Putting on bar tape

BUICK

Nice new bar tape that has been sat staring at me for months + the Zinn maintenance book's subchapter on putting bartape on does NOT equal nice, neat even bars!

I've got a degree for goodness sake...

Jez mon

Don't worry too much...it's a fiddly job which i always thing is just right, and then i take another look and...D'OH! There's a patch of bar sticking through!

STEFANOS4784

Slow and steady wins the race :!: Might have gotten lucky though

beverick

Same dilemma here.

There are a number of helpful videos on youtube (and some not so also!)

Bob.

redddraggon

Practice.

I can do normal Gel/Cork tape first time perfectly now.

Fizik tape on the other hand still takes me a good few attempts.

ride_whenever

I just got the BMX'r at the LBS to do mine whilst i had it in their stand (it is nice when they aren't busy and i can blag a stand to do work in) he did it really nicely...

I'd say take it in cleaned and ready to wrap with some biccies.

whyamihere

All just practise. My first few times went horribly wrong, but now I can just put it on nice and quickly without really thinking about it.

cougie

Yeah - you soon get the hang of it. Its important to keep it pretty stretched tho. Loose bar tape is a disaster.

jeepie

First time (and only time) I've done replaced the bar tape, I did a really neatly with the help of the missus and then when I rode it I found out I've put it on the wrong way round so that the tape rubs up! Waiting to get a season's wear out of it before I replace ! :oops:

idaviesmoore

:? It's not the taping that p1sses me off but trying to get the end plugs correct. I never seem to be able to get the right amount of tape to hold the plugs in place and end up using a little bit of insulation tape to finish it off. And I've got a degree as well :roll: :?

whyamihere

idaviesmoore wrote:

:? It's not the taping that p1sses me off but trying to get the end plugs correct. I never seem to be able to get the right amount of tape to hold the plugs in place and end up using a little bit of insulation tape to finish it off. And I've got a degree as well :roll: :?

If you've done the end of the bar correctly, you should be able to trim off the excess flush with the end of the bar without it unwrapping. Then you can just put the end caps in. It looks excellent and is really easy.

DavidBelcher

idaviesmoore wrote:

:? It's not the taping that p1sses me off but trying to get the end plugs correct. I never seem to be able to get the right amount of tape to hold the plugs in place and end up using a little bit of insulation tape to finish it off. And I've got a degree as well :roll: :?

I always start at the bottom (to get the end flush with the bar plug) and work my way up the bar - apparently that's the way to do it with modern sticky-backed thick PVC/cork bar tapes; old-school cloth tape goes the other way.
Annoying me at the mo - tape manufacturers using insufficient/cheapo glue on their backing, so that the tape unsticks whilst you're working on it. Or worse still, when you unstick a bit to rectify a mistake, the whole lot unravels into a coil (as per the spring on a broken clockwork motor)!

David

dennisn

DavidBelcher wrote:

idaviesmoore wrote:

:? It's not the taping that p1sses me off but trying to get the end plugs correct. I never seem to be able to get the right amount of tape to hold the plugs in place and end up using a little bit of insulation tape to finish it off. And I've got a degree as well :roll: :?

I always start at the bottom (to get the end flush with the bar plug) and work my way up the bar - apparently that's the way to do it with modern sticky-backed thick PVC/cork bar tapes; old-school cloth tape goes the other way.
Annoying me at the mo - tape manufacturers using insufficient/cheapo glue on their backing, so that the tape unsticks whilst you're working on it. Or worse still, when you unstick a bit to rectify a mistake, the whole lot unravels into a coil (as per the spring on a broken clockwork motor)!

David

Yes, start at the bottom but leave a bit of extra hanging over the open end of the bar(like
half the tape width - once around) you then can stuff this inside the bar when you're ready to put the bar plugs in(looks fine, helps hold the plugs in, and can be trimmed if
you've used too much tape). I overlap the tape about halfway onto itself with each turn.
keeping it pretty snug or tight or well stretched(if you will). Tight is the key to it all. As far as tape having an adhesive backing this is not really required, just keep wrapping until
you're done. It NEVER turns out perfect but you will get the hang of it. TIGHT.

Dennis Noward

idaviesmoore

Hey thanks for that chaps. I've just got some new tape so I'll take my time and get it right. I'll let you know how I got on