blaise_f

This looks good to me. Leather breaks in! It can tell stories. That said, it really depends on how the leather was dyed (and cleaned).

My "poor man's". I wouldn't do it again for $60, just saying. All that said, a shocking amount of absorption comes from the leather. Pleased.

dk2ck

@Blaise: I'm a big fan of leather wearing in, but the blogger said that the tape turned into that after a week, which is kind of crazy in my opinion. (Plus the honey turned into what looks like a black)

The same blogger tried the Velo-Orange tape and said it held up a lot better. Picture here: from https://epicureancyclist.com/?p=879 However, what I was hoping that the new perforated Brooks tape was similar in quality of the Velo-Orange tape, because I didn't want the same issue with the Brooks tape wearing (unreasonably) fast. But so far it looks like I don't have anything to worry about with the new versions of the Brooks tape!

Doohickie

The shallac starts flaking off pretty quickly, after just a few rides. I re-shellacked once or twice, then just decided to live with it. From a distance it matches the seat, more or less. That's good enough for me. This isn't a show bike, it's a functional bike. When it's time to replace the handlebar tape, I will consider real leather, maybe even the Brooks stuff.

himespau 

hmm, I hadn't heard that about shellack flaking off before. Most of the things I'd read people said it lasted a year or so. Of course, most of those cases talke about using it on cloth tape so that might be different than the cork you used (and I plan on using).

Doohickie

I think it looks like worn leather. At a glance it looks fine. If not being perfect is going to drive you nuts, I wouldn't do it.

FrenchFit 

You are right on, we have very dry summers...low humidity. Nice for riding, but leather drys out fast. If you treat it is turns nasty on hot days. And like you said, once it gets a little wet and cold, they are crazy slippery. If you bike is in a climate controlled space most of the day, I guess it doesn't much matter. I had honey tape on a bike that had lots of full day sun rides, and dozens of night rides - big mistake.

Quiet Mike

This thread and others helped me out a lot at the weekend. I was deliberating about whether to go for Brooks tape or not for a couple of weeks, and when I did bite the bullet they helped me work out the best way to wrap my bars. Very happy with the result and look forward to putting some miles on them now.


Brooks Honey Bar Tape by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/2905150...th/7389402184/

photogravity

Did you start at the bottom and wrap upward or at the top and wrap downward? Just curious...

Chombi

One thing I don't like with the Brooks tape is it looks too lumpy on the bar. Dont they taper/thin down the leather at the edges to avoid this??. The lumpyness makes the wrap look kinda cheap IMO. I also think that the perforations on the tape make the bar look too busy. A non-perfirated version if available, might look much better.

Chombi

pastorbobnlnh 

Dallas, see the cloth wrap up near the stem? That is the finishing tape Brooks supplies with the leather bar wrap. Quiet Mike wrapped from the bottom end to the top near the stem.

One thing I was surprised to learn after buying and installing the Brooks bar tape, is that it's made in China. I had assumed it was made in England near the saddles.

Henry III

Being a cork tape kind of guy. I'm not a big fan of leather bar tape. I have newer perforated Brooks tape on my Ciocc and not a big fan of it. I feel like I'm just grabbing onto the bare bar with nothing on it. I'm a soft and squishy kind of bar tape guy. It looks nice though!

jr59

For that, you may want to check out;
https://handlebra.com/

kookaburra1701

Go to your local tack/equestrian store and pick up some Sadl-Tite when it's going to be rainy. Never used it on bar tape, but it sure helped me keep my seat when doing cross-country courses in the rain.

ETA: Here's a pic -

Quiet Mike

The leather was thinner at the edges for about 3 or 4mm in, on both sides. One side wasn't more tapered than the other, as I saw on another tape while I was googling reference, which I guess is the only way you'd really smooth out the finish. Even that still looked 'lumpy' though. I like the lumpy look though myself :-/

China you say? I'm surprised as well! I had thought it was made in Italy? When I looked into buying direct from Brooks England (and I live in England), I was very disappointed to see I had to pay extra for shipping from Italy. I ended up buying my tape from someone on Amazon instead, all in for under Brooks price before the postage. It's worth shopping around.

And I read on some older threads Brooks tapes had stitched joins in the leather? Mine was all one piece.

Quiet Mike

Only done a few miles on mine so far, but you are right. As others have said as well, there isn't much cushioning at all in it.

pastorbobnlnh 

Mike,

Check the Brooks website, that is where I first noticed it was made in China, so I checked the box just to confirm. Still it is well made. Mine was one piece like yours.

This is the second season on a bike I ride often, and it appears to hold well, and like a Brooks saddle, ages with distinction (as opposed to "time to replace this mess").

not_me

With the Brooks you started at the bottom and wrapped towards the stem. With the handlebra you wrapped from the stem outwards. Maybe your hands are loosening the tape and pushing up the edges (of the handlebra).

I've always started at the bottom and wrapped to the stem as that's the way I learned from sheldon's site. Never have any problems with unwrapping, even with the $10 tape I typically use.

KonAaron Snake 

Put Brooks tape into the category of things I want to like, but don't. It looks great, I like that it's reusable...but its Achilles heel is how slick it gets in the rain or with perspiration. They HAVE to be ridden with gloves in my experience, and there are times I don't want to ride gloves. As far as the feel, I prefer most synthetic tapes.

The Handlebra stuff is a little better, but it's too thin. The owner recommends putting tape under it.