cyrano138

I hate those cheapo plastic things. I know there are some metal options out there, but most of them seem to get pretty mixed review or are insanely expensive. Just looking for moderately priced, sturdy recommendations.

rootboy 

Depends on which bike, I suppose.

I use the old Velox rubber plugs.

Catnap 

NITTO bar plugs


Champagne corks


VELOX plugs

cyrano138

'77 Raleigh Supercourse, original bars, from what I can tell, which means they're 23.8 if I'm not mistaken.

Oldpeddaller

Uhh...... handlebar plugs, the plastic ones that come with the bar wrap and push into the end of the handlebar.

Light, durable, neat, they stay in place and prevent injury. Can't actually think of anything that would do the job a lot better, cheaper or look tidier. I have used the old screw expander Reg style plugs - in my opinion, not a lot better, YMMV - and rubber ones that are softer but have a habit of disappearing.

Have I understood your question?

letenn 

I can never get those chrome plastic ones that come with the wrap to work out. Mostly I get the ones that are designed to tuck the excess tape into the bar and then push in the plug. I can never get them to work out right though. So I'll cut the tape off flush with the end of the bar wrap electrical tape around the chrome plug and the insert. I really don't like doing that though. Every now and then I get a plug style that fits tight in the bar without the electrical tape.

Those Nitto bar end plugs look really nice. Are they still available?

Paramount1973 

Bar end shifters.

dbakl

I've almost always used the Velox. REG are cool if you can find them.

cyrano138

Not really, but the advice is still appreciated, and it may be my fault for being unclear. I don't want to debate the merits of plastic bar end plugs (I feel like we've all got better things to do). I already decided against them because this is what they end up looking like after a while (these were silver when they went on the bike). I think these look like **** when they go, and the last thing I need is another component that has to be changed out every 6 months or so.




Again, though, thanks for weighing in.

Oldpeddaller

Six months? I'm amazed - mine are still shiny after many years. Yours must have a much harder life! With your black bars and tape, I'd suggest fitting black plugs, which are coloured all the way through and so unlikely to wear like that.

jyl

I like the rubber Velox plugs. Don't fall out, reasonably cheap, reasonably light.

cyrano138

Got to love that Florida sun, right (that bar tape used to be as black as the stem)? I'm guessing that's why mine don't last long, and my bike spends a lot of time in the sun. Of course, the trade off is that you never have to own winter gear. Temps never get below 30s here and it's pretty rare they dip into the 50s (Fahrenheit).
The set I was asking for recommendations for is going on a bike with a different color setup, so they have to be silver.
Thanks again!

iab

My chrome plastic Cinelli plugs look good year after year. Even got some orange/chrome ones for mt commuter. They will match the orange Orp I ordered.

Oldpeddaller

Probably explains it! It's cold, wet, dark and windy here right now - and the bikes are locked up cosy and dry. They don't get too much sunshine. Those Nitto plugs with the hex key socket screw fixings that Catnap posted above look really cool though.

RobbieTunes

On my carbon bikes, I'm with Catnap, using a pair of corks. They work great to hold in that elusive, non-compliant Lizardskin, and you can paint them to match.

Everything else, I either use what comes with or the longer, more secure Bontrager end plugs.

yuyax

Another vote for Velox.

They stay tight and most importantly, I wrap my handlebar starting from the center or top, when I get to the end of the bar, I tuck the rest of the handlebar tape into the bar and the Velox plug keeps them in.

Another reason to start the wrapping from the top, you don't have to mess with stretched tape at the top. Never had an issue with the handlebar tape peeling backwards. The tape job is clean and neat.

Go Velox!

Chrome Molly

I use the ones that come with the tape, and when they fall out I don't bother to replace them. I haven't had any more or less issues with the tape coming loose with or without plugs. I'd be likely to use corks to replace the plugs if I thought about it. Now you're making me think about it, thanks a lot...

thinktubes 

Velox mostly, running vintage cateye plugs on one bike.

Wogster

A fix for the rubber ones, if they are loose, get a piece of dead inner-tube (don't throw out dead ones) cut it so that it will go around the back of the plug, and just miss being visible. Push it in, and your done. I find old tubes make great fillers for things like lights that are made for modern bikes, but don't fit older bikes. A couple of wraps with old inner tube and a short length of electrical tape, and then add the light and it stays perfectly in place. If you use a computer and the sensor keeps turning, a small piece of rubber will make it less slippery.

wahoonc

Velox on 3 bikes, bar end shifters on one, champagne corks on one... Like the look of those Nitto plugs though. BTW they come in a few different colours too!

Aaron

Ol Danl

I've turned some walnut buttons, and glued them to wine corks -- currently use them on a Raleigh Record.

tarwheel 

Velox on several bikes, bar-end shifters on others.

Velognome 

12GA Shotgun Shells

rccardr 

Odyssey Par-Ends. Use 'em on all of my personal rides.

Seriously...they are the shizzle. And come in colors, too!

jimmuller 

I used to use Velox exclusively. The problem is, the new ones I've bought have too big a diameter. The large flat washer on the back doesn't even fit into the end fo the bar. Lately I've been begging the silver plastic ones from my LBS, who seem to be tossing them into a bin as not-to-be-used. This plugs fit nicely and are lighter. And I like the way they look. The Masi even has silver plugs with the Cineli logo.