Rod

Don't be so cheap, Rod - the reason your tape slips is because they don't quite
give you enough tape to wrap it over enough to stop it happening.  The solution
is to buy 2 packs the first time and use 1�, next time buy 1 and use 1�.

I start at the bar ends and get as far as under the hoods where I cut and splice
onto the next whole length.  I then continue to the stem and secure with
insulating tape - as Rod_W says you can get nice colours now, but whenever you
want some it's always Black.

On this techie note, does anyone else use the Shimano plastic thingy which
allows you to tape the aero levers and feather in the cables nicely?  It also
allows you to just change the external bits rather than re-tape the bars each
time.  I like it but I think it only comes complete with levers - if anyone has
access to the plastic plus the jointing ferrule, I'm in the market.....

I tried the stem to end direction once. Like other noters 
mentioned, it didn't work.

Now when I wrap the tape I start at the end and work to the stem. When
I get to the end I'll let tape stick out a bit and then taking the supplied 
finishing tape I'll wrap it over the handle bar tape so it leaves a bit of 
excess tape sticking out. I then use an-Acto knife and cut off the tab of 
tape that was sticking out. This make for a clean job without a bump under
the finishing tape.

 
			Electrical tape (colored) or finishing tape.
             		/
	|----|-----\--|---|---\
	|    |        |   |    \
	|____|______\_|___|_____\
	|    |	     ^	
	|Stem|       |
		    Excess tape	that is cut off after finishing tape is 
		    applied.


Check Spag's or your local hardware store for colored electrical tape. 
It does a nice job without looking too awful.

Well I got the aero brake levers last night, and because I figured that the tape
wouldn't survive being removed I bought some new tape.  Apparently Murphy was
watching as I was able to remove the old tape without tearing it and it had enough
adhesive left on it to work in retaping.  Oh well, something else for by spares
box.

Rich

    Hey everyone,
    I guess I am one of the weird ones.  I tape from the stem out and tuck
    the end in the end of the bar and put the plug back in.  It has worked
    very well for two years know.  But boy is the tape itself looking
    pretty ratty (talk about a cheap skate).  Oh well my two cents.
                                       Keep Pedallin'
                                           Bob
    

    The secret for a good stem to bar end installation is to keep a lot of
    tension on the tape (streching it), this prevents the exposed edge from
    curling over. somehow I cannot stand the end tapes by my stem thats all
    kinked.
    
    Another method is to wrap from the brake hoods down to the bar end only
    (track style) Bonehead riders never put their hands on the top of the 
    bar anyways, makes us go slow or at least relieves the lower back pains
    who would like that?
    
    Any of you guys put arm rests on triathalon bars before? that s..ks.

    A couple of years ago I replaced my handlbar tape with some kind of
    thick black rubber tubing.  I Like it a lot better except that the
    black dye always rubs off on my hands.  Any ideas on how to prevent
    this?
    
    Darnley

Cover it in handlebar tape?


Rod

    Great minds think alike!  And we don't do so bad either...
    
    :-)

	There was an item in Nice-Matin yesterday about a guy breaking the
record for climbing Mt Agel (behind Nice), while sitting on the handlebars and
going up looking backwards.  Sounds stupid but less than 60 mins for 11,4 km
seems pretty good to me - of course I don't know how you get the black stuff off
your shorts.......

    Being a sensitive, 90's kind of guy, I have sensitive hands!  So, I
    picked up a set of the Spenco handlebar wraps.  This is a thin
    compressible material that you simply slide over the bar.  The
    recommendation from the bike shop was to secure them with unscented
    hairspray (the stuff mom used to wear to lacquer her hair solidly in
    place in anything up to and including a full hurricane).  Works great. 
    Slides right over the brake cable, stays put under the brake hoods. 
    Peel it back and spray liberally with the hairspray than reseat.  Once
    the lacquer dries things stay nice and solid.  No tape wraps at the
    ends or anything.  Haven't had any problems with slipping even when
    warm.
    
    The other covers referred to in here as "thick black tube" may be
    something called Maxi-grips.  They WERE NOT user friendly and did leach
    black coloring as well as being incredibly difficult to get over the
    bar with the brake cable in place!

     But is it only your hairdresser that will know for sure??? :-) :-)
    
        Chip

    re -.1:
    
>     But is it only your hairdresser that will know for sure??? :-) :-)
    
    Unless some other rider gets up close and personal and sniffs the
    handlebars!

    
    WD-40 works very well for getting MTB grips, spenco grips, etc. to stay
    put.  Spray it under the grip and don't use the bike overnight.  
    
    
    							Norm
    
    

    
    Would probably work for me, I never use my bike overnight.
    
    Mark

    Oh come on; I Love my bikes so dearly.
                                   Keep Pedallin'
                                        Bob

>================================================================================
>Note 2188.27                     Handlebar tape                         27 of 29
>WMOIS::FLYE_N                                         8 lines   6-MAR-1992 04:53
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>    
>    WD-40 works very well for getting MTB grips, spenco grips, etc. to stay
>    put.  Spray it under the grip and don't use the bike overnight.  
>    
>    
>                                                        Norm
>    
I thought that WD-40 wasn't that nice to rubber and other substances like that?
I don't remember the exact wording, but I think the can says something about
keeping WD-40 away from rubber. However, on the grips this is probsbly less
important. After all, we replace those grips so frequently anyway. I have
usually used soapy water for this sort of installation. A word of warning - if
you put too great a concentration of detergent in the water, the grips seem to
stay slippery on the inside forever.

Tim

    
    I have a problem with WD-40 being called a lubricant.  I think it works
    much better as a degreaser.  Once the liquid part has evaporated there
    doesn't seem to be much lubrication.  In fact it has been used for
    years to clean the crud off of bike frames.  It also does OK at "quick
    cleaning" chains.  Just remember to lube them after.  
    
      WD-40 will make the rubber grips sticky.  Spray it under the grip.
    WAIT 12 HOURS and they will stay put for a long time.  The WD-40 will
    not eat through to the outside.  
    
    							Norm
    
    
     

	This winter I'm going to replace my plastic-y handlebar tape with
	Cinelli Cork ribbon.  Is there anything special I need to do/not do
	when putting it on?  A friend of mine says he's had problems with
	the cork breaking on him.  When installing the plastic ribbon, I pull
	pretty hard on it to stretch it.  Should I not do that with the cork?

	Thanks,
	Sue 

     I use Cinelli cork tape exclusively and love it... Very comfortable,
    stylish, and (most importantly - expensive!)  :-)
    
     It is durable while applying, but not anywhere near as strong as
    plastic/vinyl stuff. However, you do need to keep it taut to get
    that nice/clean appearnace.
    
     You will find that it does wear quickly - meaning that if you're doing
    5k miles yearly you'll be replacing it. It will scuff/damage easily too
    if you crash or the bike falls.
    
     Make sure you start at the bar-end and work toward the stem so that
    the "open" part of the wrap is "away" from the stem...
    
     Chip

RE: <<< Note 2188.32 by NOVA::NALE "Sue Nale Mildrum" >>>

I put cork tape on my bike last winter. I had never used it before, and so was
a little aprehensive about applying it. Worked out very well, however. I pulled
it enough to keep it taught, but not enough to really stretch it -- I could
feel when it started to stretch and it would not spring back.

It's provided a very comfortable grip this year. I've ridden just over 3K miles
with it now, and it's not worn much. A few high-rub areas are thinning some.
I accidentally put a 1/4 inch cut in part of it in the summer, and was afraid
that it would split and peel off. Fortunately, the cut hasn't grown in length,
but it has widened (it's on an edge of the tape).

I'd definitely use cork again.
						-- Tom

I removed the Sampson FatWrap tape from my bars last night and am left with lots
of glue and tape residue. 

Anybody have any idea if any common household chemical is effective in removing 
this stuff ? I tried rubbing alcohol with little effect.

-tom

    You could try some nasty stuff like mineral spirits or nail
    polish remover, or some less nasty stuff like window cleaner
    (409, Fantastic...)  Or you could try WD-40...

My wife uses a some stuff called "Goo Gone". I have seen it at Home Depot and
several other hardward stores. The stuff is uses to take off sticker
labels etc... I think it will work on the Handlebar glue also.

Dave 

>Anybody have any idea if any common household chemical is effective in removing
>this stuff ? I tried rubbing alcohol with little effect.

  Use ordinary cooking oil (corn oil, sunflower oil, etc.).  It makes
  everything slippery so nothing sticks to anything.  You may want to let
  it soak for a few minutes after putting it on.  It still takes a little
  elbow grease, but it's safe and effective.  Be sure to clean well
  (Dawn or other grease cutting diswashing liquid) before putting on the
  new tape.

  ---Phil

    A gasoline soaked rag will remove the goop in seconds.
    Nothing works better.  Nothing is more dangerous either.

     Lacquer thinner - my favorite - all time - all purpose cleaner and
    goop remover...
    
     Chip

Acetone - my favorite - all time - all purpose cleaner and goop remover...
 

Mark

thanks for all the suggestions....

I'll live dangerously and try the gas soaked rag tonight (outside).

-tom

Finish-Line Citrus Degreaser works well if you let it soak in a bit. Wash it
off with water after it's done its bit.

It's also "environmentally friendly" and won't dissolve any plastic bits along
with the gloop.

-Les.

Well, I picked last week to begin cleaning and overhauling my road bike and
wouldn't you know it, but New England gets record warm temperatures for
last week and it's expected to last into this week, as well.  Anyway, I'm
almost done and I'm looking forward to trying out my new eight speed cluster.
(I converted from 7 spd by buying an 8 spd cluster and used downtube shifters,
since I was using an 8spd hub since last Spring).

Anyway, I bought some cork tape for my handle-bar and don't know how to apply
it.  I've read the last replies and I'm going to wrap it from the end to the
stem.  The confusion I'm having stems from the directions given with the tape.
They say to peel the backing off of the tape while I apply it, but there is
no tape on the back of the cork.  Should I just wrap it, anyway, hoping that
the electrical tape I plan to use near the stem will hold it all together or
does anyone recommend some sort of two-way tape or adhesive to apply to the
bar first?

-Buddy

    Who makes it? Buddy, I've used only cork tape for the past 6 yrs.
    I've never seen any without the adhesive back nor would I recommend
    using it without the adhesive back.
    
    Can you bring it back?
    
    Chip

>    Who makes it? Buddy, I've used only cork tape for the past 6 yrs.
>    I've never seen any without the adhesive back nor would I recommend
>    using it without the adhesive back.

Hmmm.  Very interesting.  The name on the package was Paramount - probably
made by Schwinn.  (I'll bet it's old, too - this shop doesn't do much road
bike business, anymore - now the shop is wall to wall mountain bike.)
    
>    Can you bring it back?

I bought it at a shop in Wakefield, MA.  I think I'll give them a call.

Thanks for the insight, Chip.

-Buddy