Bar tape slippery when wet

craker
craker Posts: 1,739
edited September 2011 in Workshop
I changed my bar tape in Summer to a more expensive Fizik roll.

Last night I got pretty wet on the way home, it's started unravelling at the drop end. I made a bit of a fix to it last night (No More Nails :D ).

Both sides are moving under a little pressure now.

Any glue recommendations for repairs before it gets unusable?

I taped these myself, is there preparation I ought to be doing?

The bars are on my commuter bike so get pretty hard wear whatever the weather.

Thanks.

Comments

  • Buy some new tape and apply it to clean, dry bars. Put it on correctly, wrapping the correct way and it'll never come off whilst riding.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Look for some videos of bar tape wrapping on YouTube and follow their advice.

    As Senor Hernandez suggests, new tape and clean, dry bars are needed.
    Peel back the rubber hoods and apply the 2 short bits of tape round the backs of the shifter clamps.
    Start at the drop end with one full turn and sufficient overlap so you can tuck in all round with the bar end plug later. When viewed from the saddle you should be wrapping clockwise for the left hand side and anticlockwise for the right. (although I have found several videos showing the reverse)
    Try to apply decent tension to the tape at all times; Fizik Microtex takes quite a bit of abuse. Peel off the paper strip on the adhesive as you go and overlap so that the central adhesive strip is on the bars rather than on the previous turn of tape (not always possible as you go around the bends)
    The little bits you applied earlier should allow you to negotiate the levers without leaving any gaps that will be visible when the hoods go back.
    Finish neatly on the tops by trimming a tapered end with scissors and securing with the finishing tape supplied (or electricians tape if preferred)
    Roll the hoods back into position, and fold the tape into the end of the bar before securing by whacking in the bar end plugs. (Easier said than done, this last bit!)
  • I suspect that when you wrapped it you didn't put enough tension on the tape.

    I'd unwrap the loose part, pull it very tight and re-wrap then use some electrical tape to hold it on (8 inches or so of tape, 1/2 on the tape and 1/2 on the bars should hold it). That will probably give you another 6 months before it slips (it would last longer but the base tape will have lost its stickyness).
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Take it off completely and rewrap it properly. The adhesive they put on the tape is superfluous. If done correctly, you can wrap tape without it
  • My tape was coming loose after my first taping effort so I stripped it off and started again. I put some double sided tape on the inside of the curve to help keep it in place. The tape got a bit damaged during removal but not enough to worry about.
  • rafletcher
    rafletcher Posts: 1,235
    Buy some new tape and apply it to clean, dry bars. Put it on correctly, wrapping the correct way and it'll never come off whilst riding.

    The "right way" can be a matter of opinion, but I follow the Park Tools method and I've had no problem, even with tape that has no adgesive on it.

    Wrap the end of the drops with insulating tape reversed so the sticky side is out. Either leave an overlap so the bar end plug traps it, or use more insulating tape to wrap it to prevent unravelling.

    Then wrap as per Park Tools instructions - starting with wrapping the tape "outwards" until you get to the brake levers when you swap it to an inward/backward wrap. Make sure the tape is stretched tighted with a decent overlap. especially on bends. trim the end on the tops and tape over.

    see here

    http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... n-drop-bar