On to this, a very tacky 0. Nothing looks quite so fast or so pro as a road bike decked out with crisp white bar tape, a fact not lost on manufacturers who also love to strap it to their consumer models.
Luckily, even in boring black, a fresh wrap of tape is an easy way to revive a tired-looking bike. Learning how to apply it yourself is easy and satisfying in an arts and crafts kind of way.
Make sure your hands are clean. Remove the tape from the box. Place the two short strips of tape to go behind the levers , scissors and electrical tape within reach. Roll the rubber brake lever hoods forward and carefully remove the old tape. Having exposed the gear and brake cables, ensure they are securely attached to the upper part of the bar using electrical tape. Poke an inch of tape into the end of the bar. Holding it down with your finger, give it one complete inward twist around the outside of the bar, leaving around 5mm overhanging the end.
This will hold the plug in and keep the termination clean. Keeping the tape under even tension, begin winding it around the bars. Each pass should overlap the previous by around 8mm so that the adhesive strip is contacting the bar and not the tape. As you approach the levers, attach one of the short pieces of tape to the back of the fixing band.
Loop the tape so it partly overlaps the bottom of the lever body before bringing it above the lever and across the short strip of tape so as to also overlap the upper part.
Once you reach the point at which you want to finish, pull the tape forwards of the handlebar and cut it diagonally across, leaving about 15cm.
Wrapping the last stretch of tape should leave you with an edge perpendicular to the bar. Secure this with electrical tape. Aside from providing an array of colours and finishes, all can be differentiated on the basis of comfort, feel, grip, and durability.
Leather and thin microfibre tape will suit those riders that want to keep handlebar bulk to a minimum, while cotton and plastic are best suited to vintage and classic builds, respectively. As for choosing a colour, rules abound, but feel free to ignore them. White, by contrast, will demand a lot more attention and age quickly. With all of that said, bar tape is very much akin to tyres, so a bit of experimentation will be required before a rider can form a preference.
Bar tape is generally inexpensive, and because it is prone to wear and tear, riders will always have a reason to explore what the market has to offer. While some of the materials that are used for handlebar tape are extremely durable, all are prone to wear and tear and none are immune from crashes , so it is inevitable that the tape will need to be replaced on a semi-regular basis.
Exactly how often will depend on a variety of factors, including how frequently the bike is used and the kind of conditions that it must endure. One factor that is often ignored is the impact of sweat. For those riders that sweat profusely and find that the bar tape is often soggy at the end of the ride, it will be important to replace at relatively short intervals — and not just because it starts to smell.
All of the salt contained in the sweat will quickly diffuse through the tape, creating a highly oxidative environment for steel lever bands and alloy handlebars. Ignoring the tape for an extended period of time will allow oxidation to take place unchecked, creating a potentially disastrous situation if the bar fails unexpectedly. In general terms, wrapping handlebars is a simple chore because all that is required is a smooth, taut spiral from one end of the bars to the stem.
Of course, there is a little more to the process than that, such as contending with the levers, and while a few tips can make a difference, wrapping bars is a handicraft that will always benefit from some practice. Aside from finding the opportunity to practise, the most important thing to pay attention to when learning how to wrap handlebars is the choice of tape.
Cork blends and foam tape are generally supple, however they can break when pulled too hard. Polyurethane tape is a better choice because it is much more resilient and forgiving. Microfibre tape is very difficult to break but it is also very stiff, so it takes more time, strength and care to wrap the bars cleanly, while leather is even more difficult to work with.
Wrapping bars requires two hands at almost all times, so a bit of preparation makes the job easier, starting with the brake and gear cables or wires. Arrange them neatly and then use some electrical tape to secure them against the bars. The tape can be wrapped in one of two ways — clockwise or anti-clockwise — when looking at the end of the bar.
In practical terms, neither choice has a dramatic influence on the final result. However, if the tape is not wound with enough tension in the first place, it will unwind regardless of the direction chosen. This last point is where much of the technique of wrapping lies, because the tape needs to be stretched to some degree as it is wound onto the bars.
Deciding on where to finish wrapping the tape is usually dictated by the handlebars. For external cables, it will be important to wrap the bars most of the way to the stem to keep them secure and tidy. In contrast, there is no strict need to wrap the tops of the bars when the cables are routed internally.
This is especially true for aero shapes where a cushioned tape can increase the bulk of the tops considerably, however a thin microfibre tape can be used by riders that find untaped tops too slippery.
Keep a pair of scissors handy, and hang two lengths of electrical tape on the stem or top tube of the frame so that they are easy to reach. Once wrapping is complete, the end of the tape can be cut and secured without letting it go. The sequence above details one common approach to wrapping bars where a single loop is used around the levers.
When using this method, a short strip of tape is required to hide the lever band and fill in some gaps. Alternatively, some lever shapes can be wrapped in a figure-eight, as shown in this video that Dave Everrett captured at the Tour Down Under a few years ago, in which case there is no need for an extra length of tape.
Once the bars are wrapped, there a few choices for finishing off the job. Electrical tape is available in a few different colours, so it will often blend in with the bar tape. If you prefer more padding it would be worth pairing with some gel pads or a softer bar tape underneath.
As with all leather products, this bar tape is very hard-wearing and should last a lot longer than synthetic counterparts, plus as it ages the bar tape will develop a patina giving your bike a pleasant weathered look. Two colour matched rubber bar ends plugs and adhesive cloth strips are included with the tape to finish it off.
Of course, this tape will not appeal to all, however, Brooks does offer microfibre and rubber tape alternatives that match its animal-free saddles. As with any purchase, you need to have a grasp of what you want to get out of the product you're buying, and the same goes for bar tape.
Bar tape, while a seemingly basic purchase at first glance, will throw up many different options, each of which serving a subtly different purpose, such as comfort, road feel and feedback, style, colour, wet-weather grip, dry-weather grip, durability, and more.
So to get it right the first time, you'll need to have a think about what you prioritise. To help you decide, here are a few common scenarios. Bar tape material has come a long way since the early days, but none of the early materials have been made entirely redundant.
Over the years, we've seen cotton, cork, leather, vinyl, foam, and more. Cork and leather have been popular for decades for their levels of grip, comfort and for a classic look, but they do have limitations.
The most commonly found bar tapes nowadays are made using synthetic materials which can be combined with foam or gel for padding. These modern bar tapes offer improved comfort, all-weather grip and are available in a wider range of colours or designs. Whether you're battling storms all year round or do your best to avoid the rain, grip is an important consideration when choosing the best bar tape for you.
Synthetic materials such as polyurethane can be made to have a tacky finish to provide grip in both wet or dry conditions for gloved or bare hands. Textured surfaces or perforations can also be used to give some extra purchase to the handlebar. An element of breathability is also important to allow sweat and moisture to be drawn away from the hand and help maintain good levels of grip.
Bar tape comes in a variety of thicknesses to suit feel and comfort. The most common range is around 1. Traditionally, the best bar tape for racers is at the thinner end of this spectrum, because it offers a closer road feel and a direct response on the bike.
Conversely, gravel riders or endurance riders usually prefer thicker bar tape, which will lessen road buzz for more comfort and reduce potential numbness in the hands over a long distance. For rides such as the Paris-Roubaix or gravel riding, an even thicker bar tape can be used to reduce fatigue and help with control on rough surfaces. To add additional comfort to a favourite bar tape, gel inserts can be added under the tape, and some will even opt to wrap their bars with two rolls, doubling the thickness, although this will add an element of bulk to the handlebar.
Along with thickness, the length of the tape is also an important consideration, especially if you're using wide bars with more real estate to cover. If you pair a long tape with a narrow bar, you can be generous with your overlapping, increasing the thickness, or you can wrap it to the ideal thickness and cut off any excess. The same cannot be said the other way round; if you pair a short tape with a wide bar, you'll have to spread your tape more thinly, meaning smaller overlaps when wrapping, and thus, less overall thickness.
Most bar tape is available in a wide range of colours and styles to suit all tastes and fashions. Whether you want to play it safe with a simple black, colour match with details on your bike, or stand out with an eye-catching fluro hue, there will be a bar tape that suits.
Remember lighter colours will quickly show dirt and grime and require a little extra care to keep looking at its best. If you're looking to simply fit and forget, then a classic black will stay looking good for the longest time. On the underside of most bar tapes with the exception of cotton is a tacky strip that helps it grip to the bars and remain in place, and the way in which this tackiness is applied can be important.
If you're a serial tinkerer when it comes to your bike setup, you might find that you need to unwrap your bar tape to move your shifters or replace brake and gear cables. Some tapes use a sticky strip which means that they can only ever be wrapped once, and the tape will rip and tear when it comes time to remove it so that cheap job of replacing your brake cables quickly means you need a new roll of bar tape too.
The best bar tapes use alternate solutions such as a silicone strip, offering enough tackiness to hold, while also being re-wrappable and leaving no residue behind when removed. Sign up to the Cyclingnews Newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how to do this, and how we hold your data, please see our privacy policy. Group 3 Created with Sketch. Cyclingnews The World Centre of Cycling. Sign in. The Planning Hub offers in-depth guides to planning permission in England, brought to you by Cyclingnews's planning experts.
Included in this guide: 1. Image 1 of 3. Image 2 of 3. Image 3 of 3. Ere Research Genus bar tape. Thickness: Unpublished.
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