Bar End Caps

Headhuunter

I need a solution. For some reason I keep losing the bar end cap things that stop the bar tape unravelling. I don't know where they go, they just keep dropping out. Perhaps I'm travelling so fast that they are being dragged out by the wind as it whistles round my bars. Who knows. Anyway, short of gluing them in, does anyone know if it's possible toget ones that screw in or something? I'm tired of spending £1.99 every week to buy new caps...

paulbox

There are mountain bike ones that fix in with an allen bolt (Hope make nice shiney ones). They would probably do you (assuming that the bars are the same diameter.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mc/cycle/7/Hope/Bar_Ends/?referid=googwig&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=hope%20bar&utm_campaign=Hope

Ian.B

I have these (in red), which work a treat, but (as Paulbox says) I think they are made for MTBs or flat bars, and on drops the diameter is slightly wider than the taped bars, so there is a small lip
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1219

Headhuunter

They look good. Just wondering if they would fit road bike bars

Headhuunter

Ian.B wrote:

I have these (in red), which work a treat, but (as Paulbox says) I think they are made for MTBs or flat bars, and on drops the diameter is slightly wider than the taped bars, so there is a small lip
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1219

So have you got them fitted to road bike bars?

Ian.B

Yes

Headhuunter

Ian.B wrote:

Yes

OK, cheers

lost_in_thought

I got some with my most recent pack of bar tape that were much tighter fitting, and longer. They haven't fallen out yet, and I generally lost them pretty quickly.

I don't replace them, though.

essex-commuter

Best solution is just to wrap some PVC tape around the plugs to make them a tighter fit.

I used to do that, now I use champagne corks on my commuter. True.

will3

Champagne cork fresh out of the bottle. It will expand with time and stay put

Headhuunter

Hmm. Better get some Krug in then... Or does Cristal do a better job?

essex-commuter

Headhuunter wrote:

Hmm. Better get some Krug in then...

Just get 2 bottle of Cava and spend the rest on Stella. Looks the same but if you drink the Stella first you won't stop laughing at how cool your bike looks with corks.

nielsamd

I think I recall someone here or elsewhere describing tieing the two ends together with string or wire passing through the bars, to avoid chronic loss.
I tried passing a wire (to guide some string) through my road bars but the double bends defeated the process. Perhaps if I use brake/gear cable instead of gardening wire!

kelsen

Maybe you just need to feed more bar tape into the end of handlebar when you start wrapping to get a tighter fit. I have to really force the plugs in when I change my bar tape and have never encountered a problem with losing them. The pvc tape solution also works if they're a bit loose.

on-oneplus26

http://www.muckynutz.com/index.php?rout ... duct_id=65

^^ and when you have drunk the Stella you can re cycle the tops....

Headhuunter

kelsen wrote:

Maybe you just need to feed more bar tape into the end of handlebar when you start wrapping to get a tighter fit. I have to really force the plugs in when I change my bar tape and have never encountered a problem with losing them. The pvc tape solution also works if they're a bit loose.

There's a fair amount of bar tape tucked in and the fit seems quite tight but somehow they go missing. Perhaps the puncture fairy's lesser known friend, the bar end cap pixie has been at work...

Gussio

Ritchey pro tape comes with bar ends that have the same allen key bolt as described above. Think that the last lot I bought from Wiggle cost a tenner, or thereabouts. Seems to work well.