Using Bar tape on xc bike

MikeyScott19

Have any of you got experience doing/trying this? I just decided to try it out to see what sort of comfort level it has.
It was just an excuse to pinch the lock on grips & nice hope bar end plugs off it to put on my other mtb tbh but started thinking about it too much now :roll:

Mounted the bar tape on flat bars with short bar ends on and it feels good on the bar ends but might feel abit narrow on the main part where the rubber grips would usually be but I could double wrap it next time or tape some gear cable on the bar before I wrap to make it feel slightly bigger?

I have only sat on the bike not been for a ride yet and havnt tried my gloves on with it yet.

bennett_346

I think the question everyone wants the answer to is why?!

MikeyScott19

just curious as some may prefer feel of bar tape to rubber grips so seeing what I prefer, with shifters & brake levers that I have on it that I can remove without the need to take grips or bar ends off (sramx0/avid elixir) eliminates the con of the time it takes to fit plus weight weenies could save a few grams here rather than shave their legs

Also I wanted a better feeling set of bar ends but thought I'd save the money & see if just bar taping them would give them the feel that I wanted and it has!

bennett_346

MikeyScott19 wrote:

just curious as some may prefer feel of bar tape to rubber grips so seeing what I prefer

Fair enough

MikeyScott19 wrote:

with shifters & brake levers that I have on it that I can remove without the need to take grips or bar ends off (sramx0/avid elixir) eliminates the con of the time it takes to fit

Surely not an issue with these as split clamp design?

MikeyScott19 wrote:

plus weight weenies could save a few grams here rather than shave their legs

Definately N/A here!

MountainMonster

I find even roubaix bar tape uncomfortable enough on my road bike, where i'm not bouncing around the whole time. Couldn't see it working, but everyone has their tastes. I guess.

DCR00

i used S-Works tape i got free with a Toupe saddle on my Scale 20

it was pretty comfy TBH, but it didn't stand up too well to trail riding

nicklouse

MTB bars at the grip end are much thinner than road bars so you would need more than one layer to get a reasonable width.

not worth it.

BrucieNRS

Chris Eatough, 24 hr rider extraordinaire, seems to quite like the feel

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/photos/2 ... el_9_grips

Nigel

nicklouse

BrucieNRS wrote:

Chris Eatough, 24 hr rider extraordinaire, seems to quite like the feel

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/photos/2 ... el_9_grips

Nigel

And if you read the text it reads as bar tape wrapped over high density foam. If it is just tape it is more than one wrap and it does not look like it is

DCR00

nicklouse wrote:

MTB bars at the grip end are much thinner than road bars so you would need more than one layer to get a reasonable width.

not worth it.

i did two passes on my bars

quite chunky to start with, but after a few uses, quite comfortable

njee20

A lot of of it can get bloody slippery when wet/muddy.

Foam grips FTW.

tomgag

used to have it on my old bike and liked it more than any grips. no issues whatsoever, now i use foam grips, clarks to be precise.

never was slippery or anything. very comfty too but i guess is down to every individual preferences.

andy46

Lizzard Skins Peaty lock ons are the best grips I've used. Though I may try some foam grips, don't these soak up water?

ESHER SHORE

riders "back in the day" commonly used road bar tape on the "bullhorn" style handlebars

modern road bar tape from Specialized, etc. comes with gel pads that can be stuck to the bars, before taping, which increases bar diameter and solves any comfort issues

cooldad

But why bother?

tomgag

foam grips don't soak up yet - for 6 euro i got 3 sets so will change them after winter and then before races..

i don't like plastic-ish grips and rubber grips are not for me... using foam grips or road tape give me better feeling esp. in difficult terrain.

have you ever tried them cooldad?

louthepoo

cooldad wrote:

But why bother?

Try it and find out.

A couple of lads that ride with me use tape on their bars and swear by them. I'm not changing though, my grips work well for me.

cooldad

louthepoo wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But why bother?

Try it and find out.

A couple of lads that ride with me use tape on their bars and swear by them. I'm not changing though, my grips work well for me.

Loads of things are pointless. I'm not going to try them all. Grips work fine for 99.9999999999% of people.

MountainMonster

I would try it as well, but common sense dictates that sense even on smooth roads on my road bike, the "nicer" grip tape is uncomfortable, it will be even worse on an mtb once you get into anything bumpy.

louthepoo

cooldad wrote:

louthepoo wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But why bother?

Try it and find out.

A couple of lads that ride with me use tape on their bars and swear by them. I'm not changing though, my grips work well for me.

Loads of things are pointless. I'm not going to try them all. Grips work fine for 99.9999999999% of people.

You won't know they're pointless unless you try them. And good guessing on how many people use grips

cooldad

Not a guess. A well known fact.

andy46

cooldad you should make a poll to find out, honest answers only!

cooldad

Even easier - any idiots out there using bar tape instead of grips? Own up.

Kaise

think this is wins the award for the most pointless argument of 2011

bar tape, road bikes
grips, mountain bikes

cooldad

Kaise wrote:

think this is wins the award for the most pointless argument of 2011

bar tape, road bikes
grips, mountain bikes

You just have a closed mind, open it up to new experiences and try something stupid today.

andy46

I think I'll try my Peaty lock on's jammed onto the drops on the roadie! Think it'll catch on??

njee20

Surely it'd only be pointless if no one did it, but as plenty of people (including professionals) do it, surely there's a point...

Lock-Ons on the road is pointless!

louthepoo

njee20 wrote:

Surely it'd only be pointless if no one did it, but as plenty of people (including professionals) do it, surely there's a point...

Lock-Ons on the road is pointless!

Exactly! I don't do it myself but as the saying goes 'don't knock it till you've tried it'

cycle monster

On more than one level, get a grip. Better still, get two! Move on. Nothing to see here.