Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Which bar tape do you use?

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Which bar tape do you use?

Old 06-30-20, 02:06 AM
  #1  
sw909
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Which bar tape do you use?

The bike I'm building is a road bike around 1978-1980, so to be period correct I think cotton or Benotto cello-tape would be appropriate. I love the look of the Benotto tape in black, but it is expensive and I have a feeling I won't like it due to the lack of comfort it offers.

What do you guys use for your vintage builds?
sw909 is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 02:31 AM
  #2  
desconhecido 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,797
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 403 Post(s)
Liked 144 Times in 107 Posts
My preference is not for fat bar tape so I like cotton tape with shellac. I've also used Cinelli black Volee bar tape and it's pretty good but not cheap at $22 or so. Very stretchy and applies very well but it's not a thick spongy tape. I think it's supposed to be about the thickness and feel of tennis racket tape. It's pretty durable -- more so than raw cotton tape, for sure.
desconhecido is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 03:03 AM
  #3  
squarenoise 
Full Member
 
squarenoise's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 301

Bikes: Raleigh Competition GS, Freschi Supreme, Miyata 1000, Trek 520, Marin Pine Mountain, Specialized RockCombo, Soma Smoothie, Surly Cross-Check

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 98 Post(s)
Liked 266 Times in 104 Posts
I have Benotto Cello Tape on one bike and while it looks perfect, for that bike, it's my least favorite. I don't ride it much or for very long so it's fine and not worth switching out.

I tried cloth tape with shellac on one build, but it just wasn't for me. I like the look, but it felt too hard.

For all my other vintage bikes I like Newbaum's Cloth Tape, the regular stuff, and I have one bike with the newer Newbaum's CUSHIONED Cloth Tape. The cushioned version is really nice. Same look, but far more comfortable on really long rides.
squarenoise is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 03:15 AM
  #4  
Prowler 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Near Pottstown, PA: 30 miles NW of Philadelphia
Posts: 2,183

Bikes: 2 Trek Mtn, Cannondale R600 road, 6 vintage road bikes

Mentioned: 83 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 470 Post(s)
Liked 1,015 Times in 397 Posts
Since my machines Are all riders, no garage queens, I go for comfort. "Cork" tape but not too thick. I've used Cinelli tape and SRAM. My latest build (84 Fuji) has Origin 8 tape. My preference is for tape that is either plain/no logos, like the Origin 8, or the logos to one side such that I can hide them (like Deda). I looked at Salsa tape, good feel and wraps well, but the embossed goop is all over the tape. Way too busy for me.
Prowler is offline  
Likes For Prowler:
Old 06-30-20, 04:31 AM
  #5  
J.Higgins 
2-Wheeled Fool
 
J.Higgins's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,486

Bikes: Surly Ogre, Brompton

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1385 Post(s)
Liked 677 Times in 457 Posts
My preference is cloth tape, no shellac. When it gets crappy, re-tape it. Its like a new pair of socks. I did a build once with matching leather bar tape and saddle, which was super-comfy, but man that leather tape is $$$!
J.Higgins is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 04:50 AM
  #6  
Salamandrine 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 6,287

Bikes: 78 Masi Criterium, 68 PX10, 2016 Mercian King of Mercia, Rivendell Clem Smith Jr

Mentioned: 120 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2317 Post(s)
Liked 597 Times in 430 Posts
Cotton tape was king at that time, if you're wondering about period correct circa 78-80. Though cello tape was around, the great craze for it was still a year or two away, and it was limited to racer types. If you wanted padded tape, Bike Ribbon was fairly common by then. The other padded option was Grab-on. They made a thin racing model. Good luck finding any. Cork tape did not exist yet. There was this bike boom era rubber tape called Bailey's I think, but it never really caught on. Most people just went with cotton, If you needed padding, there were gloves for that.
Salamandrine is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 05:56 AM
  #7  
Old Fireleg
Senior Member
 
Old Fireleg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 270

Bikes: '76 Colnago Super NR,'83 Romani Aero KL/SP SR, '85 Mino Denti Aero Master CR, '86 ALAN Cyclo-cross DA, '89 Bottecchia SLX CR, '90 Colnago Master Piu CR

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Liked 71 Times in 48 Posts
My ars poetics: to follow the period of correctness.
Cloth until the late '70s.
Benotto-style celo until the early '80s.
Almarc-style leather or pelten/bike ribbon until the late ’80s,
Cork from the late '80s.
Old Fireleg is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 06:46 AM
  #8  
randyjawa 
Senior Member
 
randyjawa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - burrrrr!
Posts: 11,672

Bikes: 1958 Rabeneick 120D, 1968 Legnano Gran Premio, 196? Torpado Professional, 2000 Marinoni Piuma

Mentioned: 210 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1370 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,743 Times in 934 Posts
For my older bicycles, those that sort of fall into the period correct attempt builds, I always go for cloth tape, which used to be darn near free on Ebay. Anyway, this is the cloth tape that I like for my older bikes. I should add that end caps are important to me, also. With that in mind, I really like the old school Velox product (never falls out)...



For newer bikes, I go with the cheapest cushion tape that I can find. I buy the non-adhesive backed stuff, through Ebay, and sets me back a couple of dollars a set, shipping included. I buy a dozen sets at a time. This is my Jamaica Bianchi and the tape has thousands of kilo meters on it...
__________________
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
randyjawa is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 09:46 AM
  #9  
jeirvine 
Senior Member
 
jeirvine's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,971

Bikes: '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '72 Gitane tandem, '72 Raleigh Super Course, '73 Raleigh Gran Sport, '73 Colnago Super, '76 Fiorelli Coppi, '78 Raleigh SBDU Team Pro, '78 Trek 930, '81 Holdsworth Special 650B, '86 Masi GC, ’94 Bridgestone RB-T

Mentioned: 67 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 784 Post(s)
Liked 513 Times in 278 Posts
Velo Orange Comfy Cotton is my go-to. (Buy local!) Looks traditional, feels great, and is never too short for your bars.
__________________
The man who dies with the most toys…is dead. - Rootboy
jeirvine is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 10:10 AM
  #10  
branko_76 
Senior Member
 
branko_76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: The Urban Shores Of Michigami
Posts: 1,745

Bikes: ........................................ .....Holdsworth "Special"..... .......Falcon "Special".......... .........Miyata 912........... ........................................

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 701 Post(s)
Liked 667 Times in 417 Posts
have been using VELOX bar tape since the 1970's, but just switched to Newbaum's, better quality and longer rolls...

https://www.newbaums.com/

Last edited by branko_76; 06-30-20 at 11:46 AM.
branko_76 is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 11:42 AM
  #11  
SurferRosa
señor miembro
 
SurferRosa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Pac NW
Posts: 8,484

Bikes: '70s - '80s Campagnolo

Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3846 Post(s)
Liked 6,437 Times in 3,183 Posts
Last couple years, it's been whatever Newbaum's I can find sold in pairs on ebay: black, brown, or blue.
SurferRosa is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 12:06 PM
  #12  
Wildwood 
Veteran, Pacifist
 
Wildwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 13,303

Bikes: Bikes??? Thought this was social media?!?

Mentioned: 284 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3874 Post(s)
Liked 4,779 Times in 2,204 Posts
Newbaums - for the reasons in the above 2 posts. Plus, colour selection.




Last edited by Wildwood; 06-30-20 at 12:13 PM.
Wildwood is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.