Bianchi84

You know, I think it used to be like that. Last 2 times it's been very light adhesive on the whole surface.

fietsbob

Pragmatic reason to start @ the bottom is the way you avoid peeling up the edges of the tape, as you move your hands,
from the top to the brake hoods,
... to brake ..

Maybe if you then shellac saturate the cotton tape that wont happen as soon..

tkamd73 

What about when you slide you hands from the drops, to the brake levers?
Tim

rosefarts

Does anyone have any experience shellacking the padded cloth tape?

Newbaums has neoprene or foam or something bonded underneath the cloth. Would the small amount of give cause shellac to crack or peel? Would the thicker profile of a pad like that cause edge rolling issues with a top down wrap? Same reason everyone goes bottom up with cork.

A compromise may be the extra thick but 100% cotton tape that Orange Velo has.

​​​​​​

Bianchi84

Has anyone here ever used the Almarc "stitch-on" leather? It used to come pre-applied to bar/stem as I recall, but I think they had a DIY kit way back when.

Salamandrine 

I tried shellacking the Velo Orange thick cushy cotton tape. It was not a great idea, as it turns out. I don't recommend it. It took a huge amount of shellac to get it anywhere near smooth, and the weave still would not fill in all the way. At that point of course any slight cushiness is gone, and there isn't much point to cushy tape that isn't cushy. When I finally cut it off it weighed a ton.

I've shellacked over Velox tape for decades now, and it works very well. I haven't ever tried adding cushioning underneath, but others here have. I may give it a go soon, as I'm tired of modern tape, and past the point in life where unpadded bars are pleasant. I was thinking to use some synthetic close cell foam tape underneath, or maybe those add on high tech bar pads. Supposedly using old inner tube works pretty well. Ask gugie.

kidadam

This is good to know - I was considering it. I'm fairly certain the velo-orange stuff wouldn't hold up well starting at the top. I thought damn I should have done that but when I look at it in person - it looks a hell of a lot better than it previously did.

Salamandrine 

The VO stuff is pretty nice as is, don't get me wrong. It just isn't the best choice if you want to shellac over it. Used plain, it is a bit more cushy than standard cotton. I'd imagine that it would last about as long, maybe longer. Depends how into the trashed cotton tape look you are. When I used to race as a teen, shredded tape was cool, like ripped blue jeans...

steelbikeguy

I did mine by starting from the tops and the bottoms, and just finishing under the brake hoods. Seemed to be okay, other than the problems with getting it to look okay on the curved sections <sigh>



I did leave a lot of black tape around the hoods just to avoid getting the orange tape really filthy quickly.

Steve in Peoria

79pmooney

I start exactly like you did in that first photo except I run the tape in the opposite direction. That way the tape is running back across the top at the stem. Thin means my hands tend to tighten the tape when I pull on the bars going uphill and riding the tops.

Ben

Bogester 

I always go top down on top (don’t like tape or twine), but sometimes go up from the bottom and meet in the middle. On some levers it’s pretty easy to tuck under the rubber hoods.

rootboy 

Never seen the Newbaum's that has a foam backing. Just their plain cloth tape is great stuff.

Whip it good.

Classtime 

Who has pictures of their top down (no shellac) job on a frequent rider after 3-4,000 miles? I know many folks would replace the tape more frequently than that but bottom up stays neat and tidy longer. And for a cheapskate like me, that is important.

steelbikeguy

I've been riding this tape long enough for it to be fading... it started out black. This is probably Velox, but might be Cateye?? Not sure if I have any records on it.
This is a photo from yesterday, Aug 6th.

edit: a check of the records shows that I put new Velox tape on the bike in May 2017 when it had about 3400 miles on the bike. The bike now has 6200 miles, so that's 2800 miles on the tape.



Steve in Peoria

Mr. 66

I've made my own leather kitting a few times, I use the rubber velox for end plugs.

I think Almarc is still available, or it was as of a couple years ago.

rosefarts

I can see your handlebars through the tape.

Are we looking at a little mistake by your brake hoods or has the tape moved a little in that time?

trailangel

I always do Top-Down, as the 3 bikes I purchased in the 70s came wrapped this way.... I use Front -to-Back..... as my grip tightens the tape this way.
Usually takes a bottle of wine to complete both sides of the wrap, and then it looks really good.
Always tuck in the tape at the Velox plug. (as much as possible).
I tried Shellac once and eventually raplaced the tape... I didn't like the Shellac.

"Front to Back.....it's sanitary"

steelbikeguy

this is an example of the philosophy known as "close enough for government work".
To answer your question, I don't think the tape has moved.
The rolls of Velox aren't very long, so I'm a bit shy about using much to cover the bars behind the levers.
This is part of the reason that I don't wrap from the middle of the bars........




Steve in Peoria

Miele Man

I really, really like Renfrew brand hockey tape for a cloth wrap for my handlebars. It's very durable and has lots of tape per roll. It's available in lots of colours too.key

"PRODUCT NUMBER: 104R COLOURED

Application: Stick handles and bladesSpecially designed for today's composite hockey sticks, Pro-Blade Coloured Cloth Tape from Renfrew Pro incorporates an advanced adhesive formulation applied to a polyester/cotton cloth base, resulting in a more substantial cloth tape with increased wear characteristics. This premium cloth tape comes in 12 colours – pick your favourite to help identify your stick or match your team."





Cheers

ManekiNico

Mary Ann, bottom up. Wait… that didn’t come out right.

steve sumner

if you wrap cloth tape from the top the edges tend to become unwraped in the drops during use.
I used to use stiched on leather ( Rhode Gear Handlebar Hide) a kit you could buy. the feel was
perfect between grip and padding and the look was so classy.

slenten

I haven't tucked in tape since the '70s. I wrap top and bottom separately, and, as a bit of anti-aesthetic,
I don't bother covering the brake lever clamps. Polyurethane is my finish on cotton tape to reduce color shift.