TacomaSailor

I have been taping my handlebars with a variety of tapes for at least 20-years and used to think I was pretty skilled at wrapping and securing tape.

NOW - my Cinelli Gel Cork tape will not stay in place for more than five hours of riding, 80% of which is done on the drops. (Specialized Roubaix).

The tape comes unwound in the middle of the lower horizontal section of the bar about 4" in front of the bar ends but before the area where the bar starts to curve upward.

I have carefully reapplied the tape several times and it just suddenly comes loose within a few hours. It happens on either handlebar.

As far as I know, this is the first Cinelli tape I have used and is the first Gel tape. I am sneaking up on my 71st birthday and have suffered dozens of fairly serious hand, arm, shoulder, neck injuries in my 60-years of street bicycle riding, 30-years of mountain bike riding, 30-years of motorcycle crashing, and a lot of nasty falls rock climbing. SO - I decided to treat myself to a more cushioned tape to make my 2-hour rides a little more comfortable toward the end.

Is this a Cinelli thing or have I gotten stupid about handle bar tape?

Cyclist0108

Mine never moves, so my guess is you didn't pull it tight enough. However, if you first wrap your bars with double-sided sticky tape, and then apply the Cinelli cork tape on top of that, it will stay put.

wschruba

Are you tucking the ends, or relying on friction to hold them in place (wrapping over only the bar, not overlapping the end)?

TacomaSailor

Do I wrap the entire handlebar, where I will apply the Cinelli tape, with double sided sticky tape?

I overlap the tape a half width at the bar ends and tuck that overlap into the bar end where it is secured with an end piece on an expanding bolt inside the bar. The bar end tape never comes unwrapped.

fietsbob

Try adding some friction/cotton bar tape around the top curve, and then wrapping the bar tape over that
.. may give you a less slick surface than the bare aluminum.

I cannot judge remotely if you are giving the right amount of stretch tension as you wrap the tape..

the gel tape I have used , not that brand, the gel is a tacky backing strip not a cushioning feature.


Fizik tape has a release paper strip over an adhesive, their gel pads have a cover sheet you remove ,

then they cling well to the bare aluminum bar tubing. [if you seek actual gel benefits]..

Fizik pads sold separate, or combined with black tape..




...

Crankycrank

I've used plenty of Cinelli Gel Cork tape and also wrap it backwards (top to bottom) which makes it even more prone to slipping on the bar but still don't have any problems as long as it has been wrapped tight enough. You want it fairly tight but don't overdo it as the tape can tear. Overlapping about half width is about right and should not be the cause of the unwrapping. You could also try reversing the direction of the wind that you're using. I forget how it goes but wrapping in a certain direction helps to keep tension on the wrap vs. the wrong direction will loosen the tape from the pressure of your hands. I'm guessing counterclockwise on the left side starting at the bar end and of course reverse for the right but don't quote me on that.

Ghrumpy

The solution might be to change the direction of the wrap. You should wrap the bars so that the hands' and wrists' natural twisting forces will tighten the tape.

Problem is, the natural twisting motions on the drops and on the tops are opposite. On the tops, the natural twist is like a motorcycle throttle; looking at the right hand from the side, it's CCW to the bar. On the drops, it's the other direction; looking at the bar from the back, it's CW. (Reverse these for the left hand.)

So you either have to change the wrap direction at the brake lever, or live with one end of the wrap tending to unwind. Adhesive backing and/or more tension helps resist the unwinding but eventually it will start to sag. (Another option is to cut the tape in half, and wrap each side in two directions, either starting or finishing at the brake lever. Seen that on some old bikes with cloth tape. Easier with cotton than the new corky and gelly tapes.)

TacomaSailor

I do reverse the direction between the top and drops so that my natural hand motion tightens the wrap.

The problem seems to be that the tape on the drops slides forward and then somehow I get a big lump of tape hanging off the drops.

I've taped dozens of handlebars on four different road bikes over the last 20+ years and this is the first time I've encountered tape coming loose in the middle of the drops.

I replaced the tape Saturday morning and have ridden four hours with it now and no problem. I guess I will wait and see.

c0urt

try going the other direction and see if it comes loose

scott967

I've used sport tape, just under the area where it seems to slip (for me as well it is the drops).


scott s.
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