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Should I go to white bar tape?

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Should I go to white bar tape?

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Old 03-17-10, 06:42 PM
  #26  
Sardian
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I'd go with gray or brown since that's what the white will look like after a few rides.
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Old 03-17-10, 06:42 PM
  #27  
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Old 03-17-10, 07:02 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by Terex
Ah, the always popular "Full Cleveland". Good choice.

Green Apple is the only choice. And paint the hydrant too, while you're at it.
You noticed the hydrant. You get extra points. Now, if you can explain to me what idiot engineer would design a sidewalk with a hydrant in the middle you'll score even more points. About noticing things, did you notice the big brown dog? A hint, he's in picture #2.
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Old 03-17-10, 07:18 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by desconhecido
Can you get a B17 in white?
Ask and ye shall receive....

It's sort of a special edition Brooks, in white (you have to click on the little white thumbnail pic):

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...&PartnerID=635

Even if the OP doesn't go for a white Brooks, I think white bar tape should definitely be accompanied by a white saddle.
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Old 03-17-10, 07:24 PM
  #30  
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Dual top and bottom:


...obviously blue instead of orange for you
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Old 03-17-10, 07:33 PM
  #31  
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I had white tape and hated it. It will start to turn a nice brown-gray in less than a week if you ride much. I will go ahead and give you a suggestion on how to clean it since if you decide to use it, you will need to clean it about once a week. Buy some lemon furniture polish and a rag. Spray polish on rag and wipe in the direction the tape is wrapped. It helps a lot but will not completely remove all dirt. Be careful next time you go to ride because the bars may be a bit slick for the first little bit, but not enough to be unsafe in my experience if you let the bars dry. In regards to your original question though, I now use dark blue and it doesn't seem so show any dirt.
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Old 03-17-10, 07:37 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by CyciumX
Dual top and bottom:


...obviously blue instead of orange for you
That's a nice look. I've been thinking about getting some tressostar and trying a harlequin wrap. Maybe I'll try the top/bottom instead.

Nice bike. Is that about 55cm? Little too big for me. Long seat post, too. I like the orange rims.
When I built the blue Cannondale back in 1997, Mavic had some rims with a blue anodized finish. I think they were
a variation of open pro. For some reason I thought that I had to have the silver CX30s and I'm about as aero as Bill Clinton -- just a tad more than the Goodyear blimp. Thinking over some of the decisions I've made about bikes I'm a little surprised how perceived style sometimes overcomes good utility sense. In the case of the rims, it was a matter of one perceived style over another. These days I'm a CR18 kind of guy. That's sort of a perceived style too, I guess.
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Old 03-17-10, 07:47 PM
  #33  
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Its a 56cm... good guess.

The rims are Mavic Open Pros, but a limited edition anodized finish. The Gold rims were originally bought for a Trek Y-foil I have, but I"m having it painted as I type into a crazy looking plum/blue/gun metal and the bar tape for that will be harlequin style with a clear poly bar tape so that one can see the Deda bars underneath every other strip.
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Old 03-17-10, 07:56 PM
  #34  
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I like the Cannondale frames. When I got mine people had warned me that they were stiff and rough and harsh and non-compliant, but that never has been my perception. I've always considered old blue to be a reasonably smooth ride. The frame came without a fork and the fork I put on (and is still there) is some inexpensive carbon fiber thing, so maybe that makes a difference with respect to ride quality. Is the fork on yours carbon or is that aluminum? Looks like carbon, but I can't tell for sure.
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Old 03-17-10, 08:00 PM
  #35  
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Yes, white. Yes.
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Old 03-17-10, 08:35 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by caloso
Only after Memorial Day.
and take it off before labor day
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Old 03-17-10, 10:13 PM
  #37  
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White bar tape? Why not? Go ahead and get crazy.
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Old 03-18-10, 12:11 AM
  #38  
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white tape (fizik dual blue and white is what I use) and white saddle. they'll match your whitewalls.
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Old 03-18-10, 12:40 AM
  #39  
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Whitewalls: those are Schwalbe Marathons with a reflective strip. In one picture they really stand out because I used a flash -- they're not quite that bright in person, which seems appropriate for me, somehow.
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Old 03-18-10, 03:07 AM
  #40  
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sorry man, I wasnt tring to discount your beautiful bike in any way. I still vote for white bars and seat.
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Old 03-18-10, 05:05 AM
  #41  
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+1 for white bars and white saddle
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Old 03-18-10, 07:39 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by CyciumX
Dual top and bottom:


...obviously blue instead of orange for you


I just did this a little
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Old 03-18-10, 07:50 AM
  #43  
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i suggest you go for YELLOW bar tape.

If it is good enough for my bike it's good enough for all bikes. Trust me. All bikes look good with a bit of yellow in the mix, especially blue bikes.
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Old 03-18-10, 07:56 AM
  #44  
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Yet another vote for White tape / saddle
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Old 03-18-10, 08:20 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by desconhecido
You noticed the hydrant. You get extra points. Now, if you can explain to me what idiot engineer would design a sidewalk with a hydrant in the middle you'll score even more points. About noticing things, did you notice the big brown dog? A hint, he's in picture #2.
OK - paint the dog too. Good fences make good neighbors.

And "idiot engineer" is redundant. (I have a master's in engineering...).

I do like the existing tape, but I say mix it up. Have fun.
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Old 03-18-10, 10:08 AM
  #46  
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I took no offense at the whitewall remark. They do sort of stand out in that picture and are deserving of comment in a thread like this.
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Old 04-19-20, 09:59 PM
  #47  
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Tape to match the saddle is always my preferred look.
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Old 04-19-20, 10:15 PM
  #48  
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Wow. Threads on bikeforums are like Toyota Hilux pickups -- they never die. Still have the Cannondale but it hasnt been ridden in quite a while as I now have a whole fleet of steel. Still has the blue and black tape job though it's pretty ratty.
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Old 12-16-23, 05:12 PM
  #49  
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Decades ago we used white tressostar or tressorex. New tape for every race because Eddy appeared to have that.
but it was inexpensive and we worked for a shop. Off-season, dark.

Oh yeah, one kept a pair of race only gloves, only for races, Styling.
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Old 12-17-23, 04:20 PM
  #50  
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No.
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