dbakl

Dang, that's a pretty Frejus!

rootboy 

Thank you dbakl. . I can't wait to see Alan's Cinelli posted here when he gets it done.

Which is leading me back to this: do any of you experts on 60's bikes out there know, or remember, just how they finished off their handlebar tape on Cinellis, etc? I suppose not many examples exist with original treatment surviving. I guess I might have to scan a bunch of old photos. Did they use plastic tape back then? Wrap top down and plug? I'm just really curious as to what would be the proper technique for Alan's bike. Not to mention mine.

edit: I see dbakl has weighed in. I too never saw plastic tape, but that was also in the 70's. In the early sixties I was 9 years old. Any really old farts out there remember ???

dbakl

Well, I believe Spence Wolf imported Cinellis as frames, not complete bikes and built them up as he saw fit. Not sure what other Cinelli importers did. Both cloth and plastic existed at the same time, I imagine it was up to the builder with customer input and wrapped the way the guy wrapping it did it!

Both the 60s Cinellis I had had black cloth. Don't know if it was still original. My stepfather's 50s Allegro had cloth. Cloth seemed common on the higher end racing bikes in those days.

In the early 70s cloth was the thing if you were a serious rider. We wrapped from the top and when in got dirty or frayed we just threw another wrap over the old stuff. By the time we got 5 or 6 layers it got much more comfortable (and the sign of a "real" rider).

I think plastic tape was available in the 40s!

Alan@TreeFort

I'm a bit confused about wrapping top down with my plugs - they are the ones that secure with a lip that wraps on the outside of the end of the bar, not the ones that plugs into the inside, like modern bar plugs do. How would you wrap top down with these style plugs? I would assume the tape is supposed to go over top of the plastic, so that the plug itself wouldn't hold the tape in place.

Alan@TreeFort

Here is what the plugs look like, fyi:

dbakl

You wrap from the top, stick the end inside the handlebar and insert the plug. Same as if you start at the end. I've never used the ones that go outside the bars: I'd guess those are for starting at the end. I prefer Velox or similar myself.

rootboy 

Oh. Dbakl, I was referring to the finish tape, like on some examples here. If they wrapped from the bottom up, what did they use to seal off the cotton tape at the top? But, like you say, it was almost certainly top down in those days ...like we used to do it, or still do.
Alan; those look like the Cinelli plastic caps. Same as what Benotto cello tape came with. I've never used them but I think you wrap from the top down, finish off the cotton tape flush with the bar end, then slide those caps over the cloth tape to hold it. Is that right guys?

rootboy 

Wait a minute. Maybe you're right Alan. Those look too tight to slip over bar end with cloth tape in place. Benotto cello was very thin stuff, which allowed it. In that case, you'd have to start by covering that plastic cap, then wrap to the top, which still leaves you the dilemma of how to finish off the cotton up top.
I'm just ruminating here, and probably not much help. I'll shut up.

So ...what color cloth are you going to use? Red?

ColonelJLloyd 

I've seen those plastic bar ends that fit over the bar included with Benotto tape which, as rootboy remarked, is very thin.

Alan@TreeFort

I'm planning on using black tape - that's what came on it when I received the bike... red might look nice too with red toe straps (the original leather straps are corroded). Any thoughts on that? You think the caps will fit over the Newbaum's tape?

lostarchitect 

I don't like wrapping top down. Yes, it looks nicer without the tape for your photos, but the natural downward pressure of your hands can roll the exposed upper edge of the tape down over time. Tape doesn't look as good, but I think it makes for a more practical wrap to wrap from the bottom up.

dbakl

Black Velox plugs are still readily available and date back at least to the 50s...

rootboy 

Black Velox plugs would look good. Not sure those red plastic Cinelli plugs will go over Newbaum's Alan, but you could try an experiment. I still like the plain steel plug looks for that bike. The red accent might look very good too, if you wrap over the plugs with just the red showing at the end. What color cable housings are you going to use?

old's'cool

Back in the 70's, I never saw anything but a single contiguous strip of tape used to wrap each side of the bar from the center to the end of the drop; no adhesive tape, no glue, nothing but the bar end plugs to secure the tape, and no separate cosmetic pieces needed to cover up gaps at the brake levers. That was then, this is now.

Alan@TreeFort

FWIW, I did some more digging and found this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/archive/in.../t-588983.HTML

I'm thinking I'll wrap bottom up with black cloth, secure the top with either glue or tape, whichever looks better. Thoughts?

Alan@TreeFort

The job took more work than I anticipated - this kind of tape is definitely not easy to wrap. Each side took at least a good 30 minutes. I ended up using 3 rolls of Newbuam's - I wrapped around the brakes before taking a complete roll on each side of the bars. This helped give a cleaner look and covered more area around the brakes.

I also added a little bit of red electrical tape around the top of the bar for some bling - and it surprisingly matches the color of the end caps very well.

Bikedued

Whoa! Looks nice! I just did my Moto Grand Record in red Tressostar with metal chrome end caps. I am using hooded levers, and the red looks fantastic with the black/red paint scheme. As for wrapping cloth or any thin tape is top down, and end plugs holding it all together. How I've always done it anyway.,,,,BD

gomango

Yes it is!

Alan@TreeFort

Pictures please

kroozer 

It's a drag that Universal levers are so incompatible with any other hoods, the hoods are difficult to find and expensive when you do find them, plus you also need those little black mini-hoods for the barrel adjusters. Still, if I had a 1960's chrome Cinelli, I'd find a way to spring for a set of hoods.

rootboy 

Looks nice Alan. Now all we gotta do is find you some Universal gum hoods to replace those rubber bands.

The Uni hoods are way pricey but I agree with kroozer. Sure would be worth it for this bike. I have the little back rubber adjuster covers, Alan, if you ever find the hoods. Just say the word.

Sirrus Rider

auchencrow

+1

This is the same method I use (including the wet wrap) but I wrap top-down because I mostly stay in the drops. (If you ride the hoods a lot, then it makes more sense to wrap the other way, so you won't scrub-up on the edges of the tape with your hands).

It works very well with Tressostar in spite of the shorter length.
If I was to use Newbaums, I'd forgo the wet wrap, because it has a paper carrier that turns to mush. (At least it used to).

rootboy 

That's the way I generally do it too, Auchen, when I'm not wrapping top down. I note in the pics of that fine Molteni Ray doesn't mention finishing off the tape at the top to hold it, does he? Looks like he's just ended it under the bar and left it.

auchencrow

Sharp eyes! You're right about that. He left the raw edge exposed but does not make mention of how to finish it.