Preferred Non-Adhesive Backed Bar Tape
10-22-13, 04:27 PM
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Preferred Non-Adhesive Backed Bar Tape
This will be for a bike I intend to keep and ride for some time, so don't want to have to deal with scouring the bars before every rewrap. Is the Profile Design stuff the best bet, or are there others out there y'all like?
10-22-13, 04:53 PM
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I don't know if Profile makes the "best" adhesive-free tape but it certainly is good, durable and easy to wrap. it's also pretty decently priced. I've used it on several bikes and had excellent service with it.
10-22-13, 04:59 PM
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Why bother scouring the bars? Are you using transparent bar tape or something?
10-22-13, 06:20 PM
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Brad
10-22-13, 06:30 PM
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HandleBra.
10-22-13, 06:36 PM
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10-22-13, 06:48 PM
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Planet Bike silicon backed tape adheres without stickiness. It's very nice.
10-23-13, 07:23 AM
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Again, I've had neither problem. It wraps pretty much as well as other brands I've used and roll length is adequate to cover the 44cm bars I use with good overlap between turns. However, I don't "figure 8" wrap around the brake hoods and if you do, it might be a bit short.
10-23-13, 08:02 AM
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You can remove the adhesive from many tapes; it just peels off when it is new. You could dust some talc on it too, removing most if not all the adhesive quality.
10-23-13, 09:18 AM
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Some wrap the bars first with a single layer of electrical or other thin tape. This usually comes off easily and leaves little or no residue.
I find it pretty easy to remove bar tape adhesive residue using a rag wet with WD40, OMS, kerosene, rubber cement solvent (hexane, toluene), etc...
I find it pretty easy to remove bar tape adhesive residue using a rag wet with WD40, OMS, kerosene, rubber cement solvent (hexane, toluene), etc...
10-23-13, 09:51 AM
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Some wrap the bars first with a single layer of electrical or other thin tape. This usually comes off easily and leaves little or no residue.
I find it pretty easy to remove bar tape adhesive residue using a rag wet with WD40, OMS, kerosene, rubber cement solvent (hexane, toluene), etc...
I find it pretty easy to remove bar tape adhesive residue using a rag wet with WD40, OMS, kerosene, rubber cement solvent (hexane, toluene), etc...
10-23-13, 01:57 PM
#16
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The forté gel tape from performance is a synthetic cork like tape that works well and is not adhesive backed and does not have any logos. It has held up just fine on my wife's bike for 4 years on 3 different continents.
-j
-j
10-23-13, 10:19 PM
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Why remove the old adhesive at all? I'm still wondering what the big deal is.
10-24-13, 05:16 PM
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Most tape I've used in the last couple of years has dispensed with the double-sided sticky tape in favour of the sticky stuff being applied directly to the bar tape. Works much better.
And a great deal of the tape bearing logos only has them down one side so you choose whether to show them or not. This helps a lot with applying the tape evenly.
And a great deal of the tape bearing logos only has them down one side so you choose whether to show them or not. This helps a lot with applying the tape evenly.
10-25-13, 02:13 PM
#19
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Can't speak for Profile, but I second the recommendation for Bontrager gel cork. But even better, get the REI/Novara brand. It appears to be the exact same stuff but about half price (though get some decent end plugs. The Novara ones are crap and fall out).
10-25-13, 02:22 PM
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I like the Salsa tape, it is grippy on the bars, and stretches around bends nicely. I'd prefer it without the logo, but it's not too obnoxious. Bontrager has a very similar tape that behaves almost the same with a less obvious logo pattern. I think it is the gel cork that someone else already mentioned. Both of them run around $20 a package.
The tape I've liked the LEAST is Arundel Gecko grip. It is not stretchy at all and was very difficult to wrap neatly. It does seem to be quite tough, however.
The tape I've liked the LEAST is Arundel Gecko grip. It is not stretchy at all and was very difficult to wrap neatly. It does seem to be quite tough, however.
Last edited by Yo Spiff; 10-25-13 at 02:25 PM.
10-25-13, 06:07 PM
#21
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Of the tape I've used (never used Profile design) about the only ones I'll buy now are Bontrager gel tape and Planet Bike. Cheap, looks great, feels great, comes in the colors I want.
10-25-13, 06:32 PM
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profile is crap tape. i like bontrager gel cork
10-26-13, 06:28 AM
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I like Williams bar tape. Good grip with wet/sweaty hands, not thick, decent stretch for installation, pretty durable, cheap... It does have embossed logos, but you can barely see or read them once the tape is on the bars. They're off center, so put the tape on one way and they're more evident. Put it on the other and they're largely hidden by the successive wraps.
